The Forest School Podcast

In this lively, reflective episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis, Wem, and guest Lily pick apart the famous “three look afters” and ask a bigger question: who’s allowed to fail at Forest School, and how do we help people fail well? From cartilage kneecaps and Mr Potato Head jokes to space holding, autonomy versus community, and that dreaded “shit spoon” moment, they explore boundaries, blame versus shame, and how to create conditions where struggle leads to learning rather than humiliation. Expect practical facilitation nuance, philosophical detours, and a few perfect tangents about tracksuits.⏱ Chapter Timings00:00 – Cold open: kneecaps, bandagraphs, and Mr Potato Heads03:14 – Axing the “three look afters”: demands, agency, and who can fail06:06 – Flattened hierarchies or hidden authority: responsibility in practice10:38 – Boundaries, safety, and culture shift for new groups14:49 – Space holding, low-demand setups, and modelling altruism21:27 – Failing well: conditions for struggle without humiliation25:22 – Nunchi: reading the room and tailoring support28:56 – Relational failure, shame versus guilt, and belonging49:22 – Process over product: the “shit spoon” and reframing success1:05:00 – Lily’s trainings, FSA roadshows, and resources🌲 KeywordsForest School agreements, failing well, autonomy vs community, space holding, shame vs blame, boundaries and safety, facilitator judgement, process over product, reflective practice, learner agency🔖 Hashtags#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #ReflectivePractice #CommunityLearning #NaturePlay🎧 Catch the full episode:Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyIYouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUsApple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMFRSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9🌐 More Episodes & SupportListen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.comSupport the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcastFor questions, feedback, or collaboration: admin@theforestschoolpodcast.comMentioned in this episode:Animated “What is failure?” video discussed: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CVvtkueZU/?mibextid=wwXIfr

In this reflective, good-humoured episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma wander from hornets and sweet chestnuts to big ideas in space design and session planning. They unpack a fresh “great board experiment” that swaps linear timetables for an Eight Shields-inspired planning wheel, then dive into a beautiful Japanese coffee-table book, The World Designed for Children, to ask how architecture can invite play. Along the way: apples, dehydrators, built-in play features, minimalism versus loose parts, logos and community identity, and a brand-new concept Lewis coins on air — Ludo Botany — matching kinds of play with specific plants and woodland management over time. It is a lively mix of practice, philosophy, and proper woodland gossip. 🌳⏱ Chapter Timings00:00 – Wind, wildlife, and sweet chestnuts: back in the woods03:10 – Glut season: apples, dehydration, and preserving abundance06:16 – The great board experiment: why ditch the linear plan08:20 – Planning with Eight Shields energies instead of activities11:21 – From checklists to a “spoked wheel”: transparency and crossing things out20:42 – The World Designed for Children: minimalist nurseries and built-in play24:54 – Ponds, sandpits, stairs you can climb: architecture as invitation29:16 – Loose parts, display culture, and what “the space is the resource” means34:36 – Brand, logos, patches, shared rituals: identity without uniforms45:06 – Introducing Ludo Botany and “plant baby plant”: designing for play yields🌲 KeywordsForest School planning, Eight Shields, session design, Japanese early years architecture, built-in play, loose parts, brand and community, reflective practice, woodland management, Ludo Botany🔖 Hashtags#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #ReflectivePractice #LooseParts #NaturePlay🎧 Catch the full episode:Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyIYouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUsApple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMFRSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9🌐 More Episodes & SupportListen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.comSupport the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcastFor questions, feedback, or collaboration: admin@theforestschoolpodcast.com

