Generic Forest School Site - Free Risk Assessment Template PDF
This free Generic Forest School Site risk assessment template is designed for forest schools settings. It outlines typical hazards and suggests control measures, helping you tailor the document to your organization. Use it as a starting point, customise in our online wizard and download a professional PDF in moments.
Activity Summary
Students participate in a variety of outdoor activities common to forest school sessions, involving exploration, nature play, craft, tool use, and guided learning experiences within a designated forest school site.
Purpose of Activity
To provide children with regular opportunities for outdoor play and learning, developing confidence, practical skills, and connection to nature.
Benefits of Activity
- Builds connection with nature through regular immersive experiences.
- Develops independence, problem-solving, and teamwork skills outdoors.
- Encourages resilience by allowing space for safe risk-taking and challenge.
- Improves physical health and motor skills through active exploration.
- Promotes curiosity, observation, and deep learning across the curriculum.
- Teaches body-awareness and the importance of knowing personal needs and limitations.
- Builds resilience and body awareness, allowing children to understand how to protect themselves and function effectively in all seasons.
- Encourages discipline, patience, and a respectful understanding of fire as a useful but potentially dangerous natural force.
- Encourages ecological responsibility and develops understanding of pollution, combustion, and human impact on natural spaces.
- Builds navigation skills and spatial confidence while learning to follow instructions and look after peers.
- Teaches children the importance of hydration, body care, and adapting behaviours for personal health in hot environments.
- Reinforces personal responsibility and highlights the link between preparation and comfort/safety.
- Encourages respect for wildlife and helps children learn to calmly respond to minor natural discomforts or unexpected events.
- Builds strength and physical competence while promoting teamwork and respect for body limitations.
- Supports independence within safe limits and reinforces trust, spatial awareness, and group accountability.
- Fosters awareness of personal safety, appropriate behaviour, and how to manage interactions with the wider world.
- Builds motor skills and teaches the importance of assessing terrain before moving through it.
- Ensures all children access meaningful outdoor learning and develop confidence in natural spaces, regardless of ability.
- Provides valuable hands-on learning in tool safety, supporting problem-solving, precision, and responsibility.
- Builds comfort with natural routines, independence, and self-care skills outdoors.
- Encourages calm curiosity and builds knowledge of native fauna, while developing respectful wildlife observation habits.
- Deepens understanding of weather systems and decision-making under natural conditions, reinforcing observation and adaptability.
- Promotes environmental responsibility and critical thinking about how human behaviour affects nature and safety.
Hazards and Control Measures
| Hazard | Control Measures |
|---|---|
| Allergic reactions (pollen, bites, etc.) | Collect allergy info, carry prescribed meds (e.g., EpiPen), avoid known allergens, check for stings or reactions, wash hands after outdoor activities. |
| Cold weather exposure | Check temperature and wind chill, require layered clothing and gloves, offer warm-up breaks, limit exposure, cancel if unsafe, store spare warm clothing on site. |
| Fire and hot embers | Mark fire circle, provide safety briefings, maintain 1m+ spacing, supervise fire use, prohibit running, keep extinguishing equipment ready, burn only dry wood. |
| Foreign materials in fire | Educate about toxic fumes, prohibit rubbish burning, supervise all fuel choices, remove inappropriate materials immediately, model safe fire management. |
| Getting lost in large sites | Use brightly marked boundary ropes or flags, enforce buddy system, rehearse call-back response, provide maps for older children, assign adult to each group. |
| Hot weather exposure | Provide shaded areas, monitor UV forecasts, enforce sunhats and water breaks, apply sunscreen with permission, limit midday activity, adapt physical exertion to conditions. |
| Inappropriate clothing or footwear | Provide kit lists to families, check gear on arrival, offer spares if needed, explain impact of clothing on safety, adapt activity if multiple children ill-equipped. |
| Insect bites or stings | Identify habitats (e.g. ant hills, wasp nests), use repellents, wear long clothing, brief about safe behaviours, monitor for allergies, provide antihistamines with consent. |
| Manual handling injuries | Demonstrate safe lifting, restrict weight carried by children, supervise when moving logs or tools, encourage team lifting, monitor fatigue. |
| Missing child or wandering | Establish and mark clear boundaries, assign adults to corners of the area, use buddy systems, conduct frequent headcounts, brief on what to do if lost. |
| Public access or strangers nearby | Supervise entry/exit points, inform participants of boundaries, keep group visible, remind children never to leave with unknown adults, monitor interaction discreetly. |
| Slippery surfaces (e.g. mud or leaves) | Identify and flag slippery areas, encourage slow movement, supervise high-risk zones, clear leaves where needed, use bark chippings for grip in known mud areas. |
| Students with additional needs | Staff made aware of individual needs in advance. 1:1 support provided where needed. Instructions given visually and verbally. Activity adapted to be sensory-friendly if required. Staff monitor regulation and offer breaks without stigma. |
| Tools misuse (e.g. knives or saws) | Train children before use, supervise 1:1 for sharp tools, enforce sitting position during use, count tools in/out, and inspect tools before each session. |
| Toileting issues outdoors | Set clear toileting protocol, locate and mark toilet area, provide wipes/sanitiser, offer privacy, teach hygiene procedures, ensure staff supervision if needed. |
| Wild animal encounters | Avoid known dens/burrows, supervise children near hedges or long grass, explain not to approach animals, wash hands after touching droppings or feathers. |
| Wind and falling branches | Monitor forecasts, inspect trees before sessions, avoid areas with hanging limbs, relocate if high wind predicted, supervise movement near trees, stop activity during strong gusts. |
| Sharp litter (e.g. glass or metal) | Conduct litter sweeps before every session, brief children on what to avoid, cordon off any visible danger zones, dispose of sharp waste with protective gear, supervise movement. |
Related Risk Assessment Template Downloads
- Den Building
- Fire Lighting
- Forest School Tool Use
- Generic Forest School Site
- Group Campfires
- Nature Walk Through Woodland
- Open Fire Cooking
- Shelter Building
FAQ
How do I use this template?
Click “Edit Using Wizard” to customise the assessment for your organization, then download a PDF.
Can I edit the hazards and controls?
Yes, all sections can be adjusted in the wizard before exporting your final document.
