Reminder: FSA Recognition of Forest School qualifications

Further to the FSA policy statement of 1^st February 2018, the FSA will recognise the following Forest School qualifications under the FSA Recognised Forest School Provider scheme once it re-opens in the summer

Qualifications awarded before 1^st December 2018

All Level 3 Forest School qualifications will be accepted

Qualifications awarded between 1^st December 2018 and 31^st August 2019

The following qualifications will be accepted:

the legacy FSA endorsed Level 3 Forest School qualification (QCF – ‘Certificate in Forest School Programme Leadership’)
the new FSA endorsed Level 3 Forest School qualification (RQF – ‘Certificate for Forest School Leaders’)
Agored Level 3 qualifications, Wales, (to be reviewed before March 2020)
SCQF Forest School qualification, Scotland, has been developed with FSA cooperation

Qualifications awarded after 1^st September 2019

The following qualifications will be accepted:

the new FSA endorsed Level 3 Forest School qualification (RQF – ‘Certificate for Forest School Leaders’)
Agored Level 3 qualifications, Wales, (to be reviewed before March 2020)
SCQF Forest School qualification, Scotland, has been developed with FSA cooperation

Notes:

Awarding Organisations that are still using the legacy ‘FSA endorsed Level 3 Forest School qualification (QCF)’ will have had 20 months to switch over to the new ‘FSA endorsed Level 3 Forest School qualification (RQF)’ and their students time to complete the old course.

Agored is working with the FSA to make the necessary revisions and have been given an extension to the deadline on this basis.

The FSA is working with Newbattle Abbey College, in Scotland, to ensure that the new SCQF Forest School qualification may be recognised by the FSA.

Since 1^st February 2018, Level 3 Forest School qualifications, awarded as a result of passing courses delivered purely on-line, will not be accepted for the ‘FSA Recognised Forest School Provider’ scheme.

6 Comments

Gareth Davies on 19/05/2019 at 7:57 pm

The majority of Awarding Organisations are working closely with the FSA to ensure that their Forest School qualifications may be recognised by the FSA. These are Agored, Newbattle Abbey Collage, Open College Network West Midlands, AIM Awards, NOCN, CERTA, ITC First, LASER Awards. Prospective Forest School trainees should check with their trainer that they will be awarded an FSA recognised Awarding Organisation qualification if they wish to go on to be recognised by the FSA.

Colin Stevens on 26/05/2019 at 7:33 pm

So no answer to my question. Guess I won’t be a member for long then if recognition won’t be available for those of us stuck in the middle.
- Gareth Davies on 05/06/2019 at 8:09 am
  
  Private message sent to you through website.

Diana Mills on 17/05/2019 at 10:26 pm

I find this concerning too. I started a course in September 2018 at a very reputable training provider and have done an enormous amount of work for my qualifications. How does one get FSA endorses from this, and at the risk of being slightly controversial, isn’t this making the FSA a little elitist? I do appreciate the point of endorsement and making sure standard are upheld but I know that I have done almost exactly the same work as someone else from a provider that is FSA endorsed so what is the criteria?

Feeling a little lost here…

Gareth Davies on 19/05/2019 at 8:00 pm

I believe that Sarah Lawfull has responded on Facebook and that all is well.

Colin Stevens on 17/05/2019 at 8:48 pm

I find this concerning at the least as my wife and I are just about to start a Level 3 Course which is still QCF with a local forest school centre.

From the information above it seems our £2k investment won’t allow our newly created company to be a FSA recognised provider when the course is completed early in 2020?

Gareth Davies on 19/05/2019 at 7:57 pm

The majority of Awarding Organisations are working closely with the FSA to ensure that their Forest School qualifications may be recognised by the FSA. These are Agored, Newbattle Abbey Collage, Open College Network West Midlands, AIM Awards, NOCN, CERTA, ITC First, LASER Awards. Prospective Forest School trainees should check with their trainer that they will be awarded an FSA recognised Awarding Organisation qualification if they wish to go on to be recognised by the FSA.
- Colin Stevens on 26/05/2019 at 7:33 pm
  
  So no answer to my question. Guess I won’t be a member for long then if recognition won’t be available for those of us stuck in the middle.
  - Gareth Davies on 05/06/2019 at 8:09 am
    
    Private message sent to you through website.
Diana Mills on 17/05/2019 at 10:26 pm

I find this concerning too. I started a course in September 2018 at a very reputable training provider and have done an enormous amount of work for my qualifications. How does one get FSA endorses from this, and at the risk of being slightly controversial, isn’t this making the FSA a little elitist? I do appreciate the point of endorsement and making sure standard are upheld but I know that I have done almost exactly the same work as someone else from a provider that is FSA endorsed so what is the criteria?

Feeling a little lost here…
- Gareth Davies on 19/05/2019 at 8:00 pm
  
  I believe that Sarah Lawfull has responded on Facebook and that all is well.
Colin Stevens on 17/05/2019 at 8:48 pm

I find this concerning at the least as my wife and I are just about to start a Level 3 Course which is still QCF with a local forest school centre.

From the information above it seems our £2k investment won’t allow our newly created company to be a FSA recognised provider when the course is completed early in 2020?