Forest School. L'école côté nature

La première Forest School de Bretagne a ouvert à Plonéis (sud-Finistère). Créée par Julie Ricard, elle propose aux enfants et aux parents de redécouvrir le plaisir de la cueillette en forêt, des cabanes dans les arbres, des vadrouilles en bord de rivière... Bref, (re)goûter aux joies de la nature à l’occasion d’ateliers, le mercredi et le samedi.

Julie Ricard, 38 ans, enseignante depuis des années en Grande-Bretagne et en Irlande où elle a vécu longtemps, a découvert outre-Manche la philosophie des Forest Schools, peu connue en France. Après une formation, elle a exercé pour des associations avant son retour en France, avec son compagnon et ses enfants, poussée par le Brexit. La Bordelaise d’origine a alors choisi la Cornouaille.


The History of Forest Schools.


Sweden and Denmark.


In 1957, a Swedish man, Goesta Frohm, created the "Skogsmulle" concept to promote learning about nature, water, mountains and pollution. With an increasing focus on measurable outcomes, forest schools have gained acceptance as an educational method in their own right. In Denmark, nature schools as well as forest kindergartens are popular with both school teachers and children.


United Kingdom.

This ethos was introduced to the UK during the 1990s from Denmark. The growth of forest school has been unprecedented throughout the UK developing into a separate and distinct model called the UK Model. Bridgwater College in Somerset was the pioneer of the forest school concept in the UK in 1994 after traveling to Denmark to observe the Danish/Nordic Model of Forest Kindergartens for a few days.

Various government and NGO agencies propose the use of woodland as part of the school educational curriculum; for example the Forest Education Initiative and the Forestry Commission. By 2006, there were approximately 140 forest schools in Britain.

The governmental agencies have in some cases been set targets for the use of their resources for education or health benefits, or are focused on the educational outcomes and see forestry as a step towards them.


Many organisations now offer training courses designed for the UK to enable practitioners to deliver forest school in their own settings and ensure children and teachers work within rich natural experiences. The OCN Level 3 training course is most widely recognised within the UK.



Inspired by international developments, the first Canadian forest school was created by Marlene Power in 2007. It was named Carp Ridge Preschool and was located near Ottawa. In 2012, Power founded and became the executive director of Forest School Canada, an educational initiative of the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada. Forest School Canada is focused on being a "network for support, education, and accreditation for concepts associated with the FS movement in Canada."

The movement has spread into Canada's provinces and is primary associated with private schools. However, there is emerging support from public schools such as the Nature Kindergarten pilot which is a partnership between the Sooke District School Board and the University of Victoria’s Centre for Early Childhood Research and Policy, Royal Roads University, and Camosun College’s Early Learning and Care Program.