Brief History:
Forest School is a concept that has been developed from the Scandinavian approach to learning, where children from the age of 3-7 attend Early Years Education called måbørnspædagogik, or Forest School. In 1993 a group of Nursery Nurse Students and professionals from Bridgewater College, Somerset visited Denmark to observe Danish Forest School for themselves. What they discovered was so inspiring and innovative that they brought the concept back to Britain and set up the first British Forest School. They developed the first Forest School BTech in 1995. Since then the movement has grown from strength to strength. In 2003 the OCN qualifications were developed with the support of the Forestry Commission. The Forestry Commission also formed the Forest Education Initiative, of which Forest Schools became a major contributor. In 2012 the Forest Schools Association held it’s inaugural meeting, under the umbrella of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, and aims to become a professional body to ensure consistent high standards across the country.