What Forest School Association does

The Forest School Association (FSA) is the UK-wide professional body and recognised voice for Forest School education, operating as a registered charity (Charity Number 1155616, Company Number 8164851) and private company headquartered in Mildenhall, Suffolk. Founded in 2012, FSA promotes 'quality Forest School for All' by convening trainers, practitioners, schools, nurseries, and families around a shared set of six core Forest School principles. Its core products are membership services and two credentialing schemes — the FSA Recognised Forest School Provider Scheme (an 8-step application process) and the FSA Endorsed Forest School Trainer Scheme (a 3-stage quality assurance process) — which together set the de facto professional standard for the sector in the UK. Supporting products include a searchable Members Directory, Find-a-Trainer and Find-a-Provider directories, a published guidebook ('Growing a Forest School from the Roots Up', RRP £29.99), an annual conference (FSA Conference 2026 in active promotion), and free half-termly webinars for prospective scheme applicants.

Underlying technology is intentionally minimal: FSA operates web-based systems for member directories, provider search, and webinar hosting via Zoom. There is no proprietary AI/ML, no app, and no third-party SDK integrations disclosed — the technology layer is functional directory/portal infrastructure rather than a productised platform. The technology moat is therefore not in code, but in the accumulated body of credentialing standards, the trainer and provider databases, and the public-facing directory that delivers discoverability for families and schools.

FSA's business model is a non-profit membership and credentialing model with four identifiable revenue streams: (1) individual and organisational membership fees (subscription, recurring, pricing not publicly disclosed); (2) Quality Assurance Scheme fees from trainers (£200 registration + £200 endorsement = £400 per trainer) and providers (8-step application process); (3) book sales at £29.99 RRP with a 30% member discount; and (4) annual conference ticket sales via eequ.org, with member discount codes. Go-to-market is community-led, supplemented by sales-led conversion of practitioners through structured applications and event-driven engagement at the annual conference. Customer segments span schools and educational settings (primary/vertical), individual practitioners and trainers (SMB), and families/parents (consumer), with no enterprise concentration risk but equally no large-ticket accounts.

Name

Forest School Association

Legal name

Forest School Association

Website

https://forestschoolassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Forest School Association is a UK registered charity and professional body that promotes Forest School education through membership services, quality assurance schemes for trainers and providers, a searchable directory, an annual conference, and a published guidebook, serving schools, practitioners, trainers, and families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlisle

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Individual and organizational membership fees provide recurring revenue. Members receive benefits including access to the members directory, blog content, knowledge base, member services, and discounts on products and events.
2. Quality Assurance Scheme Fees: Forest School trainers pay £200 initial registration fee and £200 upon endorsement at Stage 3 for the Trainer Quality Assurance Scheme. Providers pay fees to participate in the Recognized FS Provider Scheme.
3. Book Sales: Sale of 'Growing a Forest School from the Roots Up' - a 256-page comprehensive guide. RRP £29.99 with 30% discount for FSA members.
4. Conference Revenue: Annual conference tickets sold to members and non-members. Members receive discount codes for reduced pricing on conference attendance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Forest School Association (FSA) is a UK-registered professional membership body and charitable organization that promotes and supports best practice in Forest School education. It sells individual and organizational memberships, operates the FSA Recognised Forest School Provider Scheme and FSA Endorsed Forest School Trainer Scheme (formal quality assurance pathways), publishes a comprehensive guidebook, hosts webinars, and runs an annual national conference for Forest School practitioners across the UK.

Product overview

The Forest School Association operates as a professional membership body and UK-wide voice for Forest School, promoting and supporting best practice and 'quality Forest School for All'. The organization offers a unified platform of membership services including a searchable Members Directory, provider and trainer quality assurance schemes (FSA Recognised Provider Scheme and FSA Endorsed Trainer Scheme), Forest School qualifications, webinars, an annual conference, and a published guidebook. These services work together to support, credential, and connect Forest School practitioners across the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• FSA Membership and Members Directory Individual and organizational membership subscription providing access to the searchable FSA Members Directory, members-only blog and knowledge base, member services, discounts on products and events, and advocacy representation for Forest School practitioners across the UK.
• FSA Recognised Forest School Provider Scheme An eight-step benchmarking and development quality assurance scheme that recognizes Forest School providers (schools, nurseries, early years settings) that meet professional standards aligned with the six core principles of Forest School. Recognised providers are listed in the public directory.
• FSA Endorsed Forest School Trainer Scheme A three-stage Trainer Quality Assurance scheme (£200 initial registration and £200 upon Stage 3 endorsement) that formally endorses Forest School trainers who meet standards associated with delivering quality training experiences in line with the six core Forest School principles. Endorsed trainers are listed in the public Find a Trainer directory.
• Growing a Forest School from the Roots Up (Book) A 256-page A4 comprehensive and illustrative guidebook for setting up a Forest School, priced at RRP £29.99 with a 30% discount available to FSA members. The book bridges the gap between those new to Forest School and those already committed to establishing one.
• FSA Annual Conference Annual national conference featuring workshops, speakers, marketplace, and networking opportunities for Forest School practitioners across the UK. Conference tickets are sold to members and non-members via the eequ.org platform, with member discount codes providing reduced pricing.
• Recognised Provider Webinars Free half-termly webinars hosted by the Scheme Coordinator and FSA staff for prospective applicants considering the Recognised Forest School Provider Scheme, providing guidance on the application process and Forest School standards.
• Forest School Qualifications Level 3 Forest School qualification standards published by FSA, which serve as the recognized benchmark for Forest School practitioner training in the UK. Since 1st February 2018, qualifications awarded from purely online courses are not accepted for the Recognised Provider Scheme.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: UK conservation charity offering outdoor learning programmes and family activities across its estates, comparable as a large incumbent operating outdoor education alongside conservation and heritage.
• Woodland Trust: UK charity focused on woodland conservation and engagement, comparable as a large non-profit promoting woods and tree education with membership, schools engagement, and learning resources.
• The Wildlife Trusts: UK federation of 46 wildlife trusts running conservation and education activities, comparable as a much larger UK organization combining nature/environmental education with member engagement and local groups.
• Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB): UK nature conservation charity with extensive schools and learning programmes, comparable as a large membership-based environmental organization with strong education and outreach focus.

Direct peers

• Sensory Trust: UK charity working on inclusive access to nature and outdoor experiences, comparable as a mission-driven organization supporting outdoor learning practitioners and providers.
• English Outdoor Council: UK body representing outdoor education organizations and practitioners, comparable as a professional/umbrella body promoting outdoor learning standards and supporting member organizations.
• Field Studies Council: UK environmental education charity delivering outdoor courses and qualifications, comparable as a provider of training, qualifications, and resources in nature-based learning for schools and individuals.
• Learning Through Landscapes: UK charity dedicated to outdoor learning and play in schools and early years settings, directly comparable as a professional support body for outdoor/nature-based education practitioners.
• Council for Learning Outside the Classroom: UK organization promoting and quality-assuring learning outside the classroom across schools, closely comparable in providing quality marks, membership services, and practitioner recognition in outdoor education.
• The Outward Bound Trust: UK charity providing outdoor experiential learning and adventure education, comparable as a non-profit delivering nature/outdoor education programmes and training pathways for practitioners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fsaforestschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/ForestSchoolAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/forest-school-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forest School Association