Pre-Booking Information
Please read the following before booking your child onto a forest school programme or woodland camp.
Risk
Happy Out Forest School recognises that risky play is necessary to the development of healthy individuals; children who learn to assess risk for themselves are less likely to put themselves in danger and more likely to avoid accidents in the long term.
We offer participants opportunities to engage in age-appropriate and supported risk, through activities such as:
- rope swing and low ropes
- tree climbing
- tool use
- fire-lighting
All of our activities are risk-assessed and appropriately managed. However, please be aware that falls, cuts and grazes can happen, even under the strictest supervision.
Site Boundaries
Please remember that there are no walls or doors at Happy Out Forest School. On their first day in the woods, the children’s attention is drawn to red ribbons tied to trees which encircle us and which mark the boundary of the site. They are told that, for their own safety, they must stay inside this boundary at all times: “red means STOP”.
At every session and during games and activities children are repeatedly reminded to look out for red ribbons and to never go past a ribbon under any circumstances (unless led by a Forest School leader).
The safety of all participating children depends on every child obeying this basic and most fundamental rule. Any child that strays outside our marked boundary, despite clear instruction to the contrary, may be asked to leave the Forest School programme or camp.
Disclosure of Health and/or Behaviourial Issues
To help ensure your child’s safety while with us, please inform us of any health/behaviourial issues they may currently be experiencing (whether diagnosed or yet to be diagnosed). You can do this on the consent form or orally, on the morning of registration. However if the issue is more serious and your child has special needs, we ask that you contact us directly before booking so that we can arrange for one of our volunteers to assist us if required.
This information is crucial in order for us to be able to give your child the care and attention they need while attending Happy Out Forest School events. All information given is treated with sensitivity and strict confidentiality.
Consent Forms
At registration on the first day, you must sign our consent form, which asks for the following information:
- Confirmation that you have read and understood the terms outlined above and that you agree to let your child participate in Happy Out Forest School activities.
- Your permission for a Forest School Leader, trained in Remote First Aid, to give medical assistance to your child if necessary.
- Whether you consent for your child to be photographed/videoed and for these images to be used by Happy Out Forest School for promotional purposes (Yes/No).
- Whether your child has any health / behavioural issues.
- Details of two Emergency Contacts.
Booking and Cancellation Policy
Payment should be made on or before the start date of a forest school term or camp.
Places are secured with payment and cannot be guaranteed until payment is received. Arrangements can be made to pay in instalments where requested and at the discretion of Happy Out Forest School.
Forest school is charged per term and there is no refund for missed sessions by participants.
If a participant cancels a forest school term or camp BEFORE the start date, we will try to refill the place from our waiting list. If we succeed in filling the place, we will refund the amount paid minus a cancellation fee of 10%.
If a participant cancels a forest school term or camp AFTER the start date and we succeed in refilling the place, we will refund for the remaining sessions/days only, minus a 10% cancellation fee.
If we cannot refill the cancelled place there will be no refund.
If we have to cancel a forest school session or camp day due to extreme weather we will try to reschedule. If we cannot reschedule we will refund the amount for that session/day.