Forest School First Aid Course
Do not let the name put you off. This is the most in-depth first aid course we offer.
Forest school and beach school sessions present a genuinely unusual first aid challenge. Casualties may be infants, children or adults. The environment is outdoors and often remote. Help may be up to two hours away. No single standard first aid qualification, whether paediatric, outdoor or workplace, covers all of this on its own. The Forest School First Aid course does.
At over 20 guided learning hours, this is the most comprehensive first aid course in our portfolio. It is specifically designed for forest school and beach school leaders and assistants who will be relied upon as first aiders during sessions. It genuinely exceeds the IOL (Institute for Outdoor Learning) Level 4 first aid recommendation.
To answer the question most people ask first: yes, this course covers the full syllabus of the 12-hour Paediatric First Aid course (EYFS 2023, Annex A), and yes, it is accepted by both Ofsted and ISI.
What You Will Learn
As a result of the European Resuscitation Guidelines 2025 and the UK Resuscitation Council 2025 guidelines coming into effect from January 2026, this syllabus is likely to be updated from that date.
Core first aider role:
- Health and safety legislation relating to first aid
- The role and responsibility of the first aider, including managing incidents, equipment, preventing cross-infection and recording actions
- Environmental factors specific to outdoor first aid
- First aid kits and their contents
- Managing an unresponsive casualty when assistance is up to two hours away
- When and how to remove outdoor activity equipment, and when and how to move a casualty
- How to assess an emergency situation, so that you act safely, promptly and effectively
- Primary and secondary surveys for infant, child and adult casualties
Recognising and administering first aid for:
- An unresponsive casualty, whether breathing normally (recovery position) or not breathing normally (CPR and AED)
- Modifications to CPR for casualties who have drowned, been caught in an avalanche, or suffered a lightning strike
- The difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest
- Choking, wounds and bleeding, cuts, grazes, bruises and splinters, and minor burns and scalds
- Seizures, including febrile convulsions, and medical shock, including anaphylactic and hypovolaemic shock
- Immersion in water
- Injuries to eyes, bones, muscles, joints, the chest, abdomen and pelvis
- Suspected head or spinal injuries
- Bites and stings, including Lyme disease
- Sudden poisoning
- Heart attack, stroke, asthma and diabetes
- The effects of extreme heat or cold
- Foreign bodies in the ears, eyes or nose
- Meningitis
Course Details
Duration | Minimum 20 guided learning hours plus 4 hours of self-study. Typically delivered over 3 days, 9am to 5pm |
Format | Face to face, predominantly practical |
Group size | Minimum 4, maximum 12 per instructor |
Assessment | Multiple-choice paper (70% pass mark) plus full practical observation, including floor-level CPR (100% pass mark) |
Language | English. Reasonable adjustments are available; please contact us before booking |
Prerequisites | You will need to be physically able to perform CPR on the floor. GCSE grade C or Level 2 literacy and numeracy is recommended, but not mandatory |
Age | For those over 16 looking to become a nominated first aider. Candidates aged 14 to 16 can attend, but should not be relied upon by employers as a sole nominated first aider |
Venue | Knutsford training centre, or at your premises nationwide |
A note on course length: we occasionally run this course over two 10-hour days (9am to 7pm) at a client’s request. However, our experience consistently shows this is detrimental to learning. We recommend, and deliver as standard, the three-day format.
Certificate Options
Both options involve the same presentation, the same practical assessment and the same standard. The difference is in the multiple-choice exam paper.
Certified by Chris Garland Training
PDF format as standard, with paper available on request. Valid for 3 years.
Certified by our Ofqual-regulated Awarding Organisation (QNUK)
- QNUK Level 3 Award in Forest School First Aid at Work (RQF)
- Additional certificates available on request:
- QNUK Level 3 Award in Emergency First Aid at Work (RQF), based on the 6-hour course content
- QNUK Level 3 Award in Paediatric First Aid (RQF), based on the 12-hour course content
- QNUK Level 3 Award in Outdoor First Aid (RQF), based on the 16-hour outdoor first aid course content
- Paper certificate and credit-card-sized plastic certificate issued. Valid for 3 years.
