RESEARCH FINDS POSITIVE RESULTS FROM FOREST SCHOOLS

Now, new research into the value of Forest School in England and Wales describes its benefits for children. ‘ A marvellous opportunity for children to learn’ , a report by Liz O’Brien of Forest Research and Richard Murray of the new economics foundation (nef), shows that Forest Schools can play a critical role in child development.

At Forest School, children are educated in woodlands at regular intervals over a period – typically several months – using activities linked to the national curriculum. To evaluate Forest School, researchers explored activities in Wales and then tracked a number of children in England over eight months.

The research found that the effects on many of the children's learning, personal development, behaviour and self-confidence were mostly positive.

"It is evident that some of the children displayed positive changes in behaviour that surprised practitioners and could be attributed to their involvement in Forest School," the report's authors say. Among the benefits to children attending Forest Schools were:
• improved physical and motor skills;
• improved language and communications skills;
• improved social skills, including team working;
• improved knowledge and understanding of the environment;
• increased self-confidence and self-belief; and
• increased motivation and concentration.

• the use of a woodland setting;
• a high ratio of adults to pupils;
• learning linked to the national curriculum;
• the freedom to explore using multiple senses; and
• regular contact for the children with Forest School over a significant period.

The authors recommend that Forest School be made more widely available as a vital part of children's outdoor learning experience, but say that support from local education authorities is crucial if this is to happen. They also recommend further research that tracks children’s progress over longer periods, such as two to five years, to see whether the benefits they gain at Forest School last.

The reports says that a rigorous self-appraisal approach by practitioners to on-going evaluation of Forest School could allow the improvement of day-to-day practice, and that Forest School itself could act as an accurate and insightful formative evaluation tool for practitioners.

The authors call for the promotion of successful Forest Schools to teachers, parents and environmentalists so that they can gain a better understanding of it, its impact, and how learning takes place in a Forest School setting.

They also believe that the role of Forest School in physical development should not be overlooked, and that it could help schools to meet the requirements of the Healthy School Standard. It also calls for the location of new woodlands to take into account accessibility for schools, and notes that this is already taking place in some areas.

Finally, Liz O’Brien and Richard Murray note that Forest School can contribute to four of the five outcomes that are part of the Government's ‘Every Child Matters’ framework. These were identified by children themselves as key to their wellbeing, and are: being healthy; being safe; enjoying and achieving; and making a positive contribution.

The report, 'A Marvellous Opportunity for Children to Learn: a participatory evaluation of Forest School in England and Wales', can be downloaded free as a PDF from the Publications aea of Forest Research's website, www.forestresearch.gov.uk. Paper copies, priced £11, can be ordered from Forestry Commission Publications, PO Box 25, Wetherby, West Yorkshire, LS23 7EW; tel: 0870 121 4180, quoting stock code FCRP009.

Further information about Forest School is available by visiting www.foresteducation.org and clicking on the Forest Schools link.

NOTES TO EDITOR:

1. The research was commissioned by the Forestry Commission (GB), with a funding contribution from Forestry Commission England.
2. Forest School is based on a Scandinavian idea that considers children's contact with nature to be extremely important. It was developed in Scandinavia in the 1950s and focused on teaching children about the natural world from a young age. Nursery nursing students from England visited Denmark in 1995 and, after they decided that the approach was appropriate for the UK, the first Forest Schools were established here. Some Forest Schools are part of the Forest Education Initiative, which is a partnership of the Forestry Commission and a range of educational, environmental and industry partners to work together to increase young people's understanding and appreciation of the environmental, social and economic benefits and potential of trees, woods and forests and of the links between trees and everyday forest products. For further information, visit www.foresteducation.org.
3. The Forestry Commission works to improve the lives of people in Britain through the many benefits provided by sustainably managed woods and forests, including sustainable timber production, public recreation, nature conservation, and rural and community development. It does this by supporting woodland managers with grants, tree felling licences, regulation and advice; promotes the benefits of forests and forestry; and advises Ministers in the UK Government, the Scottish Executive and the Welsh Assembly Government on forestry policy. It manages more than 1 million hectares (2.5 million acres) of public forest land owned or leased by Ministers to provide the above benefits, and conducts scientific research and technical development relevant to forestry.
4. Forest Research is the agency of the Forestry Commission that conducts world-class scientific research and technical development relevant to forestry for internal and external clients. Fur further information, visit www.forestresearch.gov.uk. Liz O’Brien is part of the Social and Economic Research Group, which aims to develop a greater understanding of the ways in which woodlands and trees benefit society. For further information visit www.forestresearch.gov.uk/peopleandtrees.
5. The new economics foundation (nef) is an independent "think-and-do" tank that inspires and demonstrates real economic well-being. It aims to improve quality of life by promoting innovative solutions that challenge mainstream thinking on economic, environmental and social issues. nef believes in economics as if people and the planet mattered. For further information, visitwww.neweconomics.org.