12. Oct, 2022

INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES 

Forest School is a childcare concept based on using the outdoor environment as a learning opportunity for young children in professional care. The idea of ‘Forest School’ may seem like a new phenomenon;however,it was welcomed into the UK in 1995. 

Students at Bridgewater College UK visited Denmark, spending time at a danish Nurserylooking at how early years education worked. The students observed children

playing outside in the wilderness.(Trout, 2004: 16.) ‘Children set their agendas, cooked on open fires, listened to stories, sang songs, explored at their level, climbed trees using ladders and whittled sticks with knives.’The students were so impressed by what they learnt on return to the UK they set up a Forest School. Since carrying this out the heritage of Forest School developed over time and grew in popularity (Forest School Association, ND).  

Forest Schools in the UK abide by six key principles, (Forest School Association, 2011) Firstly, forest school sessions should take place weekly and over a prolonged period. Secondly, forest school takes place in a woodland or natural environment, supporting development between children and the natural world. Thirdly, it aims to promote the holistic development of all children. Fourthly, it supports children taking supported risks appropriate in the environment. Fifthly it is run by qualified Forest School practitioners, and finally, practitioners are expected to use a range of learning processes and create a community for development and learning. When all these important key principles are in place, then children benefit from Forest Schools environments. (Olsen Et Al., 2011) suggested that ‘informal outdoor learning spaces for children should take place and opportunities for different types of discovery are found outside.’ In the UK, every early year's child has a right to explore the world around them. early Years Statutory Framework(EYFS, 2021)says ‘Practitioners should involve children in the outside environment, this allows them to make sense of their physical world.’ The Early Years Inspection Handbook(2022) ‘children have a right to be curious, have awe and wonder of the world they live in,’ and this includes experiences they might not ordinarily have. EYFS, (2022) confirms,‘Capital Culture’ promotes that ‘children should have opportunities to help them progress and achieve success,’by children attending regular forest school sessions promotes resilience and helps engage children with the outside world. The main agenda for children in a forest school environment is to promote a range of challenges, adventure, and imagination. 

When evaluating Forest Schools,the author feels it is an effective way to promote a child's self-confidence, self-esteem, relationship building, behaviours, self-control, self-care, and a sense of community.(Knight, 2011)‘Some children by the age of four have lost the ability to spontaneously play outdoors, and therefore is essential that adults contribute and enhance a forest school environment.’  

In Sweden,Skogsmulle was created by Gosta Frohm (1950),he was involved at a national level with the Association of Promotion of Outdoor Life,and its sole purpose was to take children from outside into the fields and forests of Sweden. The idea was to teach children to have respect for wildlife and the nature around them, and to tackle the solution of lack of indoor facilities. Robertson's (2009) theory was that ‘children needed the knowledge, activities and togetherness to be fulfilled by nature.’Sweden has led the way in forest schools and the UK has copied most of its ForestSchoolprinciples. The landscape in Sweden is comparable to the UK and therefore a similar approach works benefit to the children from the UK that ‘Forest Schools provide an opportunity to gain access and be able to experience forests regularly.’ O'Brien & Murray (2007) and theorists such as Mcmillin (1860-1931) believed in ‘positively encouraging children to be outside and get fresh air as much as possible,’ she collaborated with Steiner (1661-1925) who wanted to ‘develop the link between children and the natural world.’ 

The UK by comparison does have a unique perspective regarding the weather, as the UK is obsessed with the weather and children are often not taken outside due to adverse weather conditions. NICE Public Health Collaborating Centre (2008) argues practitioners in the UK blame lousy weather conditions for reasons ‘not to go outside,’ whereas Swedish Schools remain open unless high winds. 

Australia by comparison was late to introduce the concept of the Forest School into Australia (2011), with its diverse terrain Australia is unique in being able to offer forest schools in all types of environments from the forest, bush, beaches,desert, and woodlands. The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLFA, 2009) explicitly promote play in nature,‘Settings must provide experiences in the environment beyond the early childhood setting.’ and Elliott (2010a) further supports ‘Children should be able to belong with nature and have moments of being at one with nature.’  

Australia like the UK has an association called the Australian Forest School Association, (AFSA). TheAssociationequally has six principles, albeit different to the UK perspective, they are nature immersion, connection to country, free play and natural learning, inclusivity, accessibility, mentoring practices and sustainable practice. 

Looking at the difference between the environment, Australia is quite different to the UK by comparison, it has vast amounts of land compared to the UK, although the UK has a much larger population. Australia also has a strong indigenous population with deep-rooted traditions that children benefit from, and this can be seen throughout the Australian Curriculum entitled Belonging, Being andBecoming, intertwining golden threads of tradition with nature, the benefits to the Australian children that they have so many different landscapes to explore and discover and this could explain why the UK Forest Schools have environmental limitations in direct comparison to Australia who has more opportunities than the UK, with its varied and diverse range of environments. Sweden on the other hand although they have a similar landscape to the UK, they have harder winters than the UK and they tend to take weather conditions and make the most of it, benefitting and challenging the children by learning about all types of weather and change in seasons. Frobel (1782-1852) based his kindergartens around ‘outside play, places for exploration and adventure and Piaget (1896-1980) believed ‘the richer the child's learning in early years the more sense they make of the environment.’  All these pioneers saw the benefits of interacting with the world no matter what the weather conditions, allowing children to lead in their discovery, by being challenged. 

