Autism Friendly Forest School (NAS Sponsored Session)
Details
This is an Autism-friendly session subsidised by the National Autism Society. It is open to all young people aged 5 - 16 with an Autism diagnosis and their siblings.
Are you looking for an exciting adventure for your child with autism or ADHD? Look no further than Autism Friendly Forest Adventures at Parkhurst Forest in Newport/Firestone Copse in Wootton. This event is perfect for children between the ages of 5 and 16 who love spending time in nature and exploring the great outdoors.
Wood Learn Forest School have designed this event specifically with children on the autism spectrum in mind, so you can rest assured that your child will feel comfortable and supported throughout the experience in smaller groups than our usual sessions.
These events will take place on the first Saturday of every month (dates below). The location will be alternated between Firestone Copse & Parkhurst Forest.
- Siblings are welcome to join in too so feel free to buy them a ticket.
- Children without an official diagnosis welcome to join
- Adults or Carers must be present throughout the session and must supervise their children at all times, but do not need to buy a ticket.
- Any additional needs must be disclosed to the Wood Learn Forest School team before or on arrival. If we know about allergies etc we can plan accordingly.
- A forest school dog will be at each session. She works at a variety of SEN sessions, so is very comfortable and patient with children. Please do not bring other dogs. If your child has an assistance or ES dog, please let us know in advance.
Cancellation Policy: To achieve the most out of this event, we limit participation to 8 children. This means that late cancellations can have a huge impact on numbers. We request two weeks notice of cancellations. This gives us the opportunity to fill the spaces. If you have to cancel before two weeks, we offer a credit to your account to be used at a later date, but do not generally offer refunds, unless in exceptional situations. If you cannot use your tickets you are welcome to pass them on to someone else, but please let us know so that we know who we're waiting for.
Cancellations made 14 days or more in advance of the event date, will receive a 100% credit.
Cancellations after 14 days are only refunded if a replacement can be found or the ticket is sold on.
Red Tape: We're not big on paperwork, but we have all ours in order. We have the required licences for working in public forests, as well as Public Liability Insurance as per IOW Council Rules. We have Outdoor First Aid with Paediatrics, Outdoor Food Hygiene certification, and a book full of risk assessments and policies and procedures.
Geoff was the first, and still is, a Forest School Association Recognised Provider, Accredited Practitioner of the Institute for Outdoor Learning, and Luschka is a Therapeutic Forest Approved Practitioner, Wilderness Therapeutic Practitioner and a member of the Institute for Outdoor Learning, Forest School Association and the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society. We are both active members of the Bushcraft Community and have extended experience working with children with a wide range of special educational and mental health needs.
Instructions
What happens at In a Forest School session?
Our sessions are child-led and play-based. This means that we will have an activity for children and young people to participate in, but whether they wish to or not us up to them. For those who don't want to do the activity there are other options - from shelter building, exploring our forest area, playing with other children, chilling out in the hammock etc to knife or tool work and other forest based activities. We use bushcraft skills in a lot of our sessions, which could be anything from painting with natural pigments to skinning pigeons and a plethora of activities in between.
We undertake a combined total of 80+ hours of CPD per year so that we are continuously bringing new skills and experiences to the group.
What about.... ?
Rain, wind, etc: our sessions take place in all weathers. You may get wet and muddy, but those are often the best sessions. Please dress appropriately for the weather. If this is prohibitive for you, please get in touch and we'll see if we can help you with the right kit.
Drop-off: We don't offer a drop-off service unless by prior agreement. These sessions are a lot more 'free-range' than school sessions, because we have parental/carer/guardian involvement in activities.
SEN: Between us we have 16 years experience working children with SEN.
Facilities: There are no toilets or shelters on site. Please dress appropriately.
Dogs: Parkhurst is a public forest, so you are likely to encounter dogs in the carpark and on the paths, and occasionally in the areas we use. We also usually bring Jesse, our forest school dog to sessions. Please let us know if she needs to start the session on her lead.
Please do not bring dogs as they distract her from her 'job', which is engaging with the children.
Cancellation Policy: To achieve the most out of this event, we limit participation to 8 children. This means that late cancellations can have a huge impact on numbers. We request two weeks notice of cancellations. This gives us the opportunity to fill the spaces. If you have to cancel before two weeks, we offer a credit to your account to be used at a later date, but do not generally offer refunds, unless in exceptional situations. If you cannot use your tickets you are welcome to pass them on to someone else, but please let us know so that we know who we're waiting for.
Cancellations made 14 days or more in advance of the event date, will receive a 100% credit.
Cancellations after 14 days are only refunded if a replacement can be found or the ticket is sold on.
Red Tape: We're not big on paperwork, but we have all ours in order. We have the required licences for working in public forests, as well as Public Liability Insurance as per IOW Council Rules. We have Outdoor First Aid with Paediatrics, Outdoor Food Hygiene certification, and a book full of risk assessments and policies and procedures.
Geoff was the first, and still is, a Forest School Association Recognised Provider, Accredited Practitioner of the Institute for Outdoor Learning, and Luschka is a Therapeutic Forest Approved Practitioner, Wilderness Therapeutic Practitioner and a member of the Institute for Outdoor Learning, Forest School Association and the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society. We are both active members of the Bushcraft Community and have extended experience working with children with a wide range of special educational and mental health needs.
We look forward to seeing you in the woods!
Geoff & Luschka
P.S Join us at Wood Learn Forest School Group on Facebook so you can hear about any changes or updates!
Tickets
| Cost | ||
|---|---|---|
Child ticket3 available
|
£10.00 | |
Free Parent/Carer Ticket |
Location
Firestone Copse
Ryde
PO33
Amenities
- Parking