Reinvention through green space: a case study of a child with challenging behaviour attending Forest School

To understand in greater depth the potential impact of Forest School (FS) on emotional well-being, behaviour, and mental health/neurodevelopmental symptoms in the context of special educational needs, we conducted a case study of one 10-year-old boy, ‘Matthew’ (not the child’s real name). Matthew was in mainstream education in the U.K. and participated in weekly FS sessions for one afternoon per week over two school terms (24 weeks). We conducted interviews with Matthew, his parent, and class teacher and gathered short-text notes recorded by a member of the research team who observed Matthew at two FS sessions per term. We also collected quantitative data on self-rated health-related Quality of Life (HR-QoL), teacher-rated emotional difficulties, hyperactivity-inattentiveness, peer problems, conduct problems, pro-social behaviours, and parent-rated mood and anxiety. A mixed-methods approach was used, which involved thematic analysis of interview data and researcher observational notes, with quantitative data from questionnaires. Results revealed three qualitative themes of ‘Possibilities’, ‘Space & Time’, and ‘Visibility’ which included further sub-themes. Matthew’s Forest School experience provided an opportunity for skill development and autonomy that contributed towards personal growth and pride, and an appreciation of the environment as a place of peace where he could escape and self-soothe. His attendance at FS offered Matthew the possibility of reinvention and discovering a new self. This aligned with improvements in Matthew’s self-rated HR-QoL during FS, but his class-teacher saw fewer improvements quantitatively, suggesting that the benefits and experiences observed at FS may not have translated to the typical classroom setting.