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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
General
Forest Schooling UK has been delivering provision at St John’s School in Kingston upon Thames for several years. In addition, we operate across two further sites in Berrylands, Kingston. We accept referrals through the Education Inclusion Support Service (EISS) at Achieving for Children, as well as direct referrals from schools and home-educating families of children with Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs.
Our team is made up of highly trained Forest School Leaders and experienced support staff, all skilled in working with young people who present with challenging behaviours. Every member of staff receives annual safeguarding training and is qualified in specialist outdoor first aid. You can find out more about our team here. (https://owlstephen.wixsite.com/my-site-2/faculty-and-staff)
We believe that a young person is not able to study in a conventional school setting until they are emotionally secure within themselves. We do not have 'learning objectives' and the entire session is young person focussed and led. We do however follow and believe in our 8 C's curriculum in our AP and try to ensure this is embedded if everything we do. Those in full time placements go onto Roots, Nurture & Growth following the 8C's Framework.
The 8 C's
Curiosity
The ability to ask questions and explore how the world works
Creativity
The ability to generate new ideas and to apply them in practice
Criticism
The ability to analyse information and ideas and to form reasoned arguments and judgements
Communication
The ability to express thoughts and feelings clearly and confidently in a range of media and forms
Collaboration
The ability to to work constructively with others
Compassion
The ability to empathise with others and act accordingly
Composure
The ability to connect with the inner life of feeling and develop a sense of personal harmony and balance
Citizenship
The ability to engage constructively with society and to participate in the process to sustain it
FSUK has sites at St Johns Primary and Nursery School and Hogsmill Nature Reserve, both in Kingston Upon Thames. Our sites consists of allotments, forest areas and open spaces. We have small classrooms as most of our activity is outdoors. The sites are secure and have separate gates away from other young people and adults. We have running water and a compostable toilet. We all have radios for contacting each other if needed.
Base Layer
• The children will be outside, so thermal leggings (long johns) with a thermal long-sleeved top. If you don’t have those and it’s not too cold, tights will do at a push.
• Warm trousers – fleecy ones like jogging trousers or tracksuit bottoms.
• A long-sleeved T-shirt or thin top.
• A fleece sweater (preferably one that zips up).
• Socks – a thin “normal” pair (like school socks, preferably cotton) and then a thick pair of ski, thermal or woolly socks.
Outer layer
• A warm coat or jacket – one that doesn’t matter if it gets wet or muddy.
• Hat and scarf.
• Gloves.
• Snow boots or warm boots are better than wellies: wellington boots need a couple of pairs of socks inside on cold days, so be prepared to go up a size or two. Their ordinary wellies probably won’t be roomy enough for the warm layers.
• Waterproofs – even more important in winter than in summer. Puddle suits or rain suits are perfect. For older children, waterproof trousers and a light waterproof jacket. Waterproof mittens can fit over woollen mittens for dry hands in wet weather.
Extra Kit
• Use your judgement on really cold days: send your children to forest school with an extra jumper or base layer if it feels like that would be needed. They can always take layers off but it’s hard to get warm if you don’t have the right kit.
• Spare gloves, spare socks and a change of trousers (in case they fall in the snow or water while not wearing waterproofs – it happens!).
"There’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing"
• We are always available at drop off and pick up for a quick chat
• You will receive access to a tracker online which will contain a short report of your child's days
• If your child is full time, you will receive an end of year report.
• We use Arbor to hold your child's information securely. You will have access to all your child's information as well as other information such as behaviour and attendance on our Arbor App. Download the app from your phone ( App Store o(https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412)r Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.arboreducation.parentapp&pcampaignid=web_share)) Your offer email will have information for logging in.
• Our phone number for parents is 0203 576 0176. You can also contact directly through the Arbor App
Safeguarding is at the heart of all that we do here at FSUK. All of our staff have received Safeguarding training and we have strict guidelines and procedures on how they can report any concerns to the Designated Safeguarding Leads. Our page on Safeguarding (https://owlstephen.wixsite.com/my-site-2/copy-of-our-story-1)will help you understand in greater detail how we do this.
