Birch Forest Schools
Alan Scully I can facilitate work and play with children, young people and adults in an outdoor setting with personal development, increased self esteem and enjoying the outdoors being the underlying themes. I have experience of working with groups from reception age to adult including parents, young offenders, young people with disabilities, children excluded from school and children participating in school enrichment programmes. Which age group do I prefer to work with? The one I am working with at the time. Relevant qualifications Forest School Practitioner (Level 3) Silver NNAS Award (Navigation) BELA (Basic Expedition Leaders Award) GNAS Archery Leader Take 5 for Play, Level 1 Playwork ITC first aid Current CRB Public Liability Insurance Professional Memberships Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL) IOL Forest Schools Special Interest Group IOL Bushcraft Special Interest Group Contact details Alan Scully t: 07980 898113 e: alan@birchforestschools.com w: www.birchforestschools.com
Deni Riach I have been working directly with children and young people since 1978, across a range of settings and programmes. I have been employed as an Advanced Practitioner in Youth and Community Work since 1986 and am currently working as a Youth Worker and Adult Learning Tutor in rural West Northumberland. I bring enthusiasm and creativity to youth work along with skills in project development, group-work, team building and training. I see Forest Schools as a way of engaging children and young people in a process which builds their confidence and self esteem within a natural, outdoor, low tech environment. In particular, I enjoy engaging through the outdoors with those young people deemed hard to reach, N.E.E.T, or with disabilities. Relevant qualifications Trained Forest School Practitioner (Level 3) Community and Youth Work Diploma Playcare Level 3 PTLLS (Preparation to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) Emergency first aid Current CRB Professional Memberships IFL Institute For Learning Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL) IOL Forest Schools Special Interest Group Contact details Deni Riach t: 07717 651749 e: deni@birchforestschools.com w: www.birchforestschools.com
Lisa Mew I have worked directly and strategically with children, young people and families over the past 10 years. This has included writing training for a Charter of Participation and contributing in writing a local authority five year Strategy for Play. As the Training and Development Officer within a specialist participation unit for five years, I have a strong background in devising and delivering training, consultation and evaluation. I see Forest Schools as having a major developmental role for children, young people and adults of all ages. There is truly something for everyone: from learning how to tie and use knots, to tool use and carving. I have been amazed as a parent of a pre-school child quite how capable they can be around fires and tools at such a young age, through the Forest Schools programme. Relevant qualifications Trained Forest School Practitioner (Level 3) Ba(Hons) Environmental Analysis PGCE PCET Youth work Level 2 Current CRB Public Liability Insurance Professional Memberships IFL Institute For Learning Contact details Lisa Mew t: 07976 944415 e: lisa@birchforestschools.com
Forest Schools The aim of a Forest school is to facilitate the engagement of individuals with the outdoors and promote personal development. Through an initial phase of group work and introductory activities then by building routine and trust, participants become increasingly competent and confident in the setting and acquire skills that are transferable to the classroom and life in general. Throughout a Forest school programme, participants will: Acquire skill with tools and knowledge of woodland crafts Develop a sense of environmental responsibility Use tools and fire safely Set small achievable goals to help promote self esteem Take risk both physical and emotional in a managed environment Gain in confidence, independence and communication skills Improve reflective practice
Training Birch are able to facilitate and deliver training in an outdoor setting. As well as INSET days, team building, Forest School taster sessions and outdoor play, we have worked with dads and lads, scouts and youth groups to promote best practice and a positive attitude to being in the outdoors. Case Study: Introduction to Youth Work Birch Forest Schools were invited to facilitate the outdoor element of the Introduction to Youth Work programme delivered by Hexham Youth Initiative from Winter 2009 to Spring 2010. This comprised planning and delivering a series of day long sessions to existing and prospective youth workers. The participants were introduced to Forest Schools ethos and the importance of risk taking within a managed environment. The sessions balanced educational and play work theory with practical activities designed to show the value of the theory in practice. Comments from the evaluation sessions: Getting in touch with the outdoors in a very relaxed way. Meeting lots of great people, being encouraged to gain new skills both physical and mental and looking at different approaches to teamwork/group skills. Loved the way we learnt things with seemingly little effort- thanks! Deni helped me face my fears about being in the woods. She made it enjoyable and a lovely experience. I enjoyed just being outdoors, it reminded me of being young and stress free.
Woodland adventure and play Having a theme can be useful in attracting individuals into the outdoors. Through creative thinking and planning, a whole range of activity types can be included in order to engage as wide an audience as possible. Mythical play, wood elves fairies and dragons Build mini-dens and magic kingdoms from natural materials Mix perfume from flowers and leaves Create stories and act them out Make unique woodland art and jewellery Free play in the woods Search and Rescue activity Practice team building and group work Take part in a camouflage workshop Play stealth games and learn about tracking Make full sized survival shelters Create a map of the area and use it to carry out a search and rescue mission
Bushcraft The ability to be comfortable outdoors, to make shelter and fire and find food brings with it an unrivalled sense of satisfaction. With media role models inspiring the public, bushcraft provides a fantastic opportunity to engage people in the outdoors. Through bushcraft you can: Learn camp craft and shelter building Explore fire lighting methods Try campfire cooking Practice safe tool use including bow saw, billhook and sheath knife Discover natural cordage and knot tying Develop knife skills and practice whittling
Creative partnerships These partnerships inspire young people, teachers and creative professionals to challenge how they work and experiment with new ideas. creative-partnerships.com Case Study: Princeville Junior School I was invited to become a Creative Partner at Princeville Junior School in Bradford in January 2009. My role has been to work with other creatives and staff from the school to develop an outdoor classroom on waste ground adjacent to the school and in keeping with the Creative Partnership remit, to promote creative approaches to teaching at the school. I worked closely with reception teachers to devise and run sessions in the school grounds with fire as the central theme. the reception classes were looking at different cultures using the My granny went to market book. From the cultures/countries in the book, Mexico, African and Japan were chosen as the subjects for three themed days during which fire was used for: cooking food; as a social focus for storytelling and as an industrial tool to produce dyes for kite painting. Sir, you are better than the didgeridoo man The feedback from these sessions and other activities run throughout the school as well as consultation with staff and children informed the CP process at every stage and helped the decision making process with regard to the development of the outdoor classroom. I am currently working with the same two classes, now in year one, on outdoor activities around the concepts of under, over, in and out. Alan Scully