Sports coaches, instructors and officials
As a Forest school practitioner, you ignite children's curiosity and love for the natural world through immersive outdoor experiences.
This isn't just about leading outdoor activities. You're the one who fosters a deep connection between children and nature, making the forest their classroom. Your role is to inspire, educate, and nurture a lifelong appreciation for the environment.
- Experience
- Mid-senior (5-8 years)
- Direct reports
- 1-3
- Typical level
- 5
What you own
- Designing and delivering outdoor learning sessions
- Assessing and adapting activities to suit different age groups
- Ensuring safety and risk management in natural settings
- Building relationships with children and their guardians
- Promoting environmental awareness and sustainability
A day in the life
What the work actually looks like
Arrive at the forest site, checking the area for safety and setting up the day's activities.
Welcome a group of eager children, introducing them to the day's theme and activities.
Lead a storytelling session around a campfire, engaging children with tales of woodland creatures.
Reflect on the day's successes and challenges, jotting down notes for future improvement.
What you decide, and what you will decide next
| Decision | Coming in | You, now | The role above |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activity planning | Suggests simple activities for children | Designs comprehensive, themed sessions | Oversees the curriculum and strategic direction of the forest school |
| Risk assessment | Identifies obvious hazards | Conducts thorough risk assessments for all activities | Develops risk management policies |
| Resource allocation | Uses available resources | Manages and allocates resources effectively | Secures funding and resources for the school |
The skills this job needs
Each of these is a UK National Occupational Standard, matched to this occupation and then confirmed by a reader that checked both records.
- Facilitate participants’ investigation of the environment Outdoor Programmes, Outdoor sector senior roles, Treework
- Develop outdoor programmes Outdoor Programmes, Treework
- Facilitate and deliver outdoor programmes Outdoor Programmes, Treework
- Facilitate and deliver sustainable, safe, and effective outdoor and adventure programmes Advanced Outdoors
- Organise resources and people for outdoor programmes Outdoor Programmes, Treework
- Promote the transfer of learning from outdoor experiences Supporting Teaching and Learning in Schools
- Promote Environmental Conservation Outdoor Programmes, Outdoor Sector Senior Roles
How you will be measured
Session engagement
Measures how actively children participate in activities.
e.g. Children eagerly taking part in a scavenger hunt.
Safety compliance
Ensures all activities meet safety standards.
e.g. All children safely navigating a rope bridge.
Child feedback
The joy and curiosity children express about nature.
You can tell when: Children sharing stories and asking questions about the forest.
Parental satisfaction
Parents' appreciation of their children's growth and learning.
You can tell when: Positive feedback from parents about their child's newfound interest in nature.
What is changing, and what to do about it
Digital nature storytelling
As technology becomes more integrated, using digital tools to enhance storytelling can engage children in new ways.
- Discover digital tools. Explore digital storytelling tools with the Explorer, trying them in your real sessions.
- Integrate into sessions. Work with the Coach to incorporate digital elements into your existing activities.
- Refine and personalise. Use the Navigator to tailor digital storytelling to fit different learning styles and interests.
A broad read on this kind of work, not an analysis of this occupation on its own.
Fading: Routine scheduling and administrative tasks are increasingly automated.
Rising: Your ability to creatively adapt sessions to individual learning needs becomes more valuable.
How Zavmo would teach you this
The Navigator
The Navigator helps you design engaging outdoor sessions that align with educational goals and environmental stewardship.
The Coach
The Coach sets up scenarios from your real forest sessions, providing feedback on how to enhance children's learning experiences.
The Explorer
The Explorer encourages you to try innovative teaching methods in the forest, learning from what works and what doesn't.
No two people are taught the same way
ExplorerLast time, we looked at how you introduced digital storytelling in your forest sessions.
YouYes, the kids loved the interactive map we used!
ExplorerGreat! Let's build on that by creating a digital scavenger hunt for your next session.
Where this role sits
How people get here
Primary school teacher
2-3 years
Developed skills in lesson planning and child engagement.
Where it leads
Forest school leader
2-4 years
A role focused on overseeing multiple practitioners and expanding the school's reach.
Beyond leading, you could influence national outdoor education policy or develop innovative nature-based curricula.
The hard parts
- Unpredictable weather impacting session plans
- Balancing diverse learning needs in a single group
- Limited resources for outdoor equipment
- Navigating bureaucratic hurdles for outdoor permissions
Your path, personalised
You have the map. Walking it is the part we do together.
This route runs to 7 national skill standards. That is a real journey.
Zavmo shapes a learning experience as unique as you are. It fits how you learn, your pace and the work you already do. Every step stays benchmarked to recognised national standards. That’s the plan for becoming a Forest school practitioners: personal to you, and it still counts. Your first Future Fluency module is free.
Independent research finds well-designed intelligent tutoring performs nearly as well as one-to-one human tutoring: VanLehn (2011), Educational Psychologist.
A private tutor in the UK averages £35–40 an hour . Zavmo is £70/month.
Free tools
Want a read on where you stand?
Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.