Dynamic risk assessments are carried out daily. n addition, all of our staff are trained in first aid skills. Our Forest School leaders are trained to a nationally recognised high standard in outdoor first aid. We all have access to plasters, trauma kits and defibrillators on our sites.
We collect attendance figures as any school would. If your child is ill or is going to miss a session you must call our attendance line on 0203 576 0176 to let us know. You can also let us know through the Arbor App which you will be using whilst your child is placed with us. It is very important that you tell us as soon as possible why your child is unable to attend. We have a legal obilgation to inform authorites if a child fails to attend.
Whilst we don't have a uniform. Your child will need to dress appropriately for any weather. They will be outside for most of the day.
Please make sure they have:
• A water bottle
• Your child will need long trousers
• Wellies or waterproof shoes
• Waterproof over-trousers and coat (this can be in a bag if hot)
• Suncream if needed
• Sunhat/Gloves/Warm hat as needed
• No mobile phones or screens (older children will hand in their phones)
• If your child is with us over lunch (12pm), a healthy pack lunch (https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/recipes/healthier-lunchboxes/#tips)(no nuts AT ALL, no sweets or fizzy drinks)
Of course. We believe being outside in all weathers enhance resilience and perseverance. If the children are dressed properly they will enjoy their day. Severe weather warnings from the Met Office are the only reasons we may close. If we do close for any reason you will always receive a text message, email and Arbor App message informing you. Assume we are open otherwise!
We expect our staff, children and parents to be Ready, Respectful and Responsible at all times.
In addition our 5 'Golden Rules' for our sites are:
• We look after each others bodies and minds.
• We help look after nature.
• We stay safe by staying in our fenced area.
• We won't eat anything unless an adult says it's ok.
• We keep safe by not walking through the fire circle.
We don't require our young people to wear uniform, however parents might find it simpler to have one. We also know that they like to feel part of something and may enjoy the items in our store. We use a partner, TeeMill, who are a uk based sustainable & organic supplier. Their items are of great quality and you even get money off when you return outgrown clothing.
We’ve chosen Arbor to help us manage our school. Accessing Arbor is part of our admissions process and helps you keep track of what your Young Person is up to.
Arbor is a simple, smart and cloud-based MIS (Management Information System), which helps us work faster, smarter and more collaboratively as a school. The Parent App and Parent Portal mean we can keep you informed about your child’s life at school in a much more accessible way. Log into Arbor to see and update your child’s information, get live updates and make payments or bookings on the go.
Download the app from your phone ( App Store o(https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/arbor-parent-app/id1448707412)r Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.arboreducation.parentapp&pcampaignid=web_share)) Your offer email will have information for logging in.
traditional school settings—particularly those with Social, Emotional, and Mental Health (SEMH) needs, trauma histories, neurodiversity, or challenging life circumstances.
Across the UK, rising numbers of children are being excluded from mainstream education or disengaging entirely due to environments that are not equipped to meet their complex emotional and behavioural needs. Many of these children face cycles of isolation, low self-esteem and poor mental health, leading to long-term disadvantage and social marginalisation.
Our organisation targets this problem by offering an inclusive, therapeutic and nature-based alternative to conventional schooling. We provide safe, restorative spaces where children can rebuild trust in adults, regulate their emotions and re-engage with learning at their own pace—often for the first time. Our approach reduces the need for exclusion, supports earlier intervention and helps children develop the social and emotional foundations they need to succeed in life.
In doing so, Forest Schooling UK addresses wider social challenges such as:
• Educational inequality
• Youth mental health and well-being
• Exclusion and off-rolling
• Lack of appropriate support for neurodiverse learners
• Barriers to inclusion in mainstream education
We believe that no child is “unreachable”—but many are simply being taught in ways that do not meet their needs. We aim to change that.
The mission of Forest Schooling UK is to transform the lives of children and young people who are struggling in traditional education by providing inclusive, restorative and nature-based learning experiences.
We are committed to creating safe, therapeutic outdoor environments where every child—particularly those with SEMH needs, neurodiversity, or trauma histories—can build confidence, develop emotional resilience and re-engage with learning in a way that respects their individuality and dignity.
Our work aims to reduce educational exclusion, promote mental well-being and champion a more compassionate, child-centred approach to education across the UK.
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