After 20 years as a primary, then early years teacher, Sarah escaped to the woods, joining the Oxfordshire Forest School Service. Using the Forest School approach with SEND groups, schools, and early years settings, she witnessed the transformational impact of Forest School on the children, staff, and families she worked with.
The Forest School impact
As lead Forest School trainer for Oxfordshire County Council, she was involved in writing the national qualifications and was one of the first Forest School Association-endorsed trainers in the country. Now a qualified coach, Sarah is co-founder of the Nature Premium campaign and current chair of the Forest School Association, committed to ensuring every child and young person has access to quality nature-based learning.
Through her own consultancy, Where the Fruit Is, she has delivered training on government-funded projects with the National Forest and is currently working with Leicester City in the Community, the Royal Forestry Society, and Oxfordshire County Council to reconnect education professionals, and the young people they serve, with the natural world, for their holistic development and the well-being of the planet.
Episodes coming soon
As a guest on our new TTS Talking podcast series, Sarah shares her experience of the transformational impact of Forest School on children she has supported over the years.
Sarah’s episodes, alongside guest speaker, Mel McCree, explore the 6 principles of Forest School, the benefits of incorporating this approach in the Early Years and the role of the adult vs the child.
