Introduction
During the 2024 National Forest School Conference, participants engaged in a focus group session to explore the question:
“How do you generate the evidence and insights that show the value of your practice to clients, managers, funders, and to yourself?”
Ten groups participated in this session, representing approximately 100 Forest school practitioners attending the national conference. The objective was to share approaches, learn from one another, and provide the FSA with a better understanding of current practices in collecting, analysing, and sharing data. The feedback provided valuable insights into how practitioners measure and communicate the value of their work, which is critical for sustaining and growing their impact.
This report summarises the key themes that emerged from the group discussions.
Key Themes from the Focus Group Discussions
1. Use of Observations and Formative Assessments
Many groups highlighted the importance of ongoing observations as a primary method for gathering evidence. Practitioners observe children’s behaviour, engagement, and progress throughout sessions, using both formal and informal methods to record insights. These observations are typically used for:
- Session reflections: Practitioners review observations after each session to understand how activities impacted learners.
- Parent and teacher feedback: Observations are shared with parents and teachers, often through direct conversations, written notes, or digital platforms such as Tapestry or Class Dojo.
- Termly and yearly reports: These observations form the basis for formal reporting to school leadership, funders, and other stakeholders.
2. The Role of Multimedia
Photos and videos were a recurring theme across the discussions, with many participants using these mediums to capture the essence of their sessions. Multimedia serves as a powerful tool for:
- Illustrating progress and achievements: Photos and videos allow practitioners to visually document how children engage with nature, providing tangible evidence of growth in skills such as teamwork, resilience, and problem-solving.
- Engaging stakeholders: Whether through social media, newsletters, or blogs, sharing visual content helps parents, funders, and school administrators to see the value of Forest School in action.
- Creating case studies: Multimedia, combined with qualitative reflections, is often used to build case studies that showcase individual or group progress over time.
3. Parent and Teacher Involvement
Several groups emphasised the importance of maintaining open lines of communication with parents and teachers. Strategies for involving these key stakeholders included:
- Regular updates: Some practitioners send weekly or termly emails, summarising session highlights and observations. Others use apps like Seesaw to provide more frequent updates.
- Informal conversations: Many practitioners find value in face-to-face conversations during drop-off and pick-up times, which allow for quick updates and relationship building with parents.
- Surveys and questionnaires: These tools are used to gather feedback from parents and teachers, ensuring their insights contribute to shaping the programme.
4. Tools for Reflection and Tracking Progress
Practitioners use a variety of tools to help track progress, both at individual and group levels. Popular methods discussed include:
- Skills matrices: Some groups use matrices to document children’s development in areas such as tool use, fire lighting, and teamwork. This structured approach helps to measure progress over time.
- Play-based assessment tools: Tools like the Playometer are used to measure the quality of children’s engagement in play-based learning, offering an alternative method of assessing growth in nature-based education.
- Leuven scales: These scales are used to assess children’s wellbeing and involvement, providing a structured framework for understanding how engaged and motivated learners are during sessions.
5. Formal and Informal Data Collection Methods
Data collection methods varied among groups, with some preferring more structured approaches and others leaning on informal techniques. Key methods included:
- Google Forms and surveys: Several groups use these tools to gather both quantitative and qualitative data on session attendance, outcomes, and feedback. This approach is useful for creating reports required by funders or senior management.
- Floor books and anecdotal records: For those working in early years and primary settings, floor books (physical or digital) are often used to capture children’s voices through photos, written reflections, and drawings.
- Case studies and testimonials: Many groups spoke about collecting qualitative data through case studies and testimonials, which are especially powerful when shared with funders and partners.
6. Reporting to Stakeholders
Ensuring that insights are shared with the right stakeholders is crucial for continued support and funding. Key reporting strategies discussed include:
- End-of-block or end-of-project reports: These reports are often tailored to meet the needs of specific funders or leadership teams, and include data on attendance, incidents, and outcomes.
- Regular reviews and open dialogue: Some practitioners maintain ongoing communication with senior leadership teams (SLTs), funders, and local authorities through formal and informal reporting mechanisms. Regular dialogue ensures that key stakeholders remain engaged and informed.
- Multi-disciplinary team (MDT) reviews: For children with additional needs, many practitioners work closely with MDTs (including psychologists, social workers, and health professionals) to ensure progress is regularly reviewed and insights are shared.
7. Tailoring Evidence for Different Audiences
A common challenge for many groups was tailoring the evidence to meet the needs of different stakeholders. Participants recognised that:
- Funders often require quantitative data and impact reports that highlight measurable outcomes, such as the number of sessions delivered or the number of children engaged.
- Parents appreciate more qualitative insights, such as photos, videos, and anecdotal reflections that demonstrate their child’s personal growth and development.
- School leadership often requires evidence aligned with educational outcomes, such as resilience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Here, observations are often tied to specific educational frameworks like the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) or Skills Builder.
Conclusion
The focus group session at the 2024 National Forest School Conference provided valuable insights into the various ways that practitioners gather and present evidence about the value of their work. A blend of formal and informal data collection methods, multimedia, and frequent communication with stakeholders are all key strategies used to demonstrate the impact of nature-based education.
As the sector continues to grow and evolve, it is clear that there is a strong demand for tools that support efficient and effective evidence collection, tailored to the diverse needs of clients, managers, funders, and practitioners themselves. The findings from this session will inform the FSA’s ongoing efforts to support practitioners in tracking and showcasing the powerful outcomes of Forest School experiences.
The FSA is committed to sharing these insights with its members and looks forward to continuing the conversation about best practices for evidence collection and impact reporting within the Forest School community.
