Forest school practice within UK mainstream primary schools; practitioners’ experience of including autistic pupils

Abstract

The Forest School (FS) approach has gained popularity across school settings in the United Kingdom (UK; Prince, 2019). However, how FS is implemented remains relatively unknown, with practice varying across settings (McCree, 2019). During phase one of this study, 95 FS leaders, including teachers and external providers, completed an online survey, which explored what FS practice looked like within UK mainstream primary schools, in relation to the six principles, as defined by the UK Forest School Association (FSA). 69.47% of participants reported delivering FS sessions that aligned with all six principles, and time constraints were the largest barrier to implementation, as approximately one quarter of participants did not meet the long-term principle. The survey also screened and identified practitioners for phase two of the study, to ensure that experiences discussed at interview, were within FS sessions that aligned with the six principles.

The second phase of this study explored the perceived benefits, challenges and potential adaptations needed to support autistic pupils’ inclusion in FS within mainstream primary. Existing literature exploring FS and autism is limited, and this study was the first to explore the inclusion of autistic pupils within FS in mainstream primary schools. Following completion of the online survey, 12 practitioners with experience of including autistic pupils and whose practice aligned with the six FS principles took part in individual semi-structured interviews. Open-ended survey responses and interviews were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis (RTA; Braun & Clarke, 2021). Four themes were generated: FS as “a better person-environment fit” underpinning, “thriving in the forest”, “balancing the senses” and “supporting social harmony.” Findings are discussed in relation to Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000), alongside implications for practice and recommendations for future research.

Thesis is embargoed until 31st December 2027.

Date of Award	Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Queen's University Belfast
Sponsors	Department of Education Northern Ireland
Supervisor	John McMullen (Supervisor) & Stephanie Burns (Supervisor)