Mid and East Antrim schools start their Forest School journey
Monday 27 October 2025
Primary school aged pupils from across the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area are taking part in Forest Schools funded by Council and delivered by the Northern Ireland Forest School Association (NIFSA), with support from Council’s Parks and Open Spaces team.
The Forest School Development Programme aims to encourage outdoor learning, environmental awareness and exploration whilst instilling a sense of community and civic pride within young people.
The programme has been running since 2018, and this year’s initiative will see collaboration between Islandmagee Primary School, Braidside Integrated Primary School and Horizon Sure Start Carrickfergus.
Each group will receive four sessions of Forest Schools delivered in an outdoor environment.
NIFSA will provide training and assessment to enable teachers to qualify as a Level 3 Forest School Leader. They will also receive a Forest School Starter Kit Bag that includes Learning Resources and at the end of the programme NIFSA Nature Ranger Certificates will be issued for all participating children.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, said: “Mid and East Antrim Borough Council are incredibly excited to launch this year’s Forest School programme, which not only promotes outdoor education but also helps foster a deeper connection to the natural world.
“This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to creating meaningful, enriching experiences for our young children.
“We are proud to be offering them the opportunity to learn in new and inspiring ways that will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”
To find out more on Forest Schools, click the link to head over to the official NIFSA Forest Schools website.