Forest School Practitioner Training courses, outdoor workshops, creativity courses and more from Kindling Play and Training
If you wish to be added to the list a booking form will secure a place.
Kindling delivers RQF accredited Forest Schools Practitioner Training at NOCN (One Awards) Level 1 through to Level 3. These training courses can be delivered in house f the group size is viable. All courses are facilitated by Lily Horseman, an experienced and creative trainer and Forest School practitioner. Lily has held a Level 4 Forest School Trainers award since 2009, is a director and Chair of the Forest School Association. For more information or to ask questions call Lily on 07789 723 061 (please note that texts or WhatsApp messages may not receive a quick response, phone calls will receive a faster response).
Lily has demonstrated that Kindling Forest School training meets the criteria set out by the Forest School Association and has met the Quality Assurance benchmarks.
Click on an event for more information and to download booking forms.
Or filter events by category or tags below.
This Forest School training course also includes an Assessment Week 8-12th February 2016.
OCN Forest School Level 3 Training
COURSE NOW FULL – please contact us for the waiting list
This course is an opportunity to explore to a higher level different approaches to using the outdoor environment in a Forest School setting and is for those who and wish to coordinate, manage and lead Forest School Sessions with children, young people or adults.
Download Forest School Booking Form Level 3
You will investigate how best to design and run a Forest School programme and look at how to approach and apply it safely and effectively.
This Forest School Level 3 course is aimed at individuals who have a minimum Level 2 qualification in Youth Work, Child Care, Teaching, or relevant experience in working with children.
The course content of this qualification is based on up-to-date research surrounding aspects of
- Child development
- Personal development
- Neuro-science
- Accelerated Learning
- Woodland conservation and recreation
- Innovative and therapeutic theory in the outdoors
- Risk assessments to enable safe outdoor play and education
Course Duration
- Initial training week – consisting of 5 days of training
- Portfolio work – candidates take away their portfolio to work on (For about 6 months)
- First Aid – Candidates complete a 2 day ITC first aid course
- Assessment Week – Consisting of 5 days of assessment
Download the Forest School Practitioner Training Level 3 Flyer
This training uses the same course materials and scheme of work as is used to train over 70% of Forest School leaders in the UK by Forest Schools Education and their associates.
Participants on this course will need to complete a paediatric outdoor First Aid 2 day course before completing their Forest School training. (First Aid not included in price).
*This venue has basic accommodation on site which costs approx £16 per night. Details of how to book accommodation will be sent with confirmation of course booking.
This is a 3 day OCNWMR accredited course worth 3 credits. Delivered by Lily Horseman in partnership with Jon Cree (chair of the Forest School Association).
We will delve into: what challenges us as leaders in the outdoors; theory on challenging behaviour, up-to-date neural research; triggers and causes for behaviour that challenges us, ways of dealing with ‘real life’ scenarios; de-escalation and formulating/reviewing your own policies, including looking at the validity of sanctions and rewards in a community based approach. We will look at how to develop our own empathetic responses to children and young people and how to react to their needs.
As this is an OCN Level 3 course worth 3 credits it will require participants to reflect on their own practice and write up a workbook after the course which we estimate would take approx 8 hours work. It is suitable for people who have trained as Forest School practitioners or who work in the outdoors.
“this course has really helped me re-appraise the way I work with some of our students and has actually given me new strategies for working with challenges that have worked!” ~ participant from February 2011 course
*This venue has basic accommodation on site which is included in the price. Other local accommodation is available.
OCN Forest School Level 1 Training
This course is aimed at individuals with little or no experience of working in the outdoors, and aims to build knowledge and confidence in the safe use of equipment and tools.
Kindling will introduce basic woodland skills, and individuals will be required to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the flora and fauna in a woodland area. The course will allow participants to look at using the outdoor environment to facilitate different learning styles and to encourage the development of personal skills such as confidence and self-esteem.
Participants will learn how the outdoors can be used to encourage all areas of development, understand factors that affect children’s behaviour and strategies for the outdoor environment. We will also look at how the outdoor environment encourages independence, self-reliance and self-esteem and promotes healthy, balanced social and emotional growth.
Course Duration: 3 days
Portfolio Completion will take place during the course and be handed in on the last day.
This course is ideal for those people who are wanting to gain skills for working outdoors with children and young people, those who want to explore Forest Schools within their own setting or those who wish to support a trained Forest Schools practitioner.
OCN Forest School Level 1 Training
This course is aimed at individuals with little or no experience of working in the outdoors, and aims to build knowledge and confidence in the safe use of equipment and tools.
Kindling will introduce basic woodland skills, and individuals will be required to demonstrate a basic knowledge of the flora and fauna in a woodland area. The course will allow participants to look at using the outdoor environment to facilitate different learning styles and to encourage the development of personal skills such as confidence and self-esteem.
Participants will learn how the outdoors can be used to encourage all areas of development, understand factors that affect children’s behaviour and strategies for the outdoor environment. We will also look at how the outdoor environment encourages independence, self-reliance and self-esteem and promotes healthy, balanced social and emotional growth.
Course Duration: 3 days
Portfolio Completion will take place during the course and be handed in on the last day.
This course is ideal for those people who are wanting to gain skills for working outdoors with children and young people, those who want to explore Forest Schools within their own setting or those who wish to support a trained Forest Schools practitioner.
This Forest School training course also includes an Assessment Week 18th-22nd April 2016
OCN Forest School Level 3 Training
This course is an opportunity to explore to a higher level different approaches to using the outdoor environment in a Forest School setting and is for those who and wish to coordinate, manage and lead Forest School Sessions with children, young people or adults.
