🎙 In this warm and reflective Practitioner Spotlight episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Gemma speak with Fran from The Woodland Pack, an outdoor educator based on the Wales–England border. Fran shares her honest journey through self-employment, shifting school contracts, and seasonal transitions in her practice. They explore the emotional and logistical challenges of maintaining a forest school ethos within formal education settings, funding hurdles, the blurred lines between business and personal passion, and the joy of reconnecting families with nature.
This episode also dives into phone use in outdoor sessions, how small communities sustain big dreams, the seasonal reality of running holiday clubs in Wales, and the mental health rituals that support a life spent outdoors. Fran’s grounded reflections offer reassurance and insight to fellow practitioners navigating their own paths.
⏱ Chapter Timings:
00:00 – Introducing Fran and The Woodland Pack
01:48 – Balancing school work with self-employment and values
03:31 – Long-term Forest School with secondary pupils
05:47 – Using phones to enhance—not escape—the outdoors
10:30 – Fran’s route into Forest School and influence of travel and family
13:46 – Sharing nature joy through Instagram and merging personal with professional
17:23 – A spontaneous Jurassic Coast trip and the power of sea spray
24:04 – Funding community foraging and cross-generational nature connection
39:25 – Sole trader vs CIC: funding, models, and access dilemmas
43:49 – Where to find Fran and why nature connection matters
🌲 Keywords: Forest School Wales, practitioner spotlight, self-employment in education, transition groups, secondary school Forest School, outdoor education funding, rural education, mental health in nature, Instagram for Forest School, phones in Forest School, Forest School business models, authentic outdoor learning, community engagement
🔖 Hashtags:
#ForestSchoolPodcast #OutdoorLearning #NatureConnection #ForestSchoolWales #PractitionerSpotlight #ChildLedLearning #RuralEducation #CommunityLearning #SecondarySchoolForestSchool #ForagingTogether #InstagramForEducators #MentalHealthOutdoors #ForestSchoolBusiness #AuthenticForestSchool #NatureWellbeing
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