Schools & Outdoor Learning
450+
SESSIONS DELIVERED
5,000+
ATTENDANCES BY YOUNG PEOPLE
7
YEARS ESTABLISHED
Year on Year
REPEAT SCHOOL COMMISSIONS
Sessions and attendances cover our youth and children's work over the last two years.
New government policy, February 2026:
The DofE white paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving establishes "nature, outdoor and adventure" as part of a new enrichment entitlement every school must provide. Ofsted's updated inspection framework, effective September 2026, will assess this under personal development — and is for the first time grading inclusion separately.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Every phase. Every need.
We work with mainstream and specialist settings across Liverpool City Region and Cheshire West — from primary through to post-16 transition. Over the last two years we have worked with schools, specialist settings and alternative provision across Wirral and Liverpool, and a number of schools commission us year on year.
Primary Schools
Forest School sessions, outdoor curriculum support, staff CPD and INSET, and Level 3 Forest School Leader training. We work with whole classes, year groups and smaller groups including nurture provision.
Secondary, SEND & SEMH
We have particular experience working with neurodiverse learners and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs. Sessions are shaped around your pupils — including whole year groups, intervention groups and, where funding allows, individual learners on a 1:1 basis.
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We have worked with young people referred through CAMHS and alternative education providers, and have delivered funded programmes for young people with SEMH needs and those on mental health waiting lists.
Alternative Provision & Post-16
​​We accept referrals from alternative education providers and work as a delivery partner alongside them — not as a registered AEP. We also offer structured outdoor programmes for 16–18 year olds not yet ready for college or training, focused on regulation, confidence and readiness for next steps
WHO DELIVERS OUR WORK
Experienced practitioners.
Real outdoor educators.
Our school programmes are led by Jim Loftus, supported by a team of experienced practitioners. Every session has two Grow staff working alongside your school team.
Jim Loftus
Forest School and training lead.
Jim has 30 years of teaching experience across secondary and primary schools, early years, museums and galleries, higher and further education, NHS settings, and Forest School. For the last ten years he has worked exclusively outdoors.
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His particular interests include the effectiveness of outdoor learning for neurodiverse learners, developing outdoor curriculum across primary and secondary phases, and the design and making of outdoor equipment. He has worked with MYA, CAMHS and Ascent Autism Specialist College, and is involved in research partnerships with Liverpool John Moores University and Edge Hill University examining the benefits of outdoor learning for young people with additional needs.
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Jim is an AIM-accredited Level 3 Forest School Leader and has been delivering the L3 qualification to practitioners for over ten years.
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OUR TEAM
Alongside Jim, our delivery team includes experienced practitioners with backgrounds in teaching, community work, therapeutic practice and outdoor skills.
All session leads hold Level 3 Forest School Leader qualifications.
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Meet the team →
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A COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY
Grow Wellbeing is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company based on the Wirral. Fees from our schools work are reinvested into community programmes for children, families and adults across the Wirral and Liverpool City Region..
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Established 2018 · UKPRN: 10091738 · Company No. 11490513
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About Grow Wellbeing →
Policies and Governance →
WHAT WE OFFER
Four distinct offers.
One joined-up approach.
Forest School, outdoor curriculum support, staff training and post-16 transition work are different things — and we're clear about that distinction. Schools can commission any of these independently or in combination.
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Forest School
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Rooted in FSA principles, Forest School is child-led, nature-based and focused on the process of learning rather than outcomes. Regular sessions in a natural outdoor setting build wellbeing, confidence, resilience and nature connection over time.
Forest School is particularly effective for children with SEND, SEMH needs and neurodivergent profiles. It is not curriculum delivery — that is a feature, not a gap.
Sessions typically involve fire lighting, tool use, shelter building, natural crafts and Kelly kettle use — practical activities that engage children who often find the classroom difficult.
All our Forest School sessions are led by AIM-accredited Level 3 practitioners, with two Grow staff per session alongside school support.
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Outdoor Curriculum Support
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This is a distinct offer from Forest School. It means taking the National Curriculum outside — identifying subjects and topics that translate naturally to outdoor settings, and supporting staff to plan and deliver them confidently.
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We work with staff teams to find the curriculum connections that already exist — science, geography, PSHE, oracy, maths — and help them take those sessions outdoors with purpose and structure.
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Referenced against the LOtC framework and IOL High Quality Outdoor Learning guidance.
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Training & CPD
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We offer the AIM-accredited Level 3 Forest School Leader qualification — a nationally recognised, Ofqual-regulated credential for Forest School practitioners. For schools, we offer a hybrid model combining online sessions with face-to-face woodland training days and an in-school assessment.
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We also deliver other AIM awards, Outdoor First Aid, and bespoke INSET and CPD for teaching and support staff. Get in touch to discuss what would suit your setting.
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Post-16 & Transitions
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For 16–18 year olds who have finished school but are not yet ready for college, training or an apprenticeship, structured outdoor sessions can offer something that classroom-based provision cannot — practical activity, small groups, time in nature, and a gradual building of the regulation, confidence and direction that makes a next step possible.
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We accept referrals from schools, local authorities and alternative education providers and work alongside them as a delivery partner — not as a registered AEP. We have delivered funded post-16 programmes in partnership with the Family Toolbox Alliance, Career Connect and community referral partners.
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Get in touch to discuss what is currently available and whether we can help.
Forest School and outdoor curriculum support are complementary but different.
Forest School is child-led, process-focused and not tied to curriculum outcomes — it operates on Forest School Association principles. Outdoor curriculum support takes the National Curriculum outside and is teacher-led with clear learning objectives. Both have real value. Many schools benefit from both. We will always be clear which approach is right for what you need.
