Coventry Forest School

Coventry City Council Early Years and Childcare department have been supporting Forest Schools development and provision in the city since 2007 when they became involved in a partnership project with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, Warwickshire County Council and Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council to bid for Heritage Lottery Funds to employ a Forest School Coordinator and train educational professionals from across the city to become Forest School Leaders.

The project has been a huge success. Forest Schools can be found in a range of locations, schools and settings across the city and has bloomed from its Early Year's start to reach primary aged children, after school and summer club provision, Young Dad's groups, youth groups and refugee groups.

At date of writing (26-8-09) there are 20 Forest School Leaders in Coventry, with another 11 booked onto courses in Autumn 09. These leaders are working with an estimated 1,400 children per year, and numbers can only grow from there.