Pedagogical space(s): The benefits of collaboration with forest school providers for the early years classroom teachers and pupils

In 2022, the Foundation Phase in Wales will be replaced by the new Curriculum for Wales (CfW), a national framework for children aged between three and 16. One of its aims is to provide ‘experience-based’ learning opportunities, echoing the Foundation Phase (FP). In relation to changes in assessment, children’s progress will be evaluated through progression steps to provide more flexibility for assessments based on learner achievements, rather than their meeting – or not meeting – predetermined outcomes. Although this reflects the existing values of the FP, findings from my PhD study (Rekers-Power, 2020) surfaced tensions between values and demands in practice, which impact on the teacher as well as the child. Here, I discuss these tensions from the perspective of the teacher, in order to highlight how collaborations with external providers may support teaching staff in implementing the CfW.