Say it or write it
Record a voice note or jot a single line, and tap the NETA areas it shows. The words from a voice note land in the observation for you to change if they need it, and the recording is kept.
Observations & learning journeys
Forest school observations that build the learning journey.
A child crosses the fallen log on their own for the first time. With the Forest School App you note it in the wood with a voice note or a line of text, a tap on the NETA areas and a consented photo, and it joins that child's learning journey with nothing to type up later.
- What it does
- A voice note or a line of text, a tap on the NETA areas and a consented photo, added in the wood, join that child's learning journey with nothing to type up later.
- Who it's for
- Nurseries and forest school leaders who evidence learning outdoors.
- What it costs
- Free for individual practitioners. Organisations: Solo £8/month, Team £29/month flat, unlimited woods on every plan, free trial, no card to start.
- What makes it different
- A photo of a child without photo consent is never shared with a family, and it all works with no signal.
Observations in the woods, even with no signal
Watch first. The best observations are written the same morning, while you still remember who did what, and a pause in the session is enough. Open the running session, tap the child, and catch what you saw in a few seconds: a voice note or a quick line of text, a tap on the NETA areas it shows, a consented photo if you want one. It's offline-first, so everything you record is saved on the device and syncs when you're back in range.
Take the photo, finish it later
You're taking the photo anyway. Say a sentence over it as a voice note, save it, and come back to finish the observation when there's time: at the pause, at the end of the session, or that evening. A photo of a child without photo consent stays in your records and is never shared.
Works with no signal
Out in a dead spot? Carry on. Every note, tag and photo is stored on the device and syncs when you're back online.
Tagged to the FSA's NETA areas
As you record, you tag who it's about and which of the NETA areas it shows, the five the Forest School Association uses to describe holistic development: Confidence, Creativity, Resilience, Independence and Wellbeing. A child who keeps going back to a tower of logs that keeps falling might be Resilience and Creativity at once; crossing the fallen log unaided for the first time might be Confidence and Independence. Tag both, and the evidence is sorted by area with no separate tracking grid to keep. If you're new to observing outdoors, our guide on EYFS observations outdoors walks through what good looks like in the woods.
Each child's learning journey
Every observation you capture joins that child's learning journey: a running, dated picture of their term in the wood. Open any child and their timeline shows their moments in order, threaded by NETA area, photos and all. A family can follow it too. Spot a child who's strong on Independence but quiet on Confidence, and you can shape the coming weeks around it in your session planning. It all lands in your wider record keeping with nothing to retype.
Photo consent
A photo of a child without photo consent is never shared.
If a child named on a photo doesn't have photo consent on record, the photo is marked Not for sharing. It stays in your own records and never reaches a family, a learning journey, a report or your website, and there is no override. The photos you do share are checked again every time a family opens one, so withdrawn consent takes effect at once. No photo of a child leaves your team unless their family has said yes.
Consent checked
10:51
Ada · balancing on the log
📷 photo added, consent on file
"Crossed the fallen log unaided, then turned back to help Rowan across."
Share progress with families
Families sign in to their own portal with their email and a code we send, with no password, and see the observations you choose to share. The rest of your evidence and your notes stay private to your team.
Free for practitioners: the forest school subscribes
Every leader, assistant and volunteer has a free account, so the whole team can observe in the field at no cost. Only the forest school (the provider running the sessions) needs a plan, and one plan covers unlimited children, observations and learning journeys. A freelance leader working on their own is on Solo (£8 a month, VAT included); a forest school with staff is on Team (£29 a month flat, VAT included), and you get 30 days free with no card. See full pricing.
Observation questions
The things leaders ask first.
Can I observe without any signal in the woods?
Yes. The app is offline-first, so text observations, NETA tags and consented photos all save to the device and sync automatically when you're back in range.
What happens to a photo of a child without photo consent?
It is kept for your own records and marked Not for sharing, and there's no override. It is never shown to a family, put in a learning journey or report, or offered to your website. Every photo a family opens is checked again against the current consent of every child named on it.
Do families see every observation?
No, only the ones you choose to share. Families see them through their own passwordless portal, while the rest of your evidence and your team's working notes stay private.
Start capturing learning journeys this term.
Set your forest school up free for 30 days, no card needed. Add an observation in the wood and see it on the child's learning journey.