Forest school is a learning initiativewhere children leave the classroom tohave weekly sessions in woodlands orother outdoor settings, led by speciallytrained teachers. By their very nature,forest school programmes require athoughtful approach to balancing risksand benefits. The activities on offer mayinclude building dens, using knives andtools, and fire-based activities, withchildren being given significant choiceand control over what they do. Theapproach, developed in Scandinavia, isspreading throughout the UK (inWorcestershire over 300 settings arerunning programmes). It is often takenup in early years settings, and is alsoused by primary and secondary schoolsas a way of reconnecting disaffected ordisengaged children with learning. Published by the English Outdoor Council,an umbrella body of the principalrepresentative organisations in the field ofoutdoor education, in association with theOutdoor Education Advisers’ Panel, whichcomprises nominated representatives ofChief Officers of Local Authorities inEngland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It will take skill and tenacity for William to solve the crime, and along the way he will encounter many who will change his life, from Miles Faulkner, a crooked art collector, and his influential lawyer - who bends the law to the point of breaking - to research assistant Beth Rainsford, a woman with secrets who he falls hopelessly in love with . . . The role of guidanceLocal authorities and employers should provide guidanceon how risks and benefits should be assessed and managedin different circumstances, including situations whereexternal agencies such as adventurous activity providersare used. One challenge is that within organisationsit is rare to see a consistent, coherentapproach. So while face-to-face staffmay want to give children experiencesthat expose them to a degree ofmanaged risk, their managers, or theircolleagues in charge of health andsafety, may take a different view.

It is a popularly held view that the lawnow takes the view that all risk has tobe eliminated, and that when evenobvious risks lead to injury or loss, thevictims will nonetheless be supportedby the courts. The reality is verydifferent, as shown by two precedent-setting legal cases. The first, Tomlinsonv Congleton Borough Council, was acivil liability claim arising from a youngman who suffered permanentlydisabling injuries as a result of divinginto shallow water in a lake in a countrypark. The case went to the House ofLords in 2003, where the claim wasrejected, even though the parkmanagement had identified the risk,but had failed to carry out plannedsafety measures. One of the LawLords judging the case, LordHoffmann, said: “… the question ofwhat amounts to such care as in all thecircumstances of the case isreasonable depends upon assessing,as in the case of common lawnegligence, not only the likelihood thatsomeone may be injured and theseriousness of the injury which mayoccur, but also the social value of theactivity which gives rise to the risk andthe cost of preventative measures.These factors have to be balancedagainst each other.” Wherever possible, rules that were inplace simply to regulate rather than toprotect were removed. The childrenand staff wrote the risk assessmentstogether – for the play equipment, theplayground and ultimately forsnowballing. The aim was to enablechildren and staff to enjoy takingacceptable risks, and to understandthe reasons for any safeguards thatwere in place. Hence the risk of harm cannot andshould not be eliminated entirely, if weare to give children the chance torespond to life’s challenges. What ismore, the fact that most children leadmore constrained lives at home meansthat extra efforts may need to be madeto give them a taste of freedom,responsibility and self-reliance. About the Outdoor Education Advisers’ PanelFor information about the work of the Outdoor Education Advisers’ Paneland to find your local outdoor education advisor, visit www.oeap.info fromwhom further copies can be obtained.A little probing will often reveal that theissues may not be so cut and dried. Theresponse ‘you can’t do that due tohealth and safety’ may not be based onreality, but on confusion,misunderstandings, anxiety and(sometimes) even laziness. Young people of all ages benefit fromreal life ‘hands on’ experiences; whenthey can see, hear, touch and explorethe world around them and haveopportunities to experience challengeand adventure. However, certain translations of Herodotus 7.9 include "if nothing is ventured in life, then nothing is gained". Suggesting either the phrase or something similar stretches to even before 960AD. Within education and children’s services,there is growing awareness of the valuefor children of learning experiences thattake place outside the classroom. Some myths have emerged that act as areal barrier to a balanced approach torisk. These myths, summarised in thebox below, are explored in more detailthroughout this publication.

For instance, judgements about howchildren are supervised can be difficultto get right, particularly with older youngpeople and during less structured orunstructured periods. Supervisory staff canfeel under pressure to intervene at the firstsign of trouble. This in turn can close downvaluable opportunities for participants tolearn for themselves the implications oftheir actions. It can also lead those takingpart to feel resentful or hostile at what theysee as unnecessary and unreasonableinterference. If it is recognised in advancethat one of the aims of the visit is to allowparticipants some freedom, choice andcontrol, and the chance to take a degreeof responsibility for their actions, this willsupport a more balanced approach tointerventions. This is especially likely ifchildren themselves are made aware ofthe expectations about their behaviour,and are given the chance to reflect onand discuss how they should respond tothe freedoms they have been granted. Taking a risk-benefit perspective can alsofoster a better understanding about safety,and more productive dialogue, amongstall the parties involved. All too often,schools and providers can feel underpressure to respond to the fears of themost anxious parents, even when this maycompromise goals or lead to the wishes ofthe silent majority being ignored. However,where children, parents, schools andteachers, and specialist adventure activityorganisers and providers all accept thatchallenging situations will be encounteredand are to be expected, even welcomed,discussions are unlikely to lead tounproductive debates about how ‘safe’ anactivity is. This is a question that is all butimpossible to answer, because differentpeople have different interpretations ofsafety. Instead, the focus will be on thenature of the risks, how they relate tobenefits and how they can be managed. When looking at what might go wrong, itis the risks to children and young peoplethat should be our primary focus. Yet inmany cases, agencies can becomefocused not on the risks to children, buton the risk to their own resources,reputation and good name. They fear aso-called ‘blame culture’ by which anyadverse outcome, even if it is relativelyminor, can become the focus foraccusations, recriminations andlitigation. Despite this, children and young peopleface growing adult anxiety over theirsafety, across many aspects of theireveryday lives. While we do not wantchildren to come to harm, our fears canlead us to underestimate their ownabilities and to overreact to extremelyrare tragedies.

