Forest+School+First+Aid

ITC 16 hour Forest School First Aid (RQF) with Paediatric First Aid (RQF)

Next courses:


Tuesday 14th and Wednesday 15th May 2024

Venue: Langham Community Centre, School Road, Langham, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5PA

Time: 9am to 6pm on both days

Cost: £160.00 per person


Thursday 20th and Friday 21st June 2024

Venue: Wetherden Village Hall, Park Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3JS

Time: 9am to 6pm on both days

Cost: £160.00 per person


Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th July 2024

Venue: Langham Community Centre, School Road, Langham, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5PA

Time: 9am to 6pm on both days

Cost: £160.00 per person


Thursday 19th and Friday 20th September 2024

Venue: Wetherden Village Hall, Park Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3JS

Time: 9am to 6pm on both days

Cost: £160.00 per person


Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th November 2024

Venue: Langham Community Centre, School Road, Langham, Colchester, Essex, CO4 5PA

Time: 9am to 6pm on both days

Cost: £160.00 per person


Thursday 14th and Friday 15th November 2024

Venue: Wetherden Village Hall, Park Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk, IP14 3JS

Time: 9am to 6pm on both days

Cost: £160.00 per person


Hosted courses: We run a number of courses that are hosted by other organisations and businesses including Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Rooted in Nature (Norfolk), Greenwise People (London), Forge Learning (Northants) and Kinship in Nature (London)

See below for more information and links to book these courses.

Suffolk wildlife trust

We run courses in conjunction with Suffolk Wildlife Trust in February, May and October 2024

Book with Suffolk Wildlife Trust

Rooted in Nature

These courses take place in Norwich, dates for 2024

Thursday 18th and Friday 19th April

Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th November

Click here to book directly with Rooted in Nature (Norfolk)

Kinship in Nature

These courses take place in Leytonstone, North London.

Dates for 2024:

Wednesday 27th & Thursday 28th March

Wednesday 9th & Thursday 10th October

Click here to book directly with Kinship in Nature

Greenwise People

These course take place in Ham, London

Dates for 2024

Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th March

Saturday 20th and Sunday 21st July

Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th November

Click here to book directly with Greenwise People.


ITC Level 3 Award in Forest School First Aid (RQF)

This Ofqual regulated 16 hour, course is ideal for all those who are working with anyone aged 12 months to adult in the outdoors. The course is run by people who have been working and playing in the outdoors as both formal and informal educators for the last 30 years, with both children and adults and are experienced trainers.

Our Awarding Organisation, ITC First, has a well established relationship with Andy Forsyth and 'Archimedes Training' who have designed and developed this Forest Schools First Aid course.

The course content and context is totally integrated with the Forest School ethos and rationale. This qualification is a must for all Level 3 Practitioners and those supporting Level 3 Practitioners. This course is also suitable for those leading Outdoor learning sessions in school grounds, country parks, nature reserves and other outdoor learning environments.

Our course takes place in a rural setting with plenty of opportunities to practice first aid scenarios in the outdoors. Assessment is continuous and certification is dependent on successful continuous assessment, there is no final examination. Those who complete the course and are deemed to have reached the required standard are awarded a certificate that is valid for three years. The certificate entitles the candidate to be a First Aider for 3 years from date of issue.

This course also covers the content of the Level 3 Paediatric First Aid 12 hour course and candidates will also receive a certificate for this on successful completion.

Wetherden Village Hall - Forest School First Aid, Outdoor scenarios

The 16 hour course consists of 2 units:

Unit 1: Forest School Emergency Action

Unit 2: Forest School Incident Management

On completion of the full 16 hours of training, successful candidates should be able to:

  • Understand the role and responsibilities of the forest school first aider.

  • Be able to assess an emergency situation safely.

  • Be able to provide first aid for a child or adult who is unresponsive and breathing normally.

  • Be able to monitor the vital signs of an unresponsive casualty.

  • Be able to provide first aid for a child or adult who is unresponsive and not breathing normally.

  • Be able to provide first aid for a child or adult who has a foreign body airway obstruction.

  • Be able to provide first aid to a child or adult with external bleeding.

  • Understand how to provide first aid to a child or adult who is suffering from shock.

  • Understand how to provide first aid to a child or adult with Anaphylaxis.

  • Be able to administer first aid to a child or adult with injuries to bones, joints and muscles.

  • Be able to provide first aid to a child or adult with head and spinal injuries.

  • Understand how to administer first aid to a child or adult with conditions affecting the eyes, ears and nose.

  • Understand how to administer emergency first aid to a child or adult with a chronic medical condition or sudden illness.

  • Understand how to administer first aid to a child or adult who is experiencing the effects of extreme heat and cold.

  • Understand how to administer first aid to an infant and a child with burns or scalds.

  • Understand how to administer first aid to an infant and a child who has been poisoned.

  • Understand how to administer first aid to an infant and a child who has been bitten or stung.

  • Understand how to administer first aid to an infant and a child with minor injuries.

  • Understand how gain and use casualty history to help with administering first aid.

  • Understand how to complete records relating to illnesses, injuries and emergencies.

  • Be able to provide the above first aid in an outdoor context taking account of, and protecting casualties from, environmental conditions.

Want to know more? Why not have a read of our blog about Forest School First Aid written by our trainer Maxine Lock.