May 3

PARS for Forest Schools

The PARS model provides outdoor education practitioners with practical, research-informed ways to make sense of real moments: how children create their own learning opportunities, exploring risk, collaborating, testing ideas and boundaries and learning from their successes and failures. 

Using PARS helps outdoor education practitioners to notice, describe and understand what is happening in children's play and learning outdoors - without turning practice into an adult-driven checklist.

 Outdoor practitioners have found that PARS gives teams a shared language that supports clearer understanding of children's self-directed learning, more consistent practice, and more confident professional judgement when talking with colleagues and families.

In this lively, idea-packed episode of The Forest School Podcast, Lewis and Wem chat with Dr Shelly Newstead about the roots and reality of playwork. Shelly traces adventure playgrounds from Sørensen in Denmark to Lady Allen in post-war Britain, then explains her PARS playwork model that helps adults articulate what they are doing and why. Expect thoughtful links to Forest School practice, clear language for talking to schools and parents, and practical insight on when to step in and when to stand back. They also tackle funding priorities, teens and play, and how to keep practice reflexive rather than nostalgic.