£48 per day.  That includes access to our woodland site, small group sizes, experienced and qualified staff, all the tools and equipment used on the day, and the odd campfire treat too, toasted bread or marshmallows when we light one.  Blacknest also carries public liability insurance, for your peace of mind.

Our core session hours are 09:30 to 15:00, though winter sessions finish a little earlier, at 14:30.  Exact hours are confirmed when you book, and again in the week leading up to your visit.

Sessions can be booked via the dates on our Book & Pay page, which show how many places are left on any given day.  If the system won’t let you book a particular day, it’s full, but do email annemartin@blacknestforestschool.co.uk to join the waiting list, it often comes through.  The booking page suggests a theme for the day, but please don’t rely on it completely, it’s often weather-dependent and always child-led, so we do our best rather than promise a fixed plan.

If we’re the ones who need to cancel, for extreme weather, say, you’ll always be offered an alternative date or a full refund if you prefer.

Early drop-off may be possible by arrangement, so do ask when you book.  Unfortunately, we’re not able to offer late collection - the site must be cleared promptly at the end of the published session time.  If you’re ever unavoidably delayed, please text us as soon as you can.

Grandparents or other family members are very welcome to do the taxi run instead of you - just let us know in advance, and again at drop-off, who’ll be collecting, and we may ask them for a password you’ve agreed with us.

You’ll book your place online, then we’ll email you our bank transfer details.  Your place isn’t secured until we’ve received payment and advised you via email.

If payment is outstanding, we’ll send a couple of friendly reminders but do need payment within 7 days of booking - after that we’ll need to release the place to another family.

We’re unfortunately unable to accept Tax-Free Childcare, childcare vouchers or HAF funding, but do ask us about costs directly, we will endeavour to help large families in genuine need where we can.

Yes.  Please let us know as soon as possible.  With 5 or more full working days’ notice, we can simply move you to another date, subject to availability.  With less notice than that, please contact us directly to see if we’re able to accommodate a swap.

We don’t offer taster or trial sessions - most families find us through a friend’s recommendation, and we hope you’ll trust us to give your child a brilliant day.

If you’re ever anxious about how your child’s getting on during their first session, just ask, we’re happy to call you partway through the day to let you know how they’re settling in.

• A full water bottle, there’s always the chance to refill it during the day.
• A packed lunch and any snacks, with no nuts please, see Do we need to bring a packed lunch?
• Sun cream - please apply an 8-hour protection cream before drop-off, and send a labelled bottle in the bag too.  Staff can supervise your child reapplying it if needed, as long as it’s clearly named.
• Any regular or emergency medication your child needs, see My child takes regular medication, can staff administer it?

Please bring a packed lunch and an extra snack or two.  We always stop for a snack mid-morning, and children sometimes eat part of their lunch then too, that’s completely fine, just pack enough for a full day outside.

Please don’t pack anything containing nuts.  We ask that no nut products come to Blacknest at all, whether or not your own child has an allergy, to keep everyone safe.

Children generally eat when they’re hungry rather than at a fixed time, so a lunch that’s easy for your child to manage independently helps.

If the weather’s too rough to eat outside comfortably, we’ll eat together in an outdoor shelter, or go into the cabin if it’s really cold or wet.

We don’t provide food for regular sessions, but we do sometimes do campfire cooking, like toast on the fire!

We provide all the tools needed for whittling, fire-lighting and similar activities, used only under staff supervision and after age-appropriate safety teaching.  If your child’s a Blacknest regular and loves whittling with their own knife, please speak with us directly in case we are able to accommodate.

We’d generally ask that valuable or precious items, and phones, given we’re a screen-free environment, stay at home, the woodland isn’t kind to electronics.  Please don’t send small or precious toys either, they’re very easily put down and lost in leaf litter, and it’s too large a site to go looking for things at the end of the day.

Yes, absolutely, coats, water bottles, lunch boxes, even individual wellies.  Named items make it far easier for us to reunite the right coat with the right child.

We don’t encourage food sharing.  We’d ask that children only eat what’s been packed for them by their own parent or carer, both for allergy safety and general hygiene.  And remember, no nut products at all, please, see Do we need to bring a packed lunch?

Just answer yes to the medical question on the booking form and we’ll send you a short form to fill in - and please mention it again in person at drop-off.  If your child carries an EpiPen or other emergency medication, see My child takes regular medication, can staff administer it?  To keep everyone safe, we ask all parents to avoid sending any nut products at all, whether or not your own child has a nut allergy, see Do we need to bring a packed lunch?

Safety is a priority.  Our leaders are Level 3 Forest School qualified, all staff are DBS-checked and trained in first aid and outdoor safety, and we carry out regular risk assessments of the woodland environment.  Our safeguarding and health & safety policies, and our full handbook of policies, are available on request if you’d like to see them in advance.

Sometimes, yes, and that’s honest, not alarming.  Climbing, exploring and using real tools under supervision comes with the occasional minor bump, the same as any active outdoor play.  We weigh up the benefits of that kind of play against the risks constantly (risk-benefit assessment, not risk-avoidance), and we’ll always tell you at pick-up about anything that happened.

Our trained staff carry a first aid kit at all times and will treat minor injuries on the spot.  For anything more serious, we’ll contact you immediately using the details you gave us at booking, and call emergency services if needed, though we’ve never had to do this.  Please make sure your contact details are correct from the time you make your booking, including if the responsible person on the day isn’t you.

We’re not able to administer complex medication, or medication that needs to be given at a very precise time.  Please talk to a member of staff on arrival about any medical issue.

If your child needs an inhaler, EpiPen or other emergency medication, please hand it to a member of staff at drop-off, clearly labelled with your child’s name and dose.  It stays with our first aid kit all day and comes back to you at pick-up.

Please keep them home if they’re unwell, feverish, or have been sick or had diarrhoea in the preceding 48 hours, both for their comfort and to avoid passing anything on to the group.

Please let us know by email or text as early as possible so we can plan the day.

We love capturing muddy, happy moments - busy hands, wellies in puddles, dens taking shape.  Any photos we share, with families or on our website and social media, are taken from behind or at a distance, so children’s faces are never clearly shown, and we never add names.

If you’d rather we didn’t publish any photos of your child, just tick the opt-out box on the booking form.

Yes, we host woodland birthday parties, for ages 5 to 13, up to 15 children.  Parties run for 3 hours and include woodland games, den-building, and a campfire with toasted marshmallows, birthday cake and a round of Happy Birthday around the fire.  We just ask you to bring the party spread yourselves, the cake, food, drinks, plates, napkins and anything else you’ll need, and we’ll look after the woodland, the games and the campfire magic.  On the day, you’re welcome to serve the food yourselves, or our team can lend a hand.

Parties are arranged individually with Anne.  Contact her directly at annemartin@blacknestforestschool.co.uk for availability, exact pricing and to talk through what you’d like.  There’s more about parties on our Book & Pay page

Almost certainly, yes, and most parents tell us it’s one of their favourite smells by the end of the season.  It washes out.

Usually yes, snow is one of the most magical Forest School days there is, provided conditions underfoot and among the trees are safe.  Please dress even more warmly than usual and check for any updates from us on snow days.

You might well spot the odd spider, grass snake or biting insect out here, it’s a UK woodland, after all, though nothing here is dangerous.  Our staff know the local flora and fauna well, and are quick to turn a sighting into a learning moment rather than a scare.

If a bite or sting does happen, our trained staff carry first aid kits and know how to treat it on the spot, and we’ll always let you know at pick-up, with a call to you straight away for anything more serious.