Are you ready to top up your L2 qualification to a L3?
Kinda Training is part of Kinda Education CIC which promotes equity and kindness by deepening reconnection to nature.
Kinda delivers cross-generational Forest School programmes, working with people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to rekindle
a sense of belonging, co-operation and community.
"Forest School is an inspirational process that offers ALL learners (and the facilitators) regular opportunities to achieve and develop confidence and self-esteem, through hands-on learning experiences in a woodland or natural environment with trees.
Forest School is a specialised learning approach that sits within, and compliments the wider context of outdoor and woodland education.
This learner-centred approach interweaves with the ever-changing moods and marvels potential and challenges of the natural world through the seasons, to fill every Forest School session and programme with discovery and difference. Yet each programme also shares a common set of principles, aimed at ensuring all learners experience the cumulative and lasting benefits that quality Forest School offers.”
https://www.forestschoolassociation.org/what-is-forest...
What does Forest school look like in practice? Its not like school…
We all need to play and we are nature! – play is innate and teaches us so much about ourselves, and the world around us. Forest school builds a sense of belonging and community. Not just with other children and adults but also with the natural world. Building a sense of awe and wonder builds a curiosity to learn. Forest School is a place where the learner decides on what they would like to learn, try and explore. The learning is holistic and if you observe a session you might see the learners climbing, building, crafting, checking out the field guides, cooking on campfires, watching the clouds, hanging in hammocks, swinging from the trees, listening or telling stories and many other nature based skills.
Learning to ‘facilitate’ rather than teach is a powerful and wonderful experience. Its incredible what we learn from observing, noticing and stepping into the learners shoes.
How does Forest School do this?
The 6 principles of Forest School (FS)
supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
This ethos creates learning communities where deep-level learning and progression are the norm.
Why train with Kinda Training ?
* Our lead tutor is Mell is a Forest School Association Endorsed Trainer who has over 30 years of person centred nature connection facilitation experience under her belt. Mell is a 'behaviour' specialist, an outdoor learning and child led education consultant. She has been delivering Forest School to all ages full time for over 16 years. Mell has tutoring the forest school qualifications for the past 9 years and has trained around 500 adults to become facilitators in Forest School. (https://forestschoolassociation.org/fsa-members.../... )
* The Kinda Training clan have a playful and holistic way of tutoring. We support learners of all abilities and backgrounds to ‘feel’ what it's like to be held with the forest school ethos, and then to delve deeper into what that ethos is and how to deliver it within a wide range of settings.
* Mell co-facilitators include Meg Mycelium, Emma Eagle and Eloise Eggplant who have worked with her for many years within a range of forest school settings.
Eloise and Mell have been tutoring the qualifications together since 2016. Together they hold an inspiring space to enable learners to remember and discover in a holistically fun and deeply powerful way.
* The training clan is supported by the incredible Dr Sara Knight who is the UK’s leading author and researcher of Forest School. Sara visits tutoring days and is our internal moderator.
( https://forestschoolassociation.org/fsa-members.../...)
* The 11th day training course includes a day visiting Kinda Forest School to immerse into what it feels like to be part of a Forest School community. ( 6th day if you are completing a Level 2)
* The Kinda Training Team have a wide range of knowledge and experience to share and absolutely love delivering Forest school qualifications and marking your work!
What does the course content look like?
Kinda Training is fun, inspiring, wild and supportive. The tutoring days are held within two very different woodlands- one ancient and one young woodland- in Beccles and Halesworth.
* L3 top -up is 5 days of face to face group tutorials within a woodland setting from 9am to 5pm.
* Your training journey will also include 1 day of attending a Kinda Forest School session to see what a long term forest school ‘feels’ like.
*1 session mentoring visit. Every level 3 student is visited by one of the tutors for a bespoke mentoring session on their own forest school site. There is time for us to observe how your sessions are flowing, and time for you to ask us questions and advice for your next steps.
*An optional sleep out! Camp under the stars in a shelter you build yourselves.
When your training is complete and your forest school facilitation experience begins we also offer additional follow up CPD and mentoring to enable you to delve deeper into areas that interest you. This includes seasonal online drop- in tutorials for all our students past and present.
Forest School Level 3 Qualification
This qualification is intended to provide the skills and knowledge required to set up and deliver safe and effective Forest School programmes and for those who wish to become Forest School Leaders.
The practical training happens face to face in both stunning ancient and young woodland. This gives us a chance to explore and understand how woodlands evolve and how different woodlands and natural spaces can be worked alongside for holistic development. The course has a high tutor ratio that helps us to support and mentor you as you learn new skills.
Assessment tasks will result in each candidate producing a portfolio of evidence meeting each assessment criteria in each unit.
Included is-
*Your level 2 course work assessed and added to L3 portfolio reducing the amount of course work.
*5 days face to face tutoring 9am to 5pm.
*Plus 1 day observation and mentoring at your own Forest School session
*Plus one day observing a Kinda Forest School 4 hour long term session in action
*You will complete up to 60 hours of home study including the delivery of your Forest School Programme
Cost - £899
The minimum age for access to these qualifications is: Level 3 Certificate: 19 years** **Please note that the minimum age for Forest School Leaders is 21. This is a Forest School Association and Department for Education requirement.
Additional Cost - Forest School 16 hour Outdoor First Aid Course - £185 date TBC
2025 Dates
October 9th and 10th
November 5th, 6th and 7th
To join the 2024 course please contact info@kindaeducation.org for booking details.
-We ask for £200 deposit to hold your space on this course.
All payments must be received at least 14 days before the course start date.
Email for more info and to book your spot on the course!
