Forest School Training Collaborative
Terms and Conditions Scotland
Company registration: SC627264
Please read this before you book a course with us. It explains what to expect, what we ask of you, and what happens if plans change. If anything is unclear, get in touch — we're happy to explain further. Make sure you read the extra terms section for your specific course - it will tell you about any requirements not covered in the training course but required for your final qualification, such as first aid qualification or observing sessions.
How we'll be in touch
We usually get in touch by email or phone, to keep our environmental impact low. If you'd rather we used paper, let us know when you book.
Paying for your course
All courses (not booked through a local authority): pay a 25% deposit when you book, then the rest at least 28 days before your course starts. You're welcome to pay in full sooner if that's easier for you — except First Aid and workshop courses, which must be paid in full when you book.
Local authority and organisation bookings: we ask for payment within 30 days of the invoice date. If your purchase order sets a different payment term, let us know — we'll confirm in writing whether we can work with it. Our standard 30 days applies unless we've agreed otherwise.
We only send certificates once your course fees have been paid in full.
Your place is confirmed once we've received your deposit or full payment, or a valid purchase order number.
If you're doing Level 5, 6 or 8 of our Forest School practitioner training and would rather spread the cost over more than two payments, you can ask about our extended payment plan — see “If you're doing Levels 5, 6 or 8” below.
Bringing ID
Please bring valid photo ID to every course. If you can't show ID, we won't be able to let you complete the course — this counts as a cancellation on your part, the refund rules below apply, and no refund is available on this basis alone. Please make sure the name you give us when you book matches your ID exactly, since that's the name that will appear on your certificate.
If you need to change your booking
You can change your booking — for example, moving to a different date — up to 14 days before your course starts. Changes made with less than 14 days' notice count as a cancellation instead - see below.
If you need to cancel your booking
More than 28 days before your course starts: we'll refund what you've paid, minus 25%.
Between 28 and 14 days before: we'll refund what you've paid, minus 50%.
Less than 14 days before: we're unable to offer a refund — though see “Your right to change your mind” below, which may still apply.
If we need to cancel your course — for example, because too few people have booked — we'll give you at least 7 days' notice and offer you a full refund or a place on another date, whichever you'd prefer. The same applies if we have to cancel or postpone for reasons outside our control, like severe weather, problems accessing our venue, or a trainer being unwell.
If we cancel, postpone, or reschedule a course, course date, or assessment, or offer you an alternative date or level instead of your original booking, we'll put things right through the options set out elsewhere in these terms — a refund, transfer, or alternative date/level, as applicable. However, we're not able to cover any other costs, losses, or expenses you may have as a result — for example travel, accommodation, loss of earnings, childcare, or costs from arranging practice placements or assessment sessions. We'd suggest bearing this in mind when making related arrangements, and considering your own insurance if you'd like cover for these kinds of costs.We dont accept
We reserve the right to cancel your place, at any point up to the start of the course, where the information provided indicates that you don't meet the prerequisites for the level you have applied for. Where possible, we will offer you a place on a more appropriate level instead of cancelling outright. Where a booking is cancelled under this clause, a full refund will be given, regardless of the standard cancellation terms set out above.
Your right to change your mind
If you're booking as an individual — rather than through your employer or a local authority — the law gives you 14 days from the date you book to cancel for any reason and get a full refund. This is on top of the cancellation terms above, and takes priority over them if the two ever conflict.
If your course is due to start within that 14-day window, going ahead with your booking means you're asking us to begin the course before the window ends. If you cancel before the course starts, you can still get a refund for anything not yet delivered. If the course has already finished by the time you cancel, this right no longer applies, since there's nothing left to refund.
What happens with your information and our materials
Our materials: the training materials, resources and course content we use belong to FSTC, unless we've agreed otherwise in writing. They're for your own use as a course participant, and shouldn't be copied, changed, or shared with anyone else without our written permission.
Your data: we handle your personal data in line with UK data protection law. We use it to run your course and issue your certificate, and — where relevant — share it with the awarding body for your qualification (Newbattle Abbey College, SQA, or ITC First) so they can certify you. We only keep your data as long as we need to. You can view more information about this here>
Access and adjustments
We want our courses to be accessible to everyone. If you think you might need any adjustments, let us know before your course starts and we'll do what we can to help, as long as it doesn't affect the integrity of the assessment itself.