This means a single course can deliver multiple recognised qualifications. This is useful where your setting, your insurer, or Ofsted and ISI inspections specify a particular named qualification.
Course duration:
- A minimum of 20 guided learning hours with a further 4 hours self study.
- Generally we run these courses from 9am until 5pm over three days.
- We do occasionally run the course over two 10 hour days (9am-7pm) but experience has shown that this is detrimental to your learning of the subject matter.
Test:
- Whether certified by Chris Garland Training or the Ofqual Regulated Awarding Organisation that we use, the assessments are the basically the same. Each candidate undertakes a multiple-choice question paper & practical assessment.
- Multiple-Choice Question paper:
- You need to score a minimum of 70% correct answers to achieve a pass.
- Practical observation:
- You’ll need to demonstrate giving first aid as you would in an emergency situation, such as providing CPR on the floor. You need to score 100% to achieve a pass.
Pre-requisites:
- You’ll need to demonstrate first aid procedures as you would in a real activity environment. This includes providing CPR to a casualty who is on the floor. Therefore you must be physically capable of doing so.
- We recommend that you have a minimum of GCSE grade C/Level 2 literacy and numeracy (or equivalent) before undertaking this course. This is not mandatory – please contact us to discuss any reasonable adjustments to accommodate your needs.
- The Forest School First Aid course is for those over 16 who are looking to become a nominated first aider in an outdoor setting. The course can also be undertaken by candidates between 14 & 16 years old, but they shouldn’t be relied upon by employers to be a sole, nominated first aider.
Candidates:
- All courses have a minimum and maximum number of candidates that we can take on a course.
- Minimum: We need a minimum of 4 candidates booked on an open/scheduled course for the course to run. Click here for more details.
- Maximum: We are limited by the Health & Safety Executive, and where applicable by the Awarding Organisation, to a maximum of 12 candidates per instructor. Should you have more than 12 candidates that need to be trained, please contact us to arrange a private course, where by negotiation, we can arrange for a second instructor/assessor to be present to comply with this restriction.
Geographical coverage:
- This qualification is available to candidates across the UK & abroad, however the content was developed in accordance with current UK practice, protocols & guidance.
Venue:
- Scheduled courses run at our training centre in Knutsford, Cheshire. Visit our Joining Instructions page to read about what you will need to bring/wear, etc.
- Why not arrange to have a private face to face course run at your workplace? Simply fill in our quote builder tool to request a quotation.
Joining instructions:
Private courses:
- To arrange a private course for yourself or your colleagues, please fill in our Quote Builder tool.
Links:
Prefer a Blended Format?
If three full days away from your setting is not practical, our Forest School First Aid: Blended Learning course delivers the same content and the same assessment standard across 6 to 8 hours of online pre-learning plus 2 days face to face.
