We are about to complete our first year of the Forest School Play Project, an adventurous programme to encourage very young children from areas of Bradford to develop better health, confidence and resilience through engaging with the natural environment.  Better Start Bradford commissioned Get Out More to deliver the programme last April, and by the end of March we will have run 99 sessions with 9 nurseries and 90 children, with many of the parents coming along for one or more session too, to see what its all about!

“Really good for the children to explore and get them to embrace the outside world and use their imagination. Really good for parents to get involved. I had so much fun!”

“These sessions really bring out the best in my children! Their curiosity, wonder and creativity are all nurtured beautifully by being outside and how responsive Get Out More and the nursery staff are.”

Parents of children on the Forest School Play Project

Better Start Bradford is an ambitious programme to develop an evidence base and new ways of working to improve the outcomes for young children and families based in three Bradford wards; Bowling, Barkerend, Bradford Moor and Little Horton.  Our Forest School Play Project is busy gathering evidence of what works in the forest school approach with young children and this is being evaluated by researchers from Born in Bradford’s Innovation Hub.

Call Out To Parents and Early Years workers in the Better Start Bradford area!

Forest school programmes:

We are about to go into our second year of delivering and are now looking for more nurseries who would like to take part over the next 2 years.  Our enthusiastic pair of qualified forest school practitioners, Sam and Lizzie, come each week to run a two-hour outdoor session for ten weeks with 3 year olds from the nursery, visiting local parks and woodlands for lots of outdoor fun, such as games, exploration, nature discovery and crafts.  Nurseries who have taken part so far are noticing how the programme is helping the children grow in confidence, bringing on their language, social skills and physical development in very obvious ways,  such as noticing children using more varied language, asking more questions and becoming more confident walkers

Forest school Training

Excitingly, we are also offering accredited forest school skills training for early years workers and parents from the area who would like to take their interest in outdoor play and learning with children to the next level. The Level 1 and Level 3 courses equip early years workers and parents with the skills, confidence and ideas to support or lead forest schools, and can be a transformational and empowering experience.  We are running two courses in  Bradford in 2019:

Level 1 Forest School Practitioner Award:  A 3 day course for anyone wanting to gain skills in working outdoors with children.  7-9 October 2019. 

If you are an early years worker working in the Better Start Bradford area (Bradford Moor, Bowling and Barkerend and Little Horton), download the application form here:Forest School Training application form Level 1 2019

If you are a parent living in the Better Start Bradford area (Bradford Moor, Bowling and Barkerend and Little Horton), download the application form here:  Forest School Training application form Level 1 for PARENTS 2019

Level 3 Practitioner Award will equip learners with the skills to lead forest schools.  Two full weeks of training plus first aid training and portfolio completion. 3 – 7 June & 2 – 6 December 2019. Download the application form here: Forest School Training application form Level 3 2019

All opportunities are free to settings / individuals in the Better Start Bradford area.  To discuss getting involved or find out more information, get in touch today