After graduating from university, William begins a career that will define his life: from his early months on the beat under the watchful eye of his first mentor, Constable Fred Yates, to his first high-stakes case as a fledgling detective in Scotland Yard's arts and antiquities squad. Investigating the theft of a priceless Rembrandt painting from the Fitzmolean Museum, he meets Beth Rainsford, a research assistant at the gallery who he falls hopelessly in love with, even as Beth guards a secret of her own that she's terrified will come to light. Such materials should be helpful andsupportive. However, guidance can onlygo so far, and can never deal fully withall the possible circumstances andsituations that may arise on a visit orduring an activity. Indeed too muchguidance, at too great a level of detail,can be counterproductive, because itcan reinforce a distorted approach torisk management that focuses ontechnical compliance rather than criticalthinking and proactive problem solving.According to Marcus Bailie, Head ofInspection at the Adventure ActivitiesLicensing Service, when things gowrong, the primary questions posed inany resulting inquiry, whether conductedinternally or by the courts or regulators,are ‘what happened on the day?’ and‘was it reasonable?’. Many who work with children and young people wouldagree that they should be given the chance to learn how tocope with a range of challenges, and that they should notbe overprotected. Yet it is easy to slip into a pessimistic orcynical frame of mind about risk when someone brings uphealth and safety as an issue. Ambitions are scaled down,obstacles imagined, and enthusiasm levels fall. It’s very serendipitous how things work out so my takeaway is that nothing ventured, nothing gained.” ( The Coast Halifax) So one of the ways that we can helpchildren to prepare for adult life is toexpose them to managed risk, whilesupporting them in learning how tocope. For instance, we help children tolearn how to manage the risk ofdrowning not by keeping them awayfrom the sea, rivers or lakes, but byteaching them how to swim, and how tomanage the water environment. Outdooreducation often takes an incrementalapproach to risk, gradually increasingchildren’s exposure as they gainconfidence, with self-management,sound judgement and self-reliance asthe ultimate goals.

Daily Telegraph A pacey tale of fakes, forgeries and ripped-off Rembrandts worthy of a TV crime caper English Outdoor Council, in cooperationwith the Outdoor Education Advisers’Panel (2005) High Quality OutdoorEducation The benefits of outdoor education arefar too important to forfeit, and by faroutweigh the risks of an accidentoccurring. If teachers follow recognizedsafety procedures and guidance theyhave nothing to fear from the law. Review activity programmes andoutdoor initiatives and draw up explicitstatements about the benefits ofparticipation, including life skills andcompetences as well as curriculumbenefits. Ensure these benefits arewidely disseminated, discussed andunderstood.National Association of FieldStudies Officers (2003) Quality,Safety and Sustainability in theDelivery of Learning through theEnvironment

Nothing Ventured... is aimed ateducational and recreation practitionersand managers working with children andyoung people, including teachers, youthworkers, early years, play and out ofschool professionals and others workingin children’s services. It has a focus onadventurous activities, although much ofthe content is relevant to other learningcontexts. It is written with an Englishlegal and policy context in mind, but isalso relevant to those engaged inoutdoor activities in Wales, Scotland andNorthern Ireland, and – to a degree –beyond these shores. Some local authorities are alsodeveloping procedures that allowbenefits to come into the equation.Worcestershire County Councilemphasises the importance of anexplicit consideration of benefits whenmanaging risk. Its Learning Outside theClassroom (LOtC) Guidance states: Worcestershire’s guidance, likeManaging Risk in Play ProvisionImplementation Guide, advises againsttechnical or numerical scoring systems,stating that:

Risk-benefit assessment brings together in a single procedurean assessment of both risks and benefits. To quote thepublication Managing Risk in Play Provision: ImplementationGuide, which outlines how risk-benefit assessment can beapplied in play services and facilities, it “focuses on makingjudgements and identifying measures that manage riskswhile securing benefits”. The approach is supported byGovernment, and crucially has been recognised by the HSEas forming part of the risk management process, asrequired by health and safety regulations. His Clifton Chronicles ( This Was a Man, 2017, etc.) complete, the indefatigable Archer launches a new series that follows a well-born police officer from his first assignment to (spoiler alert) his appointment as commissioner of the Metropolitan Police some volumes down the road. The final section dealing with dueling courtroom dramas brings genuine suspense to a relatively bloodless, but thoroughly gripping, tale. Archer reinforces his position as a master storyteller." - Publishers Weekly