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent course. The delivery was clear and understandable. Support with everything was reassuring and calming. Got enough information to work with and remember and comfortable to be able to perform first aid.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Enjoyed the course and it’s delivery. Really felt I was getting to know the information in a variety of ways helping me best to retain what I was learning.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Fabulous course. Outdoor Fun really values the clear guidance that Chris gives in his courses. My biggest take-away from the course is the need to give clear instruction when working as a team, in a first aid situation.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Great! Very insightful and vital for my forest school. Thank you!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very useful – more information & knowledge than on other courses that I have done in the past.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Great knowledge, friendly instructor. Learned a great deal of information. Very impressed.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “I’ve trained with Chris before & I don;t think this course could be improved. He’s amazingly knowledgable. This is the second time I’ve done this training and I’ll definitely be doing it again.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “I definitely feel that I’ve learnt lots. 10/10 – Excellent course, brilliantly delivered. Will definitely recommend to anyone looking.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Amazingly knowledgable & very informative. The way in which the topics were explained really helps. Excellent! So much information, a very knowledgable person & a great instructor 🙂 Thanks”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Really enjoyed the course.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Thanks Chris. Loads of great knowledge. making me and my colleagues think about our roles.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Really enjoyed the course. Chris made the content interesting by sharing his knowledge, lots of practice time too for active learning.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Really interesting and very detailed first aid course with a much wider spread than any of the others I have been on. Excellent.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Really good, informative. Ive learnt a lot and feel more prepared for a first aid emergency.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Practical & very thorough!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “In depth, detailed and very useful”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “In depth, lots of knowledge, with plenty of time for questions & going over anything. A well structured course that covers a lot.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent! A good balance of practical and theory.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Informative, engaging, useful.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Lots of great information. Lots of content that covered the syllabus of outdoor first aid, paediatric first aid & forest school first aid.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “A “must have” if you’re working outdoors!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Comprehensive, practical, accessible, worthwhile. I really enjoyed the practical scenarios. Thanks for the comprehensive, professional course you run Chris. Will definitely recommend and use your services again!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Amazing! I’ve seen an learnt so many new things! Covered EVERYTHING!! Surely!!! Like you say, running this course over three days is much better than two. I would definitely recommend this to a friend as super informative, led by a clear expert in his field. Supportive, friendly leader & covered so much content. I really enjoyed the last three days, so than you very much. You made the atmosphere very relaxed – and the time whizzed by!!!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Content & delivery is fantastic. Covid restrictions limited practice, but if completing this course in the future, I would like to do more. I thought it was very thorough. A great instructor who is nor afraid to answer (and encourage) questions.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “You couldn’t improve this course! Really, really informative. Not your average first aid course where you watch a PowerPoint and feel as though you fall asleep. You really feel as though you are learning throughout the course. The practical elements & materials have been really helpful – looking at different equipment, bandages, epipens, etc. Have come away feeling confident about first aid in my forest school setting & in general. Thanks Chris!! :)”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Intense, but totally worth it! Sooo much to learn. Thank you!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Useful and informative.”
ChrisGarland –
Recent reviews collected directly after the course:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Intense yet effective”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Loved this course – best course so far. Brilliant!”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Excellent! Very thorough. Most informative one I’ve attended to date”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Great! Very helpful”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – “Very effective. Really good course. Friendly delivery. Lots to take in.”
Alex Thompson –
Some staff commented that they would’ve preferred more guidance, particularly around the test. They were told not to worry about it but really had they have known how in-depth it was they would’ve revised more.
ChrisGarland –
Thanks for your feedback Alex. As the course you’re referring to was run over two consecutive days I’d be interested to know more about how they felt as the subject matters covered in the course should have been fresh in their memory’s. Can I email you directly to get some more feedback please?
Bridget H. –
Covered the unique elements to dealing with first aid in the outdoor setting without making them seem insurmountable. Confidence inspiring.
Ali –
Very informative, ready for first aid now in the mountains.
Anonymous –
Excellent training
Chris Garland –
🙂
Anonymous –
Chris Garland’s wealth of experience shone through this extensive and detailed course. He offered practical advice and was open to all questions no matter how “silly” they may have seemed. Overall, I came away feeling much more confident and competent in my own ability to deliver first aid.
Chris Garland –
Thanks Carol. As I mentioned, there are never silly questions when it comes to learning something as, occasionally, we need to “un-learn” things. I’m really glad that you enjoyed the course. Chris
Marilyn Wadkin –
The best First Aid Training I’ve ever done. It covered a lot of things and was relaxed and fun. It showed how poor other training has been in comparison. I would recommend training with Chris to anyone.
Chris Garland –
Thanks Marilyn! You’d be amazed (or probably not) at how many others have said the same when they’ve undertaken the same course!