A heartfelt conversation with Mell Harrison about Kinda Education’s plan to become the new custodians of Ringsfield Hall and bring a living school to life. We explore the vision, the sociocratic way of working, multi-generational learning in practice, and the immediate ways listeners can help.TENTSILE: Outdoor leaders save 10% with code ForestChildren10 on tree tents and hammocks.Chris Holland: Get the 54-page plant guide with our exclusive discount and support the show: https://chrisholland.myshopify.com/?ref=ForestSchoolPodcastDonate or fundraise nowCrowdfunder main page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-kinda-education-save-ringsfield-hall Crowdfunder UKCreate a supporter fundraiser page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-kinda-education-save-ringsfield-hall/multiply Crowdfunder UKLearn about the projectKinda Education’s Ringsfield vision and plan: https://www.kindaeducation.org.uk/ringsfield Kinda EducationKinda Education homepage: https://www.kindaeducation.org.uk/ Kinda EducationFollow and share updatesKinda Education on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KindaEducation/ FacebookLaunch post about saving Ringsfield Hall: https://www.facebook.com/KindaEducation/posts/1409356451195227/ FacebookKinda Education video update: https://www.facebook.com/KindaEducation/videos/1935777910328794/ FacebookInstagram fundraiser reel: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPUEKUOiEew/ InstagramInstagram update post: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPD3MvzDZ9K/ InstagramRingsfield Hall on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ringsfieldhall/ InstagramRingsfield Hall on X: https://x.com/ringsfieldhall X (formerly Twitter)Donate or start a mini fundraiser on the crowdfunder.Share the crowdfunder link and the Instagram reel in your groups.Follow Kinda Education on Facebook and Instagram to boost reach.If you have relevant skills or local knowledge, contact Kinda via the website.00:00 Intro and why this matters02:31 Mell’s background and the roots of Kinda07:30 The project reveal and why Ringsfield Hall13:39 How the living school will work day to day16:26 What living curriculum means in practice19:47 Working with different stakeholders through clear layers23:32 Social impact, elders, and a transferable model27:50 Momentum in alternative education and home education31:49 Starting points for new projects and sociocracy37:07 The crowdfunder and immediate next steps#ForestSchool #AlternativeEducation #HomeEducation #OutdoorLearning #NatureConnection #Sociocracy #CommunityEducation #SEND #TraumaInformed #RingsfieldHall #KindaEducationSponsors and supporter perksListen and take actionHow to help in two minutesChapter timings

In this warm, idea-packed episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem move from personal updates to a deep dive on resilience. Using Looby McNamara’s Cultural Emergence and Chris Johnstone’s framing, they explore recovery, adaptive, transformative, and spreading resilience. They challenge the “just power through” myth, contrast perseverance with true resilience, and look at how groups become more sustainable through transparency, shared roles, and flatter hierarchies. Expect practical examples from fire-lighting to policy writing, plus reflections on neurodivergence, school attendance narratives, and how adults can model resilience when there’s a supportive team around them.⏱ Chapter Timings:00:00 – Patreon intro and setting the scene for a busy month01:39 – London “bird orchestra,” road trip vibes, and upcoming FSA plans04:26 – What the FSA road shows are and why mini-conferences matter06:03 – Workshop picks: coil baskets, nature connection, and “dangerous toys”07:24 – A secret embargoed event, outfit chat, and Wem begins a PhD10:28 – Four types of resilience via Looby McNamara and Chris Johnstone12:53 – Oxford definitions: beyond “hardness” to bouncing and recovery20:12 – Adaptive resilience vs perseverance: the fire-lighting example22:42 – Community resilience: transparency, small teams, and avoiding burnout41:54 – Modelling resilience, flatter hierarchies, and support networks🌲 Keywords: Forest School resilience, Looby McNamara, Chris Johnstone, adaptive vs perseverance, community resilience, transparent roles, policies as pearls, neurodivergent perspectives, FSA road shows, outdoor learning practice🔖 Hashtags:#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #Resilience #CommunityLearning🌐 More Episodes & Support:Listen to more and access resources at www.theforestschoolpodcast.comSupport the show and join our community at www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast🎧 Catch the full episode:Spotify: https://shorturl.at/4WdyIYouTube: https://shorturl.at/3qOUsApple: https://shorturl.at/FxfMFRSS: https://shorturl.at/A0kx9For questions, feedback, or collaboration: admin@theforestschoolpodcast.com

