Ben Kingston -Hughes who will be talking to us about the neuroscience of play! @inspiredchildrenltd

Everybody loves a good boogie and we aim to please. Back by popular demand are the Famous Potatoes with their mix of Old Time Folk for you to spin around the floor to. Get ready for an Ol’ Time, Good Time, Every Time with an earthy mix of folk, Celtic, Cajun, hillbilly, bluegrass, country, rockabilly, skiffle… and anything else that brings that ‘old time, good time’ vibe!

So, grab your dancing shoes, bring your enthusiasm and energy, and let’s make it a night to remember. We can’t wait to see you all on the dance floor! 💃🕺

Check out their discography here: https://famouspotatoes.co.uk/
Follow them on Facebook: The Famous Potatoes

Last year we had a special event for new delegates, to help welcome them to our conference. Conferences can be a bit daunting for some and can feel a bit lonely at times. This event has been created and expanded to cater for lone travellers and people new to our community. Come and meet the lovely Matt, Trustee of the FSA and other lone travellers to get your bearings and find some like minded souls to hang out with.

Following the success of our face-to-face meet ups at the 2022 and 2023 conferences, we are again providing an opportunity for any existing FSA Recognised FS Providers to meet up in person. This will be an opportunity to put faces to names, share practice, network and have some fun. New for 2024: we have managed to schedule this meet up so that it doesn’t clash with other meet ups, workshops or events!

This session is open to any existing FSA Recognised FS Providers.

This session will take place in the Training Room which will be signposted and on the site map. It is a brick building situated on the corner, right alongside the track that takes you from the dining hall/dorms end of the site to the camping/market place end of the site.

FSA affiliated Local Groups play such a huge role in supporting Forest School leaders on the ground. These friendly local networks are there to share ideas with and are often able to meet face-to-face; offering things like skills shares, camp outs and CPD training. Each year at the FSA National Conference we host a meet-up so that the different geographical regions can come together in a wonderful bundle of vibrant Forest School joy!

This will be an opportunity to meet other people from your geographic region, put faces to names, share practice, network and have some fun.

This session is open to anyone at the conference and we hope it will be the perfect warm-up for the Saturday evening quiz and band.

This session will take place in the Main Marquee which will be signposted and on the site map.

Back by popular demand and with a slightly more leisurely pace. The metre market will take place in the Marketplace (weather permitting).  This is a fast-paced market where haggling and barter are the name of the game. Bring cash or barter items to swap for any bargains you see.

Selling at The Metre Market

The Metre Market is a temporary space provided for delegates to buy and sell a few chosen items. It is designed with Forest School hoarders and crafters in mind, rather than large stalls with commercial produce.

Metre Market Rules

Each stall is to be self-sufficient so bring a pocketful of change so you can take advantage of the trades.  Don’t forget to look for a bargain barter with other Metre Market stallholders.

• You can trade any item that is either ‘handcrafted or made by you’, ‘second-hand tools, clothing or equipment’ or ‘natural and found items’ in the Metre Market.
• No trolleys or boxes are permitted in the market to keep the area clear and safe
• You must carry your items into the market in one trip.
• You must bring a cloth up to 1m in length and no more than 1m in width – a pillowcase is ideal for carrying items and displaying them. This cloth denotes your sales area and all goods must fit onto your cloth.
• All sales/exchanges are final and all items are sold as seen!

The conference would not be complete without its marketplace marketplace where you can come and try your hand at new skills, buy new books, clothes and equipment or meet trainers and facilitators that can offer new and exciting experiences. 

Each of Danbury’s cabins is equipped with separate more private twin rooms for those requiring extra privacy and space. These rooms must be booked for two people in a group booking (by adding a guest) so you can choose who you are sharing with. If you are booking these rooms and have two people eligible for a discount please contact us BEFORE booking at [email protected]

These rooms are often used by residential school leaders/teachers so will give you the best night’s sleep.  They allow access to the other facilities and have power and heating to keep you snug.  These tickets are a shared booking for two persons and are fully catered with access to meals and refreshments. Please be aware that these rooms contain bunk beds and may be an adventure for some but may not be suitable for everyone, please coordinate with your roommate before booking.