You will investigate how best to design and run a Forest School programme and look at how to approach and apply it safely and effectively.
This Forest School Level 3 course is aimed at individuals who have a minimum Level 2 qualification in Youth Work, Child Care, Teaching, or relevant experience in working with children.
The course content of this qualification is based on up-to-date research surrounding aspects of
- Child development
- Personal development
- Neuro-science
- Accelerated Learning
- Woodland conservation and recreation
- Innovative and therapeutic theory in the outdoors
- Risk assessments to enable safe outdoor play and education
Course Duration
- Initial training week – consisting of 5 days of training
- Portfolio work – candidates take away their portfolio to work on (For about 6 months)
- First Aid – Candidates complete a 2 day ITC first aid course
- Assessment Week – Consisting of 5 days of assessment
Participants on this course will need to complete a paediatric outdoor First Aid 2 day course before completing their Forest School training. (First Aid not included in price).
*This venue has basic accommodation on site which costs approx £16 per night. Details of how to book accommodation will be sent with confirmation of course booking.
The Forest School Association National Conference with a host of brilliant workshops and keynote speakers.
Lily’s workshop will be ‘The quest for the child led session’ – An adventurous quest into giving up the role of leader to the children and young people you work with. This workshop is based on some work that Lily has been doing with groups that incorporates rites of passage and transitions, the hero’s journey, group agreements, quests and missions, collective decision making, with a dollop of mucking about in the woods and organised chaos. Through this we will explore how to manage our role as a non leader both emotionally, practically and dynamically.
It is not possible to book this workshop separately it will only be available as part of the conference package.
Modular Forest School Training sessions – Participants will attend all of: 9th & 10th November, 16th & 17th November 2015, 21st & 22nd March, 20th & 21st June and 27th & 28th June 2016
NOCN Forest School Level 3 Training
This course is an opportunity to explore to a higher level different approaches to using the outdoor environment in a Forest School setting and is for those who and wish to coordinate, manage and lead Forest School Sessions with children, young people or adults.
Course leaders will be Lily Horseman of Kindling and Harriet Menter of Scotswood Natural Community Garden.
You will investigate how best to design and run a Forest School programme and look at how to approach and apply it safely and effectively.
This Forest School Level 3 course is aimed at individuals who have a minimum Level 2 qualification in Youth Work, Child Care, Teaching, or relevant experience in working with children.
The course content of this qualification is based on up-to-date research surrounding aspects of
- Child development
- Personal development
- Neuro-science
- Nature Connection
- Creativity and crafts
- Woodland conservation and management
- Innovative and therapeutic theory in the outdoors
- Risk assessments to enable safe outdoor play and education
Course Duration
- Initial training – consisting of 4 days of training
- Portfolio work – candidates take away their portfolio to work on (For about 4 months)
- 2 days training and planning
- 3 more months of work on portfolios
- First Aid – Candidates complete a 2 day ITC first aid course
- Development Training – Consisting of 4 days of including assessment
Participants on this course will need to complete a paediatric outdoor First Aid 2 day course before completing their Forest School training. (First Aid not included in price).
This Forest School training course also includes an assessment and development week 13th -17th June 2016
OCN Forest School Level 3 Training
This course is an opportunity to explore to a higher level different approaches to using the outdoor environment in a Forest School setting and is for those who and wish to coordinate, manage and lead Forest School Sessions with children, young people or adults.
You will investigate how best to design and run a Forest School programme and look at how to approach and apply it safely and effectively.
This Forest School Level 3 course is aimed at individuals who have a minimum Level 2 qualification in Youth Work, Child Care, Teaching, or relevant experience in working with children.
The course content of this qualification is based on up-to-date research surrounding aspects of
- Child development
- Personal development
- Neuro-science
- Accelerated Learning
- Woodland conservation and recreation
- Innovative and therapeutic theory in the outdoors
- Risk assessments to enable safe outdoor play and education
Course Duration
- Initial training week – consisting of 5 days of training
- Portfolio work – candidates take away their portfolio to work on (For about 6 months)
- First Aid – Candidates complete a 2 day ITC first aid course
- Assessment Week – Consisting of 5 days of assessment.
Participants on this course will need to complete a paediatric outdoor First Aid 2 day course before completing their Forest School training. (First Aid not included in price).
Come and join other Forest School practitioners to share practice, chat over what’s going on in the world of Forest School, get up to date on latest developments and revisit and extend your own skills.
We’ll get a fire lit, a kettle over it, some light refreshments cooked over the fire and there will be a selection of tools and a nice woodland to hang out in. Jenny will fire up the pizza oven for us so bring your own toppings.
We will be exploring the potential to set up a network for practitioners in Cumbria.
For more information and to help us plan for numbers contact Lily to let us know you are coming.
The annual popular Conference for Institute of Outdoor Learning members in the North West
This is an ideal opportunity to gather with other outdoor practitioners and professionals from the region and attend a varierty of workshops from a wide programme.
Non members are also welcome.
Lunch is included.
– See more at: IOL NW Conference
Lily’s workshop will be ‘The quest for the child led session’ – An adventurous quest into giving up the role of leader to the children and young people you work with. This workshop is based on some work that Lily has been doing with groups that incorporates rites of passage and transitions, the hero’s journey, group agreements, quests and missions, collective decision making, with a dollop of mucking about in the woods and organised chaos. Through this we will explore how to manage our role as a ‘non-leader’ both emotionally, practically and dynamically and whether our adventures are authentic adventures.
It is not possible to book this workshop separately it will only be available as part of the conference package.