Inspiring Outdoor Learning

The Northern Ireland Forest School Association (NIFSA) was founded in 2008 to support schools, nurseries, youth organisations and families to embed high-quality forest school experiences into everyday education.

NIFSA has developed a range of Forest School qualifications, training thousands of teachers to become accredited Forest School leaders. As of August 2025, there are 285 official Forest Schools in Northern Ireland including nursery schools, primary schools, post primary schools, SEN schools and other organisations.

Today over 5,000 children are learning outdoors every month with the support of NIFSA and 27% of schools in Northern Ireland are accredited Forest Schools compared to 22-23% in Great Britain.

Forest School Leaders also run Nature Rangers after-school and holiday clubs.

Over 1,000 forest school families have registered, inspiring them to get outside and explore nature together.

NIFSA’s flagship Forest School at Clandeboye Estate in Bangor provides outdoor learning experiences for thousands of children each year through games, friendship, and hands-on activities like building dens, bug houses and lighting fires.

Immersive & Experiential Learning

Children today are increasingly affected by sedentary, indoor lifestyles marked by excessive screen time, reduced physical activity and limited contact with nature, which can contribute to poorer physical health, weaker motor skills, reduced attention and heightened anxiety or stress.

Forest School approaches help to counter these challenges by immersing children in regular, meaningful outdoor experiences where they can move freely, explore, take managed risks and learn through play.

Time spent in natural environments supports physical fitness, resilience, social skills and emotional wellbeing, while also fostering curiosity, confidence, and a deeper connection to the natural world.

Branching Out

NIFSA is on a mission to continue delivering training and assessments to schools and nurseries across Northern Ireland, aiming to train 60 new forest schools per year.

In a major development in late 2025, NIFSA successfully partnered with the NI Education Committee to pass a motion at Stormont. The motion calls on the Minister for Education to devise a strategy by the end of 2026 to ensure weekly, progressive, and sustainable outdoor learning is embedded as a core part of the curriculum for pupils aged 3–18. Additionally, the Minister is required to work with the sector to create a clear outdoor learning strategy that supports schools by addressing leadership, time, curriculum, policy and resources.

Such initiatives position Northern Ireland to become a leader in nature-based learning into education and making it a central part of every child’s educational experience.