Forest school has a wealth of benefits to children's overall holistic development, findings show that when children attend forest school sessions on a long-term regular basis, children have awe and wonder and are curious about the outside world and this is an immense value to children’s learning, giving them skills to; navigate unpredictable terrain, learn to balance, scale slopes, build muscle strength,become confident in knowing own limits and understand how capable they are. Children find new possibilities and ways to express themselves, new ways to create, remain focused and calm, learn to adapt to new situations and use new tools safely. The Forest School research (2005), backs up this evidence by saying it promotes social skills, confidence,communication knowledge, understanding and motivation. 

Looking closely at the Forest School concept,it covers all seven areas of learning set out in the Statutory Framework for the Early Years Foundation Stage and so Forest School is a great benefit to children's education. 

Practitioner Role 

The skills that a practitioner needs to run a successful Forest School are to be knowledgeable and experienced, to embrace outdoor learning and to enjoy the environment. We know that children will benefit from outdoor learning giving children the best start in life, but will also help staff with mental health issues,Hallet (2013),said ‘The practitioner's role is to be reflective and evaluate its provision of practice’ and the Nutbrown Review, (2012),also quantifies that ‘leaders should lead by example supporting staff in practice and encouraging reflection of their skills,’ this is relevant because it is important to reflect what went well, what you could do differently in the future and what was the value of learning so that you can develop the Forest School Further. Forest Schools are different to general outdoor learning and need to be run by a Qualified Practitioner, mainly because the environment is the third teacher, and a practitioner needs to know the knowledge to help understand how to keep a child safe in this unique environment, the benefit to the children will be that experienced practitioners can support children in the Forest with their knowledge and expertise. 

The Benefits of Risky Play 

The EYFS (2021), describes how ‘settings must manage risks’ and ‘children in their care must not be exposed to risk and it should be managed.’ This does not guarantee that all risk is removed, it simply means that settings should risk assess each event or activity and look at the difference between the benefits of risky play versus the risks. Risk is different for each setting, what is acceptable for one setting might not be for another. It is important to look at risk on a case-by-case basis and use professional judgement, allowing for the ability of the children in your care on the day of the activity. Therefore, it is important to know your children well when risk assessing. Play England (2020), talks about this ‘providers should use their understanding of children's play needs, the need to offer risk and challenge and their own knowledge experience to inform their judgements.’ We know that children learn in lots of diverse ways and the benefits to the children are that we must allow children to explore risk and therefore we must offer different play experiences in the classroom. Woodland sessions give children time to work out what they can and cannot do and allow them to experience boundaries and make risky decisions. Gill (2007)refers to the ’lost art of benign neglect’ which means we are not allowing children to take risky decisions. On the contrary, children should be given age-appropriate managed risks and boundaries but within limits. According to the Royal Society for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), ‘Environments should be as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.’Therefore,regular sessions at Forrest School are essentialPACE, (2014),‘Children acquire risk assessment skills as second nature.’ The United Nations Convention on the rights of a child (UNCRC, 2010), defines that a child has a right to access quality education and to be outside. When considering benefits, children currently spend too much time on computer devices and reducing screen time will help children interact with each other. 

Wigley (2021), ‘The introduction of interactive technologies, interferes with the human connections, young children must have an optimal brain and emotional development,’ so for example, if a child has no outside experiences as well as no interaction with the world, they are twice as likely to have no social interaction with peers and the outside world, however Forest School gives children the benefit of experiences outside. The Good Childhood Report (2019) revealed that by the age of 10-15, 132,000 children had no real friends, only virtual ones.Also, data from the Childhood Obesity Report (2016) that ‘nearly a third of all children 2-15,were overweight or obese,’ it also goes on to say that ‘obesity has many drivers including the environment and that there is evidence that physical activity improves academic performance.’ Forrest School, therefore, has a significant effect on children’s outcomes and should be seen as beneficial. 

Conclusion 

What is evident from the research provided is that it is essential to understand the key principles of Forest School and have a Level Three Qualification in Forrest School as a practitioner or Leader. The data shows us that the UK Forest School Association allows a Forest School to maintain standards and abide by its guiding principles.  

In addition, practitioners must be enthusiastic and have a real passion for the outside,children must attend on a long-term regular basis to understand fully how to keep themselves safe and understand the rules around Forest School sessions. 

In support of Forest Schools, practitioners must be qualified and have regular refresher training. Practitioners should be confident in their ability to deliver sessions.ForestSchool is a wonderful learning approach, and the approach helps the whole child holistically with development and learning. 

From the research, the Sweden theory leads the way in its approach to the Forest School ethos, the UK picks up most of Sweden’sideas and philosophies and even most of the principles of Forest School originate from Sweden. By contrast, Australia is unique in being able to offer Forest Schools in so many unusual types of terrain and so the children of Australia can learn more about the Forest School approach. The benefits to the children out way the risks and children learn so much from the Forest School approach, preparing children for later life, challenging the body, connecting the brain, facing diversity, and managing risk. 

References  

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