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HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
A collaborative journey.
At your pace.
The shape below reflects how many of our school relationships develop over time. Some schools start at Stage 1 and work through to Stage 4. Others come in at a different point. There is no fixed route — and no pressure to go further than makes sense for your setting.
Getting to know each other
STAGE 1
We start by understanding your setting, your pupils and your staff — what you already do, what you want to develop, and what your outdoor space can offer. We come to you. Sessions begin with two Grow staff working alongside your team, so confidence and skills are built together from the start rather than handed over at the end.
Building knowledge and skills
STAGE 2
Through CPD, INSET and ongoing sessions, we work with your staff to deepen their understanding — the evidence base, practical outdoor skills, risk-benefit thinking and curriculum connections. Staff develop the knowledge and confidence to lead sessions themselves, not just participate in ours.
Developing your own expertise
STAGE 3
Where schools want to go further, we support staff through the AIM-accredited Level 3 Forest School Leader qualification. Your school develops its own qualified practitioner — someone rooted in your setting, your pupils and your community. That expertise belongs to you.
Making it yours
STAGE 4
The goal throughout is that outdoor learning becomes genuinely part of who your school is — not a visiting programme, but something your staff lead, your site supports and your pupils experience regularly.
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We offer site visits, development advice and equipment guidance to help you make the most of whatever outdoor space you have. You don't need an established woodland — we work with a range of spaces, and where your grounds are limited we can also deliver at our own sites at Bentinck Street Community Garden or Bidston Hill Woodland, or at suitable local parks nearby.
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Ongoing CPD is there when you need it. The aim is always that you reach a point where you sustain your outdoor provision confidently and independently.
THE EVIDENCE BASE
Why it works.
A strong and growing body of research demonstrates the benefits of outdoor learning and nature connection for children and young people.
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Time in natural environments stabilises heart rate, reduces cortisol and activates the body's rest and recovery state. These physiological changes support attention, reduce anxiety and improve mood. For children who are dysregulated or struggling, these effects are not incidental — they are what makes learning possible.
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Research shows that Forest School produces significantly higher levels of physical activity than even an active school day, with girls' activity levels equal to boys' — suggesting a less gendered learning environment. Greater nature connectedness is associated with reduced hyperactivity, fewer behavioural difficulties and improved prosocial behaviour. Spending at least 120 minutes per week in nature is associated with good health and wellbeing.
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Ofsted's 2008 report Learning Outside the Classroom — how far should you go? found overwhelming evidence that learning outside the classroom contributes significantly to raising standards and the quality and depth of learning — and is most effective when planned, integrated and progressive across the curriculum.
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The DofE white paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving (February 2026) establishes "nature, outdoor and adventure" as part of a core enrichment entitlement for every child in England, including time outdoors, climate education, sustainability projects, gardening and residentials.
Research & Policy References
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Lovell (2009) — Physical activity and Forest School
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Austin, Knowles & Sayers, Mersey Forest (2013) — Forest School Evaluation
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Sobko et al. (2018) — Nature connectedness and child behaviour
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White et al. (2019) — Nature contact and mental wellbeing
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University of Derby Nature Connectedness Research Group
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Ofsted (2008) — Learning Outside the Classroom: how far should you go?
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Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC)
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Institute for Outdoor Learning — High Quality Outdoor Learning framework
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DofE — Every Child Achieving and Thriving (February 2026)
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Forest School Association — FSA Principles and Theory
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WHAT SCHOOLS SAY
In their words.
"It really takes the pressure off what is often the most difficult time of the week… involvement has definitely improved attendance for some of the learners."
SCHOOL STAFF - GROW WELLBEING PARTNER SCHOOL
"Using the Kelly kettles, making fire and sharing food… they have to cooperate… it is good that they have the experience of doing these things for themselves."
SCHOOL STAFF - GROW WELLBEING PARTNER SCHOOL
More testimonials - coming shortly...
WHY CHOOSE GROW WELLBEING
What makes us different.
Six things worth knowing before you get in touch.
We come to you
We deliver in your school, on your site, with your pupils and your staff. We are not a place you bring children to — we are part of your setting while we work together.
Where your outdoor space is limited however, we can also offer our own sites or work in suitable local parks.
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We know the difference
Forest School and outdoor curriculum support are not the same thing and we never pretend they are.
We offer both properly, on their own terms, and we will always be straight with you about which approach is right for what you need.
The goal is your independence
We are not trying to keep you dependent on us. Every piece of work we do is shaped around building your staff's confidence and capacity.
The measure of success is that you can sustain outdoor learning without us — and we will tell you honestly when you are ready to do that.
Breadth of youth work
Our schools offer sits within a much broader programme of nature-based provision for children and young people across Wirral. We work with young carers, disability and inclusion groups, young people referred through CAMHS, HAF holiday provision, and weekend youth programmes at Bentinck Street Community Garden and Bidston Hill Woodland.
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This means that when we work with your pupils — particularly those with SEND, SEMH needs or complex backgrounds — we are not encountering these young people for the first time. We know this cohort, across contexts, and that makes a practical difference to how we work.
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Deep specialist experience
Our team includes qualified Forest School Leaders, teachers, therapists, horticulturalists, arborists and conservationists — practitioners with real depth across education, outdoor skills and therapeutic practice.
Our research partnerships with Liverpool John Moores University and Edge Hill University mean our practice stays connected to the evidence base for outdoor learning with young people with additional needs.
Safe and properly governed
All Grow staff hold enhanced DBS clearance. We carry public liability insurance, work within a robust safeguarding policy and apply risk-benefit analysis to every session.
Our policies and governance documents are publicly available. here.
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