If something goes wrong
If you're unhappy with any part of your course — the training itself, how it was run, or an assessment decision — please tell us. We have a complaints process, which we'll explain when your course starts. If we can't resolve things between us, you can take your complaint to the relevant awarding body for your qualification.
Changes to these terms
We may update these terms from time to time. If you continue to use our services after an update, that means you've accepted the changes.
Keeping everyone safe
We're not responsible for loss or damage to your personal belongings during a course, unless that loss or damage was our fault.
Some of our courses run on land we don't own or manage. Where that's the case, day-to-day safety on site is the responsibility of whoever is running the session, and we make sure the site meets the health and safety standards required by the relevant awarding body.
Nothing in these terms limits our responsibility if someone is seriously injured or dies because of something we did wrong — the law doesn't allow us to limit that, and we wouldn't want to anyway.
Photos
We ask for your permission separately for two different things:
Photos taken during your course, used by tutors or other participants as notes, memory aids, or evidence for assessment.
Photos used to promote FSTC, in print or online.
You can withdraw either permission at any time by letting us know. If you do, we won't use your photo in that way again — though we can't always take back anything that's already been published.
Behaving safely, and being included
We expect everyone on our courses to behave safely. If someone doesn't, we may need to ask them to leave the course, and in that case no refund will be given, in line with our safeguarding responsibilities.
We expect full participation in both the practical and any written or spoken parts of your course. If you think you'll need any adjustments to take part fully, please let us know before the course starts.
Extra terms for specific courses
The sections below only apply if you're doing that particular course — all the general terms and conditions still apply to you as well.
If you're doing Levels 5, 6 or 8 of our Forest School practitioner training (FOLA)
Paying in more than two instalments
If you'd rather spread the cost further than the standard deposit-and-balance, you can ask us about an extended payment plan. There's an admin fee of £30 for LEvel 8, £20 for Level 6 and £10 for Level 5 for this option, payable with your first instalment. We'll agree your payment schedule with you in writing before it begins.
If a payment is missed, or your account falls behind, we'll pause work on your assessments and certification until it's back on track — so it's worth keeping on top of, since this can affect your ability to meet the deadlines below. This doesn't change how much you'd get back if you cancel — that's still worked out using the standard cancellation terms above.
Completing your coursework
Level 8: complete your coursework and pass moderation within 15 months of starting. If you need more time because of genuinely difficult circumstances, we may be able to extend this to up to 24 months — but you'll need to formally ask us before your 15-month deadline passes.
Levels 5 and 6: the same applies, with a 9-month deadline, extendable to up to 12 months.
If you don't complete within these timeframes, no refund is available.
Placements and practice sessions
Level 8: you'll need to arrange your own insurance, PVG check, and 16-hour Outdoor First Aid qualification, and organise an 8-week practice programme plus a delivery assessment. If your assessor needs to travel more than 30 miles, a travel fee applies. The cost of these is not included within your course fees.
Level 6: you'll need to arrange a 3-session placement assisting a qualified Forest School leader.
Level 5: you'll need to arrange a 1-session observation with a qualified Forest School leader.
Arranging these is your responsibility — we can offer advice, but we don't provide placements ourselves.
If you're doing Forest School First Aid (FSFA)
This is a hands-on, practical course. You'll be expected to take an active part in every session, including kneeling, rolling and lying on the ground, practising CPR, and having physical contact with other course members. If you're worried about infection risk, you can ask to work with just one partner throughout the course, and to wear a facemask (we'll provide one). If you are concerned about your ability to do any of this, get in touch to ask about reasonable adjustments in advance if possible, or discuss it with your tutor on the day.
The course has two parts — Emergency Action and Incident Management — and you need to pass both to get your qualification; there's no partial award.
You're assessed by your tutor watching you throughout the course — there's no written exam, and no coursework deadline to worry about afterwards.
If you think you might need extra support during the course, get in touch with us beforehand and we'll do what we can to help. You can see more information about this here>
If you're doing Forest Kindergarten
As part of this qualification, you'll need to visit a Forest Kindergarten session — either where you work or somewhere else — and reflect on what you saw. Finding a session to visit is your responsibility. We're happy to advise and help however we can, but we can't guarantee to find or arrange a placement for you.