Guest Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Hi All, I am hoping for some advice please. We are looking to start Forest school sessions soon after half term. We have a site that we are in the process of getting ready and a member of staff undergoing level 3 training. Our children are aged 2 to 4. We will begin by offering one 2 hour session a week for a maximum of 8 children. We will join it onto the end of our lunch club where we will walk the 8 children the short distance to our site. This will also potentially offer one day's full care of 6 hours for a handful of parents. We are a term time only setting so once into September we will expand what we offer. Questions to be answered: Do you need separate insurance? I am under the impression that we don't but am I right? Anyone know of any sites where we can download example risk assessments that we can adapt? We would like to either provide information for the parents via a leaflet or a presentation - has anyone done anything similar? What are the best books/websites for ideas? What else do I need to know before we start? Many thanks, Gwen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Hi, The second part of your questions are all answered on the level 3 course e.g good books, where to find risk assessments etc. For insurance-if you are doing it under the name of your setting then your normal insurance applies as long as you have done a risk assessment and you are doing it with children who are already at your setting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catma Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 (edited) Based on our training programme for forest school leaders wouldn't the person getting training be taught about risk assessments for the space/sessions?? I thought that was part of getting the accreditation? Cx obviously posted at the same time as the previous post! Edited May 8, 2011 by catma Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Hi, Thanks for the replies. Based on our training programme for forest school leaders wouldn't the person getting training be taught about risk assessments for the space/sessions?? Yep that's true enough - she has lots of info. But, I thought just as we adapted the PLA ones for our setting there may be something out there to use as a starting point. For insurance-if you are doing it under the name of your setting then your normal insurance applies as long as you have done a risk assessment and you are doing it with children who are already at your setting. Thanks - that's what I thought so that's good. In terms of books I have bought some books but they are so expensive - it's knowing which contain the best practical ideas. Where have you got your best ideas from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rufus Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Hi I have been a qualified level 3 for 18 months. In order to get my qualification I needed to conduct 6 taster sessions of Forest School and had to have risk assessments in place for this as part of the assessment process. Whoever has been trained should have had to fill out risk assessments already as part of the learning process. You can use that format, just adapt it. In terms of insurance, yours will cover you but you need to ring them and inform them of what you are doing, whether you are using tools, fire etc. Make sure you have your outdoor paediatric certificate, it's a 2 day first aid course specifically for Forest School. Make sure you are equipped with all first aid stuff for outdoors, tools, equipment, spare waterproofs etc. Make sure you have a Forest School policy. I inform my parents about Forest School at our induction presentation but you may need to hold a short session if it hasn't been addressed before now. In terms of books, there are a lot out there I find these useful.... Go Wild!: 101 Things To Do Outdoors Before You Grow Up Make it Wild!: 101 Things to Make and Do Outdoors Nature's Playground: Activities, Crafts and Games to Encourage Children to get Outdoors: Activities, Crafts and Games to Encourage Your Children to Enjoy the Great Outdoors Good Luck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fredbear Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 Sorry not able to help you with your questions, but i'm so jealous, it sounds positively fantastic, hope it goes well and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 8, 2011 Share Posted May 8, 2011 HI I have completed my level 3 forest school training and am a practicing Forest school leader with reception children. As said above the person being trained is trained on how to complete very detailed risk assessments which would be very particular to the site you are using. They would also as part of their course have to design a booklet/leaflet to send home to parents to tell them all about it, what the children should wear, benefits etc. Again this is should be something which is particular to your setting and that the person should be doing it as part of their course. After I had finished my course I came across a fab book which explains all about Forest school and would have been useful for the many assignments I had to do (pretty much writing them for me!)it is called Forest School and learning in the early years by Sara Knight and will explain all about risk assessments etc I had to have all these things like finding out about insurance, risk assessments, a forest school policy (that I wrote) children's medical details, staff medical details, emergency procedures in place in my Forest school handbook and checked and signed off by my tutors before I was even allowed to start with Forest school and your person doing the course should be taking all this on as part of the course. I bought a number of books for ideas some mentioned above and to be honest I havn't found them particularly useful. I have found the Nature detectives website invaluable for resources and also the website below (sorry don't know how to post the link!) but you can copy and paste http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/schools.nsf/o...02575450054B510 I have loved every minute of the training and taking children to Forest school on a weekly basis and I'm sure you will too -the benefits to my children have been huge. My boys in particular have an arena to shine where thay may not in the classroom and I love seeing my pristine girly girlies getting down with the mud! enjoy! deb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 10, 2011 Share Posted May 10, 2011 Hi All, Many thanks for all the detailed replies. I think I was confusing things a little. We are up to the 6 taster sessions at the moment - that's what we are planning. Although we have done alot of this already within our sessions, 'Forest Fun' at pre-school it has always been on our site or nearby. Now we have found the site we want to use long term. Handbook is on the way now and will soon be ready to be sent off for checking. She has that Sara Knight book - which seems to be really helping with essays - lucky to have been pointed towards that now rather than later. The trainer had cancelled the outdoor first aid course at the last minute - but we've been told that as long as we have a current qualification (even though it's not for outdoors) that this will be fine to do the tasters. And the leaflet is on the list to do. Thanks for the books list and website. I will have a look at those and pass them on. I think there was a case of over-excitedness at finding a suitable site and wanting to get in there! Also, as manager I am used to driving things forward and organising - this is the first time it's not down to me. And actually she had it all in hand and if I'm honest I was asking questions without fully knowing what I was talking about! Duh! Thank you for your patient replies. Anyone any more cool websites or ideas please pop them in. How about these: http://creativestarlearning.blogspot.com/ http://www.foresteducation.org/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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