NORTHERN IRELAND FOREST SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

Name

NORTHERN IRELAND FOREST SCHOOL ASSOCIATION

Legal name

Northern Ireland Forest School Association

Website

https://forestschoolsni.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Environmental Education Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs (EDACADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Adventure Multi-Sport Camps & Skills Academies (THAAAKAM)

Keywords

• Outdoor education programs
• Forest school training
• Environmental education
• Nature-based learning
• Childcare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: NIFSA operates as a membership organization with membership fees contributing to organizational finances and providing access to resources and support.
2. Government and local authority contracts: Service contracts with local authorities and central Government in Northern Ireland, including funding for Forest School training programs and accreditation.
3. Nature Rangers program fees: Revenue from after-school and holiday club bookings at £16.50 per session or £22 per day for holiday clubs. Discounts available for multiple children.
4. Corporate and business support: Local businesses support NIFSA to work with local schools, providing additional funding and resources.
5. Shop and training course fees: Revenue from equipment shop, books, and training course registration fees such as University of Ulster Level 1 courses at £40.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NIFSA develops and delivers Forest School Leader Level 3 training, accreditation, and ongoing mentoring for schools, nurseries, and educators across Northern Ireland. It also operates direct-to-consumer outdoor learning programs including the Clandeboye Nature Rangers after-school service, Holiday Clubs, Mudlings toddler sessions, and the Forest School Family Challenge. All programs are anchored in the Scandinavian Forest School ethos of child-led outdoor learning and supported by the flagship Clandeboye Estate site.

Product overview

NIFSA operates as a not-for-profit charitable organization offering a comprehensive outdoor education ecosystem centred on the Forest School ethos. The core offering consists of Forest School Training Programmes (Level 3 qualification) and Forest School Awards (free training packages for schools). These feed into direct service delivery including Clandeboye Nature Rangers (flagship after-school programme), NIFSA Nature Ranger Clubs (partner school programmes), Holiday Clubs, and Mudlings (parent-toddler sessions). The Forest School Family Challenge extends reach to individual families with free activities and certificates. A Resources Library provides educational materials including activity sheets, spotter sheets, and curriculum-aligned resources covering topics from World Around Us to seasonal activities. All programmes are designed to get children learning outside in natural environments with schools, youth groups, and families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Forest School Training Programme Flagship training programme that trains teachers and youth leaders to become accredited Forest School Leaders at Level 3 qualification, including online course completion, mentoring support, and accreditation to deliver outdoor environmental education programmes.
• Forest School Awards Free Forest School training and accreditation package for schools and nurseries across Northern Ireland, with approximately 60 free Premium Packages awarded annually including Level 3 training, a Forest School Starter Kit bag, and an official NIFSA plaque.
• Clandeboye Nature Rangers Flagship after-school service at Clandeboye Estate, Bangor, for families in the North Down area, where children are collected from school and spend afternoons exploring woodland with qualified staff through sensory walks, shelter building, campfire cooking, and nature art. Priced at £16.50 per session.
• NIFSA Nature Ranger Clubs Local after-school and holiday programmes delivered in partnership with schools across Northern Ireland, where Forest School Leaders deliver activities including bug houses, fire lighting, and den building, with schools receiving additional income and all resources, training, and ongoing support provided by NIFSA.
• Holiday Clubs Holiday childcare programmes for children from P1 to P7, including den building, bug hunts, nature art, campfire cooking, and free play, available at Clandeboye (9am-3pm) and across Northern Ireland through NI Wide Holiday Clubs at £22/day (most locations).
• Mudlings Outdoor sessions for parents and grandparents with 1-6 year olds, held at Moira Demesne, including sensory play, nature art, bug hunting, rolling down hills, and singing, with adults attending alongside children.
• Forest School Family Challenge Free family programme encouraging outdoor play in local Council Parks and green spaces, where families receive activity ideas, printable certificates, and an activity log to track outdoor adventures, completing six activities to earn certificates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 pupils taught every month through Forest School programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Dufferin FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLady Dufferin was patron of NIFSA from 2016 until her death in 2020. She owned Clandeboye Estate (2,000 acres including 1,000+ acres of broadleaved woodland). The Dufferin Foundation continues to support the Learning Without Walls initiative and NIFSA's mission to connect children with nature.
• Woodland TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLady Dufferin was instrumental in getting the Woodland Trust to operate in Northern Ireland. Now the Woodland Trust has over 53 publicly accessible native woodlands covering over 1,000 acres, supporting Forest School activities.
• Open College Network NIcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides certification for NIFSA training courses including Forest School Leader Level 3 qualification and University of Ulster Level 1 courses.
• Learning Without WallscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative vision of Lady Dufferin and collaboration of Dufferin Foundation and NIFSA. Embraces all programs run by NIFSA designed to get children learning outside in natural environment with schools, youth groups, and families. Emphasizes Shared Education to build tolerance and break down preconceptions.
• Local nurseries and primary schoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchools can become NIFSA Nature Ranger Clubs. NIFSA trains and supports staff or parents to run after-school and holiday clubs. All resources, training, and ongoing support provided at no upfront cost to the school.
• Zurich InsuranceminorOthersInsurance provider for Nature Rangers programs, ensuring coverage for childcare operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• National Trust: Major UK heritage and conservation charity operating hundreds of historic sites and natural landscapes, with extensive outdoor learning and schools programmes. A much larger incumbent with overlapping but broader-scope education activities.
• RSPB: Large UK nature charity running nature reserves and substantial education/outdoor learning programmes for schools and families. Significantly broader and larger than NIFSA, with overlapping school-engagement and family outdoor activities.
• Woodland Trust: UK's largest woodland conservation charity, managing over 1,000 sites and running extensive school engagement programmes. A broader incumbent with overlapping education/outdoor-learning offerings at much larger scale; named as a strategic partner of NIFSA in the data.
• Forestry England: Government body managing England's public forests and delivering learning, volunteering, and outdoor recreation programmes. Comparable public-sector outdoor-learning delivery, but at national scale and as a forest asset manager/operator.

Regional players

• Forest School Scotland: Regional network supporting Forest School practice in Scotland. The Scottish counterpart to NIFSA's Northern Ireland role, offering training and accreditation for Forest Schools within a different devolved jurisdiction.
• John Muir Trust: Scotland-based charity focused on wild land conservation and outdoor learning, including the John Muir Award. Comparable ethos and education programmes, but operating in Scotland rather than Northern Ireland.

Direct peers

• Learning Through Landscapes: UK charity that helps schools and early-years settings embed outdoor learning and play in the curriculum. Directly comparable to NIFSA's school-focused mission, with similar teacher-training, accreditation, and resources offerings across the UK.
• Forest School Association: UK-wide professional body for Forest School practice. Provides accreditation, training, and network support for Forest School practitioners across the UK; NIFSA operates as the Northern Ireland constituent body, running an analogous training and accreditation model for a regional jurisdiction.
• Council for Learning Outside the Classroom: UK charity supporting quality and safety in learning outside the classroom across all UK regions. Comparable mission in advocating for outdoor education in schools and providing accreditation frameworks similar to NIFSA's role.
• Institute for Outdoor Learning: UK professional body that sets standards and supports practitioners in outdoor learning. NIFSA's Forest School Leader Level 3 sits within the same professional-development ecosystem for outdoor educators.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northern-ireland-forest-school-association

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NORTHERN IRELAND FOREST SCHOOL ASSOCIATION