Forest School Leader Training – Level 3

Sept 2027 to July 2028 | Sundays | £1100

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This course is designed for people who want to grow into their Forest School practice at the pace of the natural world.

Spread across three seasons and ten Sundays, you will have time between each session to get outside, try things out, sit with questions, and come back with the kind of reflections that only emerge when ideas have had space to breathe. Attending over a full year also means you will experience our woodland in autumn, late winter, spring, and early summer. That seasonal rhythm is woven into the learning, and it mirrors the long-term, nature-connected programmes you will go on to lead yourself.

Every Level 3 Forest School course in the country will cover the bushcraft basics, and ours is no different. Where we put particular energy is in creating time and space for the deeper conversations about Forest School ethos and pedagogy. Forest School is a unique and wonderful way of being with people in nature, a philosophy that facilitators carry with them wherever they go. The activities matter, but the thinking, values, and approach behind them matter more, and that is what we most want to help you develop.

The course covers how to facilitate groups in a genuinely learner-centred way, how to care for and manage a Forest School site sustainably, and all of the practical skills required of a qualified Forest School Leader. For full course information, visit our prospectus page.

Training days:

05, 12, 19 Sep 2027,

05, 12, 19 Mar 2028,

04 , 11, 18, 25 Jun 2028

All sessions run 9am to 5pm.

Additional coursework support and non-practical sessions are delivered over Zoom, in the evenings at times agreed by the group.

You will need to be able to attend all 10 days.

Coursework. Alongside the training days, you'll build a portfolio of evidence for the AIM Level 3 Certificate for Forest School Leaders, including planning and running six pilot sessions with a group. It doesn't all have to be written: much of it can be evidenced through recorded discussions with me or voice notes, and practical skills are assessed in person during the training days. Full details are in our prospectus.

Time commitment. The course totals around 180 hours of study, including the 10 training days and the evening Zoom sessions. You have 12 months from your first training day to submit your portfolio.

Accommodation. There's no accommodation on site, but our travel and accommodation page lists nearby glamping, camping and hotels.

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Prefer a more intensive format? We also offer a condensed version of this qualification, delivered across two full weeks, one in the Easter holidays and one at the start of the summer. Same qualification, same quality of training, just a very different pace. You can find out more about the intensive course here.

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If your employer or another party is covering the cost and needs an invoice please make the booking through this portal, email us at childrenoftheforest@outlook.com, and we can send out an invoice for your records.