Delegates should bring their own blankets, pillows, and sleeping bags.

There are a maximum of 20 beds/10 rooms available for this ticket type

Danbury has 10 recently renovated cabins that provide a great alternative to tented accommodation.

Each cabin has a wet room, porch, toilet and sink, heating and electricity. The toilet and shower block also has a unisex accessible shower/wet room, with shower chairs and toilet support/brace bars, and accessible toilets with support/brace bars.  These tickets are fully catered with access to meals and refreshments.  The cabins sleep between 8 and ten people so be prepared to share the space.  Accommodation is mixed so you may be sharing with members of another sex.  Cabin 6 is a male only cabin so delegates that present as male please book Cabin 6.  Please note that the twin room in each cabin may be used for mixed accommodation.

Delegates should bring their own blankets, pillows and sleeping bags.

A maximum of 90 beds available

Danbury has 11 cosy camping pods, perfect for those looking for a camping experience with a little more comfort than being under canvas. Each has heating, power and sleep, 2, 3, 4 to 8 in bunk beds.  For our conference, unless you are specifically booking a group with more than four people wanting to stay together we advise 4 adults sharing per pod. Dedicated and accessible toilets and showers are in a separate block, adjacent to camping pods.  These tickets are fully catered with access to meals and refreshments. Accommodation is mixed so you may be sharing with members of another sex.  If you are booking a two or three-bedroom pod you will need to book for two or three people in one booking for your booking to be approved.

Delegates should bring their own blankets, pillows and sleeping bags.

There are a maximum of 63 beds available in this ticket type.  Pods numbered 1-7 have 8 beds in each, pod C has 3 beds and D has 4 pods. Beds are assigned as a first come first served basis so please coordinate with others you wish to share with before booking.

These are ideal for delegates looking for a traditional camping experience. Are you worried about travelling on public transport with limited space in your kit bag?  Then this option is just for you. Danbury’s canvas patrol tents sleep. The camping area its own separate shower block and toilets.

This year rather than the large patrol tents provided in 2023, Danbury are providing 3 person tents and booking a tent hire ticket gives you sole access to this tent, unless you particularly want to share.

Delegates should bring their own blankets, insulating mats, pillows and sleeping bags.  These tickets are fully catered with access to meals and refreshments.  There are 15 tents available to hire.

Danbury has plenty of camping space for you to pitch your own tent.  No personal fires are allowed on site but Danbury do allow you to bring a small camping stove for that early morning cuppa in case you need a hot water bottle to keep you warm at night or to create your self-catered meals.

With a choice of self-catered or fully catered we hope to give you the options to suit your pocket.

We request that campers observe a curfew for music and noise of 23:00 hours, those who wish to make noise in the evenings please find a space away from other campers.

There are 200 spaces for camping

Last Year we got feedback that you would like some space to park and stay in your campervans.  So this year, we have secured a parking space for campervans on a school playground neighbouring our conference venue at Danbury.  This is not a full camper van set-up so there is no electricity hook up or waste disposal. You can use the toilet and shower facilities which are a few minutes walk away. We have space for 15 medium sized camper vans (VW T5/t6 sized) or smaller.  These tickets are for one delegate to attend the conference in their own van. With self-catered and fully catered options there is no need to worry where your food is coming from.

We have 15 spaces for Camper Vans this year.  Delegates staying in their own vans do not require Car Parking tickets

We know that having space to decompress is important and if you live nearby the draw of your own comfy bed is difficult to ignore. This year we have a conference ticket that takes that into account.  So if you need to go home to feed the cat you are not missing out.

We have 20 spaces for people staying off site

Last year some people struggled attending the whole weekend and so this year we have added a day ticket for Saturday 28th September 2024.  We have a limited number available as they count towards our maximum occupancy and stop others from being able to book full conference tickets.  Unfortunately, we are only able to offer this as a self catered option.  Please ensure that you only book workshops for the Saturday. 

We have 15 day tickets available for the event.

We have rented some space for offsite parking in a nearby field. Parking is limited to 170 spaces so please book as soon as you can and share transport with others as much as you can.