Level 3 Diploma in Forest School Practice in Early Childhood (3-7 Years) (CACHE Accredited)
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£666.00
£333.00 - £666.00
per item
Included in NCCE LearningVault Membership!
This qualification is designed for practitioners who wish to learn safe and effective methods to carry out Forest School principles and methodologies within their early years setting. It is of particular interest to practitioners working in nurseries, childcare settings, and primary schools with children from age 3 to 7 years of age. The qualification considers how Forest School methodologies can be integrated into an EYFS and lower Key Stage One curriculum. Whether the setting is in a rural environment, rich with woodland access, or an urban environment where practice is completed on a school site, this qualification supports practitioners to support children in their well-being, holistic development, and environmental stewardship, in an age-appropriate way.
Learners will gain an understanding of:
Learners will gain an understanding of:
- the philosophy and principles of forest school practice
- practical skills in outdoor activities that can be safely shared with children
- risk assessment and safety protocols
- pedagogical insights into nature-based learning and child-led exploration
- design age-appropriate, nature-inspired activities that align with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and KS1
Key Information
Key Information
Qualification Number: CQ11827
Level: 3
Hours: 550
Minumum Age at entry: 16 years
Entry Requirements: There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification, although learners will benefit from having studied at level 3 previously, such as an Early Years Educator Diploma or a Teaching Assistant qualification. Regardless of prior learning, experience in working with young children is required and a voluntary or paid placement will need to be accessible to gain practical evidence for the qualification.
Course length: 9-15 months with flexibility around the learner needs
Qualification Number: CQ11827
Level: 3
Hours: 550
Minumum Age at entry: 16 years
Entry Requirements: There are no formal entry requirements for this qualification, although learners will benefit from having studied at level 3 previously, such as an Early Years Educator Diploma or a Teaching Assistant qualification. Regardless of prior learning, experience in working with young children is required and a voluntary or paid placement will need to be accessible to gain practical evidence for the qualification.
Course length: 9-15 months with flexibility around the learner needs
Course Information and Syllabus
Course Information and Syllabus
The qualification is designed for all practitioners and professionals who work with children from age 3 to 7 years within a setting such as a nursery, primary school, or even an outdoor Forest School environment.
Aims and Objectives
Course Content
Unit 1: Philosophy and Principles of Forest School Practice: Covers the origins, core principles, and benefits of Forest School, including its impact on children's holistic development.
Unit 2: Practical Skills in Outdoor Activities for Forest School Provision: Focuses on the safe use of tools, fire safety, and outdoor cooking, crucial for conducting Forest School activities effectively.
Unit 3: Health, Safety, and Risk Management in Forest School Provision: Teaches comprehensive risk assessment techniques and safety management specific to outdoor educational settings.
Unit 4: Planning and Implementing EYFS or KS1 Integrated Forest School Sessions: Guides learners on aligning Forest School activities with national educational curricula, ensuring that learning outcomes are met through engaging, practical sessions.
Unit 5: Facilitating Outdoor Adventure Play within Early Years: Explores the ethos and management of outdoor adventure play, emphasizing risk management and the promotion of holistic development through play.
You will have access to a comprehensive platform of interactive online learning materials, which you can engage in at your own pace. In addition, you can book tutorials with your tutor over Zoom as and when you require these. You will engage in a range of assessment tasks to build your portfolio of evidence, which is assessed by your NCCE Tutor and then Externally Quality Assured by our awarding organisation, NCFE CACHE. You will be required to set targets for your PLP (Personal Learning Plan) that are then provided to you on your portfolio page. You will need to aim to work towards the dates that you have set, but we understand that life happens and your dates can be adjusted- we work flexibly with all our learners here at NCCE.
The qualification is designed for all practitioners and professionals who work with children from age 3 to 7 years within a setting such as a nursery, primary school, or even an outdoor Forest School environment.
Aims and Objectives
- Philosophy and Principles: Learners will explore the foundational philosophy and principles of Forest School practice, emphasizing child-led learning and the long-term benefits of outdoor educational approaches.
- Practical Skills: The qualification equips practitioners with practical outdoor skills that can be safely applied and taught to children, including tool use, fire safety, and outdoor cooking.