In this lively and wide-ranging episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem are joined by Dr Alistair Bryce-Clegg for a passionate conversation about early years education, authentic child development, and how political targets can squeeze the joy out of childhood. From the UK government’s 75% ‘good level of development’ goal to the cultural biases baked into classroom expectations, Alistair shares decades of experience as a teacher, head, author, and consultant. The discussion challenges compliance-focused models, explores the link between environment and behaviour, and highlights the importance of safe failure and intrinsically motivated play. With powerful anecdotes from around the world – from Cumbria classrooms to Icelandic snow schools and Australian bush kindy – this episode is a call to create spaces where all children can flourish, indoors and out.⏱ Chapter Timings:00:00 – Introducing Dr Alistair Bryce-Clegg and his unexpected journey into early years03:14 – The politics of ‘school readiness’ and targets not based on child development07:36 – Cultural differences, compliance vs engagement, and the risk of starting too soon12:20 – Why typical behaviour is often punished – and the gender bias in compliance17:01 – International examples of environments that foster genuine listening22:40 – Narrowing age bands, Ofsted pressure, and creating authentic spaces for all children27:54 – Forest School, play-based learning, and the value of safe failure35:40 – Training, bias, and the risk of disillusionment with learning44:02 – Forest School as a ‘pressure valve’ vs an integrated approach to wellbeing53:58 – Advocating for autodidactic learning in a system built for compliance🌲 Keywords: early years education, school readiness, good level of development, authentic child development, compliance vs engagement, play-based learning, safe failure, gender bias in education, Ofsted pressure, forest school ethos, outdoor learning, international education, neurodiversity, classroom environment, intrinsic motivation🔖 Hashtags:#ForestSchool #EarlyYears #OutdoorLearning #ChildDevelopment #AuthenticPlay #SafeFailure #IntrinsicMotivation #Neurodiversity #ComplianceVsEngagement #ForestSchoolPodcast #PlayBasedLearning #EducationPolicy #TeacherTraining #WellbeingInEducation #AutodidacticLearning🌐 More Episodes & Support:Listen to more and access resources at ⁠www.theforestschoolpodcast.com⁠Support the show and join our community at ⁠www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast⁠For questions, feedback, or collaboration: ⁠admin@theforestschoolpodcast.com

In this wonder-filled episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem speak with Dr Richard Buggs—geneticist at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Queen Mary University London—about ash dieback, DNA sequencing, and the unseen resilience of trees. With clarity and warmth, Richard explains how genome research is unlocking crucial answers about pest resistance, why ash trees are evolving faster than expected, and how broadleaf diversity might just be the secret weapon in the fight against invasive fungi. From the naming of Betula buggsii to Darwin’s “abominable mystery,” this episode weaves together science, stewardship, and surprise. The conversation also highlights the vital role of biosecurity, the complex interplay between genetics and environment, and the hope offered by natural regeneration. It's a deeply grounding listen for educators, woodland stewards, and anyone curious about trees, time, and how we make sense of the mysteries still growing all around us.🌿 Sponsored by:🛏 TENTSILE – Get 10% off their tree tents with code ForestChildren10. Perfect for overnights, basecamps, and wild play. Learn more at www.tentsile.com🌱 Chris Holland – Nature connection guide and author of The Story of the Wind. Get 10% off his 54-page plant ID guide using code ForestSchoolPodcast at: https://chrisholland.myshopify.com/?ref=ForestSchoolPodcast⏱ Chapter Timings:00:00 – Introducing Dr Richard Buggs and his work at Kew and Queen Mary03:24 – Naming a birch tree: Betula buggsii and the story behind it06:06 – From weed science to ash genome sequencing09:49 – How tree genomes are sequenced: glowing letters and supercomputers14:12 – Ash trees, biodiversity, and co-evolution with fungi15:59 – What ash dieback is and how it kills trees18:30 – Why some ash trees survive and the role of natural regeneration23:00 – Faster-than-expected evolution and what it reveals28:00 – How DNA research helps where traditional trials cannot35:05 – Darwin’s abominable mystery, flowering plants, and sacred questions🌲 Keywords:Ash dieback, forest pathogens, DNA sequencing, Richard Buggs, Kew Gardens, tree genomics, Darwin’s abominable mystery, tree evolution, natural regeneration, plant biosecurity, broadleaf trees, Forest School safety, invasive species, Victorian botany, sacred mystery, forest ecology🔖 Hashtags:#AshDieback #TreeGenomics #ForestSchoolPodcast #KewGardens #BroadleafBiodiversity #PlantScience #OutdoorLearning #DNASequencing #NaturalRegeneration #ForestEcology #SacredMystery #OutdoorEducation #ForestSchoolSafety #Biosecurity #AbominableMystery🌐 More Episodes & Support:Listen to more and access resources at ⁠www.theforestschoolpodcast.com**⁠Support the show and join our community at ⁠www.patreon.com/theforestschoolpodcast**⁠For questions, feedback, or collaboration: ⁠admin@theforestschoolpodcast.com