In this rich and heartwarming group conversation, recorded around a campfire at the Southwest Forest School gathering, Lewis is joined by Megan Adams, Judy Simpson, and K.W. from Holly and Hawthorn. Together they explore what success really means in a Forest School setting—beyond tick-box outcomes or academic regurgitation. This roundtable shares powerful personal stories of transformation, belonging, and growth from children and adults alike. From children finding their voice in the woods, to practitioners recognising the slow and relational impact of their work, the episode highlights the deep, often invisible, successes of Forest School. They also touch on practitioner development, the weight of responsibility, the role of failure, and the importance of honest role-modelling and shared reflection.

⏱ Chapter Timings:
00:00 – Introductions and setting the scene in Dorset
01:14 – Defining success: Is repeating back knowledge really it?
03:00 – Reflecting on long-term change vs. immediate feedback
05:29 – First memories of Forest School breakthroughs
07:10 – Changing children’s self-image through outdoor skills
09:47 – Classrooms vs. Forest School: moving beyond binary achievement
10:41 – Guaranteeing success or creating space for failure?
12:11 – The invisible line of support vs. doing it for them
13:24 – Child-led tasks and the emotion behind goal setting
14:53 – Navigating frustration, rest and resilience
15:50 – Helping children notice their own strengths
17:11 – Role-modelling failure and openness as practitioners
18:45 – Admitting what we don’t know (especially about fungi!)
19:44 – Costumes, personas, and being recognised outside the woods
21:02 – Penny-drop moments in practitioner development
22:08 – Shifting from interference to facilitation
23:27 – The role of long-term reflection in finding success
24:12 – Toddlers, thank-yous, and peer affirmation
25:14 – Success stories unknown to us: the ripple effect
26:40 – The weight of responsibility in high-impact sessions
27:57 – Facilitator vs. environment: who really creates success?
28:17 – Children engaging with their own agency
29:10 – A child who was physically sick before Forest School… and what changed
29:28 – Ending with bhajis and gratitude

🌲 Keywords: Forest School success, defining success in education, transformation through play, child development outdoors, relational learning, child-led pedagogy, success stories Forest School, inclusive education, practitioner reflection, emotional safety outdoors, peer affirmation, nature-based confidence building, outdoor therapeutic education, learning through failure, facilitation not instruction

🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchool #OutdoorEducation #ChildLedLearning #ForestSchoolSuccess #NatureBasedLearning #HolisticEducation #PlayBasedLearning #ForestSchoolPodcast #InclusiveEducation #PractitionerDevelopment #ReflectivePractice #PositiveMoments #StoryFromTheWoods #PeerLearning #FailureAndResilience

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