Level 2 Forest School Assistant Training (ITC)

This course is for anyone wanting to support Level 3 qualified Forest School leaders within their schools and settings. It also serves as a stepping stone to gaining the Level 3 Forest School leader qualification for colleagues not yet ready to set up and lead a Forest School programme.

We run this course in parallel with Level 3 training so that everyone learns the roles and responsibilities of adult practitioners at Forest School. You will learn how to support a Level 3 qualified Forest School Leader with planning and delivering three consecutive sessions of a Forest School programme.

Please note: this qualification does not equip or qualify the learner to lead Forest School sessions without a qualified L3 Forest School Leader.

When you join us on Forest School Assistant/Learner Training, you will not only become a confident practitioner, but a valued member of a deeply connected, learner-led community, developing your skills, knowledge and experience through collaboration and connection, through and within Nature.

We value the diverse experience that all our trainees bring to this course across the seasons, sharing challenges, celebrating successes, asking questions and finding collaborative answers and perspectives.

The majority of our training is in the outdoors, hosted at the truly inspirational Sylva Foundation Wood Centre, with access to a variety of woodlands and an onsite Forest School setting. The training barn provides shelter and access to resources while regular webinars, peer study groups, tutorials and online resources offer ongoing support in between workshops to complete coursework and provide a reflective space.

As a trainee with us, you will receive a discount on the Level 3 sixteen-hour Outdoor First Aid qualification, and a Level 2 Outdoor Food Safety qualification, optional for Forest School Assistants.

- a minimum of 5 face to face days, covering practical skills including fire and cooking, tool use, knots and ropes, shelter building, as well as gaining the background theoretical knowledge to support Forest School sessions and care for the ecology of your setting.

- free trainee membership of the Forest School Association for 1 year from the start of your training course.

- a half-day visit to a qualified Forest School Leader near you

- individual and group tutorials

- monthly webinars

- optional portfolio workshop, with support and guidance to gather and complete parts of your portfolio of evidence

- A discount on our 16-hour Outdoor First Aid qualification (Level 3 ITC) course

- A discount on our Outdoor Food Safety qualification (Level 2 ITC) course

Please note that the minimum age to access this qualification is 19 years.

We believe that our Forest School Assistant/Leader training courses embody the ethos and principles of Forest School by providing a truly holistic learning and collaborating experience. We know that allowing each and every one of our trainees to develop their own unique path over time, to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to set up and run your sessions independently, is the best way to ensure and embed long-term success and sustainability.

We offer the ITC Level 1, 2 and 3 Certificate for Forest School roles, regulated qualifications which are approved by and meet the requirements of the Forest School Association. Our training centre works in collaboration with Urban Outdoor Learning, an Awarding Centre for ITC First qualifications.

We understand that it usually takes 6-9 months from starting training to completing your Assistant qualification and that this process can be a huge undertaking. As experienced trainers, we are fully committed to tailoring the support you need to achieve the qualification by providing a wide range of resources that work for your way of learning, your personal and professional context and your individual needs. We draw on our broad experience of working with both neurodivergent and neurotypical adults and children in a wide range of settings to help you to connect with other Forest School practitioners who work in a similar context to yours.
In that way, our training will support you to plan, prepare, assess and reflect on your practice as a Forest School Assistant by experiencing all the areas of learning in a hands-on approach.

We embrace practical forms of formal and peer-assessment, collaborative learning and peer teaching throughout the training, which differentiates us from many other Forest School training providers, ensuring that together we build confidence and understanding in putting the Forest School ethos and principles into practice.

We are proud of our strong connections to the FSA, the UK professional body that supports us as much as our learners; our connections with Flo’s The Place in the Park - Forest School Nursery, Long Wittenham and Stonesfield Primary schools and local Home Ed settings, where opportunities to visit and volunteer, to network and learn in and around the heart of Oxford, extend your training experience even further.