Events

Come and join us for a packed weekend of Forest School learning, networking and fun at our annual National Gathering in the beautiful Cefn Wood near Llandrindod Wells.  This year we will be running one of our CPD training days as part of the weekend.  Woodland Gamelan – Making rustic instruments will be run by Simon Anderson and Annie Thompson, owners of Cefn Wood, Forest School leaders and between them they have years of experience devising and making woodland music, instruments in the woods and delivering performance sessions.  The workshop will concentrate on the making and playing of simple instruments in the woodland environment , it will develop tool use , cover musical technicalities such as resonance and tuning and will culminate in creating a playing situation.   The day will develop skills and collaborative working

Throughout the weekend there will also be an opportunity to share your skills (and learn new ones) and this year our theme is Campfire Crafts and Cooking .  Making felt, whittling, making nettle rope and more.  If you have a skill to offer please get in touch so we can give you a slot to share it with everyone.

We are holding our AGM on the Saturday at 1pm as we have a shared lunch around the fire and hope that you will be able to join us to celebrate all that has been achieved this year and to look ahead to the future of Forest School in Wales.  It is an important time in Wales and if we want to retain a voice in the national debate about Forest School now is the time to come together and have your say!

Camping is available or you can stay in one of the structures at the woodland on the Friday and Saturday night (please let us know in advance what you plan to do so we can allocate spaces).  There are basic camp facilities, fire circle, compost loo, drinking water. and lots of fresh air and birds to wake you up with their dawn chorus!

The weekend will begin on Friday night with a shared supper around the fire and the skillshare and training will begin on Saturday morning at 9.30am.  More details soon.

Hot drinks will be provided.  Please bring food to share.

We do not want anyone to be unable to come due to costs, so please contact us if you want to attend but feel the cost is prohibitive.  Children are most definitely welcome and we will be arranging workshops for them too.

Please download a Booking form and fill in and return to us in the office to reserve your place.

Course content:

Join experienced leaders from Forest School Swansea Neath Port Talbot (SNPT) for a one day ‘taster’ day including;

• How to light an adequate Fire (correct placement, identifying & collecting the best fire wood, ideal shape & size)
• Cooking tools and utensils
• Outdoor & forest food hygiene
• Meal ideas & practical cooking tips

Course tutors:

This CPD day will be led by Caz Wood and Pixie Taylor, who are both excellent  and great fun FS leaders, with over 16 years of combined experience between them.  They have worked with a range of children and young people including many with challenging behaviour and profound and multiple impairments.

On completion of this course you will be issued with a certificate for your portfolio.

To book your place, please download the Booking-form and post to our office in Machynlleth.

Directions are on the the Penllergare Trust website

More details soon…..

This course is an absolute must for any Forest School practitioner!  How many of us look after our FS tools properly?   The course will cover an area that is sometimes underdeveloped on training FS level 3 practitioners, due to time constraints. The day will be spent looking at the use of tools and their maintenance. A range of tools will be covered but a focus will be put upon knife use and the sharpening and maintenance of this most important outdoor learning tool. The focus will be upon its safe use, covering a number of recognized holds or grasps and the various ways that these can be used effectively. Participants should go away with new skills, knowledge and hopefully some artefacts. We will also look at sharping axes and secateurs.

This course will be run by Martin Cook and Chantelle Haughton.  Dr. Martin Cook is a senior lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University. He is a member of the university’s outdoor learning team. He delivers Forest School training up to level 3 at the Cyncoed Campus of the university and also offers green woodworking courses and rustic furniture making courses.

You may wish to bring along a whittling knife, however, all knives and tools will be provided during the course.

On completion of the course you will receive a certificate to add to your portfolio.

To book your place, please download the Booking Form and post to our office in Machynlleth.

If you require accommodation, please contact us for details.

Course content:

This skills-packed day will give you loads of confidence  and ideas to develop your Forest School practice.  The day will be broken down into two main sessions;

Fire: This is aimed at helping leaders/assistants get comfortable with lighting and managing fires along with teaching others its uses and safe cooking practises with plenty of new ideas to do with your groups;

Tools: This is aimed at giving a confidence boost in using hand held tools with groups, we will give techniques on how to use them safely and new ideas of their use with natural materials. All the above with be taught to FS standards along with advice on management, environmental impacts and care and respect for the site and sustainable use of natural resources.

Course tutors:

The course will be run by Carolyn Burkey and Pippa Gallagher.  Carolyn is a Forest School leader and trainer/assessor for many years.  Working with the Education team in North Wales at the Forestry Commission delivering woodland day visits to schools on any area of the curriculum and Forest School delivery and course training for 4 ½ years.  This ran in conjunction with being a leader and trainer for Plas Derw Trust delivering Environmental Education and Woodland programmes as well as Forest School training.

Pippa Gallagher is Trust Co-ordinator and deliverer for Plas Derw Trust for 6 years and has built up the charity into a thriving business funding and running many Forest School and Environmental Education programmes for all ages and abilities.  Recently trained Level 4 Forest School trainer, with 3 successful level 3 courses along with level 2 and 1 being run in the last 2 years.

On completion of the course you will receive a certificate to add to your portfolio.

To book your place, please download the booking form and post to our office in Machynlleth.

If you require accommodation, please contact us for details.

Course content:

* Overview of different types of special needs including Moderate and Severe Learning Difficulties (MLD & SLD), Autistic Spectrum Disorders and Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities (PMLD); the H&S framework for these groups

* Learning framework, Baseline assessments, Individual Learning plans; daily routines
* Selling Forest School to the school, getting staff and parents on board, managing large teams of staff in the woods, planning and feedback

* Working with Profound & Multiple Learning Disabilities ~ wheelchairs, hoists, multisensory impairment, inclusive activities.

* Autistic spectrum ~ differentiated activities for very diverse abilities.
* Moderate learning Difficulties ~ links to school targets, John Muir award,

Forest School Leaders with little or no experience of working with special needs will gain a basic overview the different types of special needs, and how to adapt Forest School daily procedures and activities for these pupils. They should feel empowered to sell FS to special schools in their area.

Special Needs teachers and assistants will gain an understanding of how Forest School will help to deliver learning targets and benefits to all students including those with the most challenging disabilities.

Course tutors:

Sarah Wilson, who is a trained ecologist and has worked as a self-employed Forest School Leader for seven years including around 90 sessions with Autistic Spectrum students and more than 160 sessions with pupils with Moderate and Severe Learning Difficulties. Her experience includes setting up a Forest School within a range of woodlands and school grounds, and supporting school staff to train and establish Forest School in school.

Louise Gladwyn Boulton is a qualified Special Needs teacher at Ty Gwyn special school, Cardiff and has been delivering Forest School to her PMLD pupils for nearly 10 years.  She is passionate about inclusion ~ adapting the session to fit the pupils. She is currently doing an MA in visual impairment. Ty Gwyn Special School is very keen and supportive for her to deliver this training.

On completion of the course you will receive a certificate to add to your portfolio.

To book your pace, please download the Booking-form and post to our office in Machynlleth.

If you require accommodation, please contact us for more details.