FINCH-RCT2
Children’s mental health difficulties are increasing, and many families face long waits for support. Schools are looking for practical ways to help children feel happier, more confident and better able to cope with everyday challenges. Forest School is widely available in the UK but there is currently limited high-quality evidence about whether it improves children’s mental health and wellbeing and whether it offers good value for money. We need robust evidence to help schools, families and decision-makers know whether investing in Forest School is an effective use of resources.
What is already known about the subject
Previous research suggests that spending time in nature can benefit children’s wellbeing, physical health, emotional regulation, confidence and social relationships. Our earlier FINCH feasibility study found that schools, children, families and staff viewed Forest School positively and that conducting a large-scale trial would be possible. However, there is not yet enough evidence from large rigorous studies to know whether Forest School improves mental health and wellbeing outcomes for children or how best to implement it across different school settings.
Who we will be working with
We will work closely with children, parents and carers, school staff, Forest School practitioners, mental health professionals, education partners, policy-makers and researchers. People with lived experience will be involved throughout the project, helping to shape the study, interpret findings and support dissemination of results. We will also work with a range of schools to ensure the findings are relevant to diverse populations and school contexts
What we will do
We will carry out a large study involving primary schools across England. Half of the schools will receive the FINCH Forest School programme and half will continue with their usual activities. We will collect information from children, parents and schools about mental health, wellbeing, quality of life, school experiences and service use. Alongside the trial, we will explore how Forest School is delivered in different settings, identify barriers and facilitators to implementation, and examine whether the programme provides good value for money.
What the benefit and impact will be
The study will provide the strongest evidence to date about whether Forest School improves children’s mental health and wellbeing. If effective, the findings could help schools, local authorities, NHS partners and policy-makers make informed decisions about investing in nature-based approaches to support children. The study could also identify ways of providing earlier, preventative support for children before difficulties become more serious, potentially reducing inequalities and improving access to wellbeing support for a wide range of children.
When the findings will be available
The study is expected to run over three years. Early learning about our PPIE, interim findings and potentially implementation and delivery will be shared throughout the project. Final findings on effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and implementation are expected to be available following completion of data collection and analysis. Final dissemination activities will continue thereafter through publications, reports, events and stakeholder networks.
Study duration:
01/03/2028-01/03/2031
The project is led by Dr Hannah Armitt, Lead Clinical Research Psychologist, Humber Teaching Foundation NHS Trust