Forest School Leader OCN accredited Level 3 course  2008-9

Monday 8^th to Friday 12^th February 2010

This course is an opportunity to explore to a higher level, different approaches to using the outdoor environment.  Participants will investigate how best to design and run a Forest School programme and look at how to approach and apply it safely and effectively. 

This course is ideally suited to Support Staff, TAs and HLTAs, those directly supporting teaching and learning, who wish to extend or enhance their current practice by developing a specialism in supporting outdoor learning.  We invite teaching assistants to attend with a teacher so that as a team they can make a more powerful contribution to raising achievement, although this is only a recommendation and the offer is open to TAs attending without a teacher (we cannot accept teachers on their own).

Archimedes has become recognised as the major provider of Forest School training in the UK and Richard Wood will be running the OCN level 3 accredited programme under licence from them.  An overview of the training is attached, giving full details of all aspects of the course. In addition, as this is an Archimedes course, much of the course information can be accessed through their website at:http://www.forestschools.com

The main level 3 information regarding course content is at:

http://www.forestschools.com/forest-schools-training-level-3.php

01670 534497

(01670) 534415

Jacqui.Pearson@northumberland.gov.uk

Stages of Training

• Initial training week consists of 5 consecutive days.
• Portfolio work - candidates take away their portfolio to work on (For about 6 months to gain experience and consolidate skills)
• First Aid - Candidates complete a 2 day ITC first aid course

NOTE: For the Level 3 Forest Schools Practitioners Award it is a pre-requisite to have an appropriate First Aid Certificate such as the ITC / REC 16 hour Outdoor First Aid Certificate which MUST include hypothermia, burns and compression wounds. As stated above an opportunity to gain the appropriate certificate has been built into the course.  It will be completed after the initial training, before final assessment.

• Assessment Week- Consisting of 5 consecutive days of assessment.
• Candidates must return their completed portfolio within 3 months from the date of the assessment week.
• OCN issue certificates after portfolio moderation

We intend to run a course from Monday 8^th to Friday 12^th February 2010.  The venue is likely to be Blagdon Estates near Stannington and activities will take place both in and out of doors. It is fully funded for support staff, through the TDA 2010-2011 Grant, however schools choosing to send a teacher and TA team will have to pay the full course costs for the teacher. The cost for training, assessment and first aid will be £884 per person.

To register your place on the programme please contact: Jacqui Pearson as soon as possible by E-mail Jacqui.Pearson@northumberland.gov.uk or telephone 01670 534497.