Establishing the first university Forest School in North West England to enhance student wellbeing, learning and professional practice

Garden, Ange (Researcher)

Department of Psychology and Counselling

Impact: Quality of Life

Description of impact

Drawing on research into Forest School pedagogy, learning environments and wellbeing, established the first university-based Forest School in North West England at Liverpool John Moores University. The initiative embedded outdoor and nature-based learning within higher education, creating an innovative teaching and learning environment that supported student engagement, wellbeing and professional development. The Forest School became a platform for teaching, research, community engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration, influencing curriculum design and providing experiential learning opportunities for students.

Impact date	2018 → 2025
Category of impact	Quality of Life
Impact level	Adoption

Establishing the first university Forest School in North West England to enhance student wellbeing, learning and professional practice

Description of impact

Related content

Activities

Supporting Learning, Engagement and Success Through Nature-Based Pedagogy: Rethinking learning environments through the lens of psychology

Oslo Metropolitan University

Impacts

Developing the Thrive in the Forest Level 3 qualification and international professional learning opportunities

Building regional capacity in Forest School practice through professional training and school partnerships

Outputs

Race, power and inclusion in UK forest schools: ecofeminist and Foucauldian perspectives on decolonising outdoor education

‘Ikke skade treet': ‘Don’t harm the tree'. Narratives from a Norwegian kindergarten

An exploration of children’s experiences of the use of digital technology in forest schools

The Natural Side of Technology into the Forest School Space?

New boundaries, undecided roles: Towards an understanding of forest schools as constructed spaces

Forest school as a space for risk for children with social, emotional and mental health needs

An Exploration of Children’s Experiences of the Use of Digital Technology in Forest Schools

The University Forest School Space in England: taking seminars outdoors for early years undergraduates

Taking seminars outdoors in nature: Alternative learning spaces in Higher Education

Reimagining Learning: Power, Risk, and Place in Forest Schools

Evaluating LJMU Forest School Programme for Schools: staff and student partnership

Children’s Experiences of using Digital Technology in UK Forest Schools.

A systematic review of forest schools literature in England

Exploring the Theoretical Foundations of Forest School Pedagogy: Autonomy, Risk and Social Constructivism in an English Context

Challenging gender and power dynamics in Forest Schools: an ecofeminist perspective

Constructions of Space: Exploring Photographic Images in Forest School

Foucault and Power: UK Forest School as a socially constructed space for early years teachers and Forest School leaders

The case for space in the co-construction of risk in UK Forest School.

Same Actors, Undecided Roles: Towards an Understanding of Forest Schools as Sites of Knowledge Construction.

Prizes

Vice-Chancellor's Award for Sustainability in Research and Knowledge Exchange

LJMU Leadership Excellence Award - Global Visionary Women in Leadership

Projects

Forest School, Nature-Based Learning and Psychological Wellbeing