Forest School Health and Safety

Health and safety.

Emergency procedure.

First aid.

The Forest school leader holds a current Forest School First Aid certificate.

Minor injuries treated by a first aider at the forest school site. Cuts, stings, grazes, bumps etc. Recorded in the Forest school accident/ near miss book. Larger cuts, head injuries and burns pupils may return to the school where they are cleaned and monitored fully. Adult helper or another child to walk with child back to the school office. Record all incidents on the schools accident computer records. Inform teacher/parent.

More serious injuries the Forest School leader with be responsible for the casualty until professional medical assistance arrives. A Forest School helper will use the radio to call for assistance, giving details of incident and casualty, location including grid reference and best access point. Adult to meet medical assistance at access point.

All activities will stop and children return to the log circle if a serious event happens. An adult helper will support them. Children will return to school.  

The forest school leader will carry the first aid kit, burns kit, accident book, medical incident sheet, radio, location details, torch and whistle in the emergency bag to every Forest School session.

Fire procedure

Before lighting a fire at Forest School check all safety measures followed as written in the fire risk assessment. All fire safety equipment must present before lighting the fire.

There will be no fire in windy, Beautfort scale 7, conditions or hot dry conditions. The direction and speed of the wind assessed every time. The learners are encouraged to be part of this process.  

If a fire becomes out of control, the words “FIRE, FIRE, FIRE,” shouted. Everyone is to walk out of the fire pit area calmly assisted by the helpers. Walk to the edge of the site, leaving tools and equipment safety on the ground.

If safe to do so Leader to pour any water on and around the fire to help stop the fire spreading, further. If safe, extinguish fire. Make area around the fire safe. Do not return the group to this area. Observations on the area for the next hour.

If fire is not extinguish call, the fire brigade giving details of location. Evacuate group to the KS2 fire assembly point on the playground. A head count will take place to check everyone has accounted for. Leader to wait at access point for fire brigade.

The fire evacuation practice discussed before all sessions with a fire.

Missing child.

Register taken at the start of each session.

Adults to walk with children to the site. The walk is around a 4 – 5 minute walk. The site is a flat open space at the bottom of the school field. Visibility of the whole site is very good. The fence at bottom of the field is climbable for some children.

All children must inform an adult before leaving the forest school area when returning to the school building during sessions.

If a child is absent from the site area, speak to the group and ask them if they have seen the child. Search areas of the school field. Including copse, and playground, communicate using walkie-talkies.

If not found communicate with main school building for a search there. 

Check CCTV.

If the child has not been located within 15 minutes from this call then a phone call to parents/police will take place.

Communicate with radios if the child is located and needs assistance. If medical assistance is needed the leader will also radio the school office for help.

Child leaving site.

If a child leaves the school site of their own accord, a member of staff will keep watching them as long as possible and keep communication open using non-judgemental language. Assistance from other adults present.

Encouragement to return, using non- violent communication.

Four step communication, observation, feeling, needs, request. 

If the child shows no sign of return, a call to the main school to ask for assistance.

If the child re-enters the school grounds they will be able to re-join the group again. Reflection conversation with child to asses why they left. Support given. Non-judgemental.

Intruder on site.

If an intruder is spotted all children called back to the fire circle and taken to the playground or back into school.

A member of staff will radio the main school to inform them of the intruder and ask for assistance.

Do not approach the intruder but communication with the intruder at a space distance to assess reason for entry to the school grounds. Keeping radio open with the main school