ICT First and LASER Awards bring the total number of Awarding Bodies supported by the FSA to seven. This leaves only two awarding bodies who have not yet agreed to the FSA’s requirements for support.
While FSA support of an awarding body goes not guarantee that one of their centers (trainers) is delivering quality Forest School training it does ensure the following:
1. All the trainers working with an FSA supported Awarding Body have a level 3 Forest School qualification themselves.
2. All the trainers working with an FSA supported Awarding Body have at least two years, post qualification, experience leading Forest School with at least one long term (i.e. through the seasons) programme.
3. All the trainers working with an FSA supported Awarding Body are setting minimum age requirements for entry to level 2 and level 3 Forest School courses (18 and 21 respectively).
Prior to the FSA taking steps to gain ‘buy in’ from the Awarding Bodies that are delivering FSA approved Forest School qualification these minimum requirements were not being met in all cases.
Even now, trainers who do not have any experience of Forest School can set themselves up as Forest School trainers, delivering FSA approved Forest School qualifications, by working through one of the other two Awarding Bodies.
A number of the Awarding Bodies have expressed gratitude that the FSA is in a position to advise them on the industry standards. We hope that the other Awarding Bodies seek FSA support in due course.
FSA supported Awarding Bodies are listed, and linked to, below.
I thought you had to have a level 4 qualification to train others. If you only need level 3 how can I get some extra work as a trainer? and would it be worth having a list of ‘gold standard’ training bodies that do use trainers at level 4?
Hello Andy, The level 3 in Forest School requirement only refers to Forest School. A Forest School trainer would still need other training qualifications at the necessary level. For example, a PGCE. This requirement is designed to prevent trainers delivering courses in Forest School if they do not have a Forest school qualification themselves. The FSA is working on a QA scheme for FS Trainers at the moment. Hope this helps. Gareth
Hello David. OCN Eastern region seem to have changed their name to Qualifications Gateway. A search of their website does not throw up any FS qualifications so it seems that they no longer offer them. I think that your question is still valid for the others but at this stage I am hoping that they will seek FSA support in due course.
Does this mean that OCN Eastern Region (from whom I got my Level 3 qualification) is not signed up to FSA minimum requirements? They are not in your list above. If this is so then perhaps training organisations who wish to promote the FSA standard should consider changing to an awarding body that does. Doubtless itis not as simple as this, but I’d like to hear why.