- FSA policy statement – UK Awarding bodies offering Forest School qualifications
- Guidance notes for Awarding Bodies
- Guidance notes for Forest School Trainers selecting an Awarding Body
- List of FSA supported Awarding Bodies
The FSA has worked with the GB Forest School Trainers Network, Open College Network West Midlands Region (OCNWMR) and Land based sector skills council (LANTRA) to develop a set of Forest School qualifications and to have them placed on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The QCF is the national credit transfer system for education qualification in England, Northern Ireland and Wales. All qualifications on the QCF are approved by OFQUAL. Any OFQUAL recognised Awarding Body is able to clone the Forest School qualifications and offer accreditation. The FSA encourages Awarding Bodies to do this. However, the FSA will only support those Awarding Bodies that clone the Forest School qualifications in their entirety and adopt the same ‘requirements to offer the qualification’ as described below, which were the criteria supported by the FSA when the qualifications were put on the QCF. It is FSA policy that, in the interests of raising quality Forest School in the UK, no trainer should be delivering these qualifications without themselves having Level 3 Forest School Leader accreditation AND having a minimum of 2 years, post qualification, experience leading Forest School with at least one long term (i.e. through the seasons) programme.
Requirements to offer the qualifications
To offer these qualifications, Centres must ensure that tutors delivering these qualifications:
- have a teaching or training qualification such as a Level 3, 4 or 5 Education and Training Qualification, PTLLS (or equivalent);
- have Level 3 Forest School Leader accreditation;
- have a minimum of 2 years, post qualification, experience leading Forest School with at least one long term
(i.e. through the seasons) programme;
- have a First Aid qualification of at least 16 hours in duration and which includes an outdoor element.
In addition, the Head of Centre, Centre Contact or Curriculum contact must:
- inform [NAME OF AWARDING BODY] of any changes in staffing associated with the delivery of these
qualifications;
- Please ensure evidence to meet the above requirements is available upon
request by [NAME OF AWARDING BODY];
- authorise delivery of the [NAME OF AWARDING BODY] Level 3 Certificate in Forest School Programme Leadership (QCF).
Further Information:
http://www.accreditedqualifications.org.uk/qualifications-and-credit-framework-qcf.html
http://www.awarding.org.uk/about-awarding-bodies
http://www.ocnwmr.org.uk/documents/Guides/ForestSchoolGuide.pdf
The FSA has worked with the GB Forest School Trainers Network, Open College Network West Midlands Region (OCNWMR) and LANTRA to develop a set of Forest School qualifications and to have them placed on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). The FSA encourages any OFQUAL recognised Awarding Body that wishes to clone the Forest School qualifications, in their entirety, to do so. The FSA would be happy to support the process of an Awarding Body applying to award these qualifications by providing a letter of support. However, the FSA will only support those Awarding Bodies that clone the Forest School qualifications in their entirety and adopt the same ‘requirements to offer the qualification’ as described below.
Requirements to offer the qualifications
To offer these qualifications, Centres must ensure that tutors delivering these qualifications:
- have a teaching or training qualification such as a Level 3, 4 or 5 Education and Training Qualification, PTLLS (or equivalent);
- have Level 3 Forest School Leader accreditation;
- have a minimum of 2 years, post qualification, experience leading Forest School with at least one long term
(i.e. through the seasons) programme;
- have a First Aid qualification of at least 16 hours in duration and which includes an outdoor element.
In addition, the Head of Centre, Centre Contact or Curriculum contact must:
- inform [NAME OF AWARDING BODY] of any changes in staffing associated with the delivery of these
qualifications;
- Please ensure evidence to meet the above requirements is available upon
request by [NAME OF AWARDING BODY];
- authorise delivery of the [NAME OF AWARDING BODY] Level 3 Certificate in Forest School Programme Leadership (QCF).
Any Awarding Body that receives FSA support will be listed on the FSA website. Awarding Bodies that clone the Forest School qualifications without FSA support will not be listed until evidence is provided that all the necessary conditions have been met.
Please contact Gareth Davies [email protected] with any enquiries.
Further Information:
http://www.ocnwmr.org.uk/documents/Guides/ForestSchoolGuide.pdf
Any OFQUAL recognised Awarding Body is able to offer accredited Forest School awards. It is a fairly simple matter for them to clone the Forest School qualifications that were developed by the GB Forest School Trainers Network, Open College Network West Midlands Region (OCNWMR) and LANTRA and placed on the Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF). This is encouraged by the FSA. Unfortunately, there is no legal requirement for Awarding Bodies to also adopt ‘the requirements to offer the qualification’. We are aware that some Awarding Bodies have chosen not to do this, which has resulted in a lower entry threshold for Trainers than we would have hoped for. It is FSA policy that, in the interests of raising quality Forest School in the UK, no trainer should be delivering these qualifications without themselves having Level 3 Forest School Leader accreditation AND having a minimum of 2 years, post qualification, experience leading Forest School with at least one long term (i.e. through the seasons) programme. These are presently also criteria for joining the GB Forest School Trainers Network. The FSA is in the process of developing a Forest School Trainers endorsement system and it is highly likely that these criteria will also need to be met for FSA endorsement.
4. List of supported Awarding Bodies
Important note: The FSA Recognised Forest School Provider scheme accepts appropriate Level 3 Forest School certificates. These may or may not be awarded by the supported Awarding Organisation listed below. The Forest School Trainers Quality Assurance scheme accepts trainers who are using the FSA endorsed qualifications. These may or may not be awarded by the supported Awarding Organisation listed below.. The purpose of supporting particular Awarding Organisations is to highlight those who have committed to having enhanced criteria for their training centres.
See this page for latest list of FSA supported Awarding Organisations