- Risk Assessment and Safety: A strong focus is placed on conducting risk assessments and maintaining safety protocols to manage the dynamic nature of outdoor environments effectively.
- Pedagogical Integration: It aims to integrate nature-based learning and child-led exploration within the structured frameworks of EYFS and KS1, supporting age-appropriate educational outcomes.
- Activity Design: Learners will also be skilled in designing and implementing engaging, nature-inspired activities that are suitable for young children and aligned with educational standards.
Course Content
Unit 1: Philosophy and Principles of Forest School Practice: Covers the origins, core principles, and benefits of Forest School, including its impact on children's holistic development.
Unit 2: Practical Skills in Outdoor Activities for Forest School Provision: Focuses on the safe use of tools, fire safety, and outdoor cooking, crucial for conducting Forest School activities effectively.
Unit 3: Health, Safety, and Risk Management in Forest School Provision: Teaches comprehensive risk assessment techniques and safety management specific to outdoor educational settings.
Unit 4: Planning and Implementing EYFS or KS1 Integrated Forest School Sessions: Guides learners on aligning Forest School activities with national educational curricula, ensuring that learning outcomes are met through engaging, practical sessions.
Unit 5: Facilitating Outdoor Adventure Play within Early Years: Explores the ethos and management of outdoor adventure play, emphasizing risk management and the promotion of holistic development through play.
You will have access to a comprehensive platform of interactive online learning materials, which you can engage in at your own pace. In addition, you can book tutorials with your tutor over Zoom as and when you require these. You will engage in a range of assessment tasks to build your portfolio of evidence, which is assessed by your NCCE Tutor and then Externally Quality Assured by our awarding organisation, NCFE CACHE. You will be required to set targets for your PLP (Personal Learning Plan) that are then provided to you on your portfolio page. You will need to aim to work towards the dates that you have set, but we understand that life happens and your dates can be adjusted- we work flexibly with all our learners here at NCCE.
Placement Requirements
Placement Requirements
Practical experience in working with young children and access to a setting where Forest School principles can be applied is essential. This can be within any suitable setting. There are no minimum practical hours to record, but you will need to demonstrate practical skills throughoyt the programme.
Practical experience in working with young children and access to a setting where Forest School principles can be applied is essential. This can be within any suitable setting. There are no minimum practical hours to record, but you will need to demonstrate practical skills throughoyt the programme.
Financing Your Studies
NCCE offer the opportunity to spread the cost of your studies interest-free for a duration of up to 6 months, helping to promote a low-cost alternative to to student finance, that has hefty interest added to your loan.
Please see our page Funding Your Learning for more information.
Please see our page Funding Your Learning for more information.
Our qualification has been developed to meet the specific needs of our learners and has been accredited by NCFE demonstrating the quality and rigour.
NCFE is an awarding organisation recognised by the qualification regulators for England (Ofqual), Wales (Qualifications Wales) and Northern Ireland (CCEA Regulation). This is an unregulated qualification and is not a nationally recognised qualification. This qualification has been accredited as a Customised Qualification and we have benchmarked the qualification’s learning outcomes and assessment criteria at Level (using a national framework’s level descriptors) to allow you to demonstrate the difficulty and depth of study. On completion of the Customised Qualification, learners will receive a certificate of achievement. The certificate is evidence of the knowledge and skills gained by completing the qualification. This qualification has been accredited by NCFE under the Customised Qualification and the certificate of achievement will be issued directly by NCFE.
NCFE is an awarding organisation recognised by the qualification regulators for England (Ofqual), Wales (Qualifications Wales) and Northern Ireland (CCEA Regulation). This is an unregulated qualification and is not a nationally recognised qualification. This qualification has been accredited as a Customised Qualification and we have benchmarked the qualification’s learning outcomes and assessment criteria at Level (using a national framework’s level descriptors) to allow you to demonstrate the difficulty and depth of study. On completion of the Customised Qualification, learners will receive a certificate of achievement. The certificate is evidence of the knowledge and skills gained by completing the qualification. This qualification has been accredited by NCFE under the Customised Qualification and the certificate of achievement will be issued directly by NCFE.
