Attention Forest School Trainers:
I am delighted to announce that we have completed the pilot testing of stage 1 of the Forest School Trainers Quality Assurance Scheme. While the candidates to become initial assessors are currently piloting stage 2 of the scheme there is now nothing to stop other Forest School Trainers from applying to become ‘FSA registered’ by completing stage 1.
Please see the relevant parts of the FSA website;
The ‘Database of FSA Registered and Endorsed Forest School Trainers’: https://forestschoolassociation.org/find-a-forest-school-trainer/
This is presently populated with the pilot group. FSA directors, who have also tested and completed stage 1 successfully, will only be added at the same time as the first of the new successful applicants.
The ‘Join the FSA’ page: https://forestschoolassociation.org/membership-options-page/
The ‘Join the FSA as a Registered (Endorsed after Stage 3) Forest School Trainer’ page: https://forestschoolassociation.org/forest-school-trainer-quality-assurance-scheme/
If you are thinking of applying, please do consider the following points.
- The scheme is only open to trainers who are delivering the FSA approved Forest School qualifications (placed on the Qualifications and Credit Framework for England on 1st Mar 2013). Any trainer working through a center of an FSA endorsed Awarding Organisation will be delivering these qualifications. Other trainers may still be using these approved qualification units even if they are are not working with an endorsed Awarding Organisation (please check before applying). We are aware of some trainers who are using other Forest School units and are looking into whether it will be possible to register these trainers at a later date.
- This is a new scheme. We have gone to considerable effort to test it and iron out any bugs. However, you may still encounter some issues that we have not foreseen. In that eventuality we would ask you to let us know about it and bare with us.
- This is an involved process that should not be rushed. Your stage 1 application needs to demonstrate that you meet all the criteria for this scheme so do please read all the guidance fully before starting so that you are confident that you are likely to succeed. Incomplete applications will cause delays in the assessment process. The application form will also be referenced during stage 3 interviews.
- We will endeavour to ‘turn around’ your completed application within 2 weeks. However, as you can imagine, if we get an initial rush of applications this will need to be temporarily extended by a month or more.
- Stages 2 and 3 of this scheme have not yet been completed. While we have a clear structure in place, and a plan for their development (explained in the guidance material) if you apply at this stage you are doing so without having sight of the entire scheme.
- The Database of FSA Registered and Endorsed Forest School Trainers has been linked to from the home page of the FSA website (publicly accessible) and, as was announced, the list of GBFSTN members will be removed from the FSA website. This will create a short ‘gap’ in having a presence on the FSA website until we receive and approve your stage 1 application. We cannot keep that list up any longer because the FSA is mindful of the need to be fair towards those trainers who have been unable to join the GBFSTN since the group suspended applications and who have been unable to benefit from having a presence on the FSA website in that time.
Nell Seal (our external consultant/acting development officer) is looking forward to reviewing your applications over the coming weeks and months. I am looking forward to being able to direct the public toward our new database of registered trainers.
Gareth Davies
FSA CEO
