Five young children with their backs to the camera look out at two ponies in the distance

Education

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Education

Education is the core part of the Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) scheme, supporting the long-term protection of the landscape by helping young people understand how the New Forest works and how they can best look after it.

The HLS education scheme ensures Forest knowledge and expertise is not only preserved but actively shared as widely as possible.

The programme is managed by the education team at the New Forest National Park Authority and seeks to reach a broad range of groups.

 

5-16

HLS funding provides free educational visits for schoolchildren aged between five and 16 years old

20,000

More than 20,000 schoolchildren have visited the New Forest and learnt how to care for it thanks to the HLS scheme

732

The total number of pupils who visited the National Park in 2025 under the HLS education programme

11

Children from 11 different schools enjoyed learning about the New Forest under HLS in 2025

A group of young children with their arms in the air in front of a woman with a headband

What does the education team do?

The education team is specifically funded to support day visits by school pupils aged between five and 16 years old, to encounter and understand the unique New Forest landscape and learn why it is so special.

Visits for these groups are free of charge, therefore reducing barriers to this outdoor learning experience to those from a range of backgrounds.

All sessions are delivered by the education and youth officers from the National Park Authority at sites in the New Forest including at Bolderwood, Whitefield Moor and Anderwood.

Leading the school trips has an integral benefit as the education team has a clear understanding of the importance of the environment and can carefully plan and manage school trips on routes that have robust tracks and facilities. 

In addition, the team has the ability to share key messages in how to look after it, tailoring messages to be appropriate to students with a wide variety of backgrounds and experience (or lack of) of a protected landscape.  

 

‘Thank you so much for such a great day. We all loved it. You planned, organised and adapted the day brilliantly'

Mudeford Junior School

A woman in a green top and rucksack leads a group of schoolchildren on a walk in a woodland setting

Why is education important to the New Forest?

This work is crucial because the New Forest faces ongoing pressures and many of these stem from a misunderstanding or lack of awareness about the Forest and what lies within it.

By providing young people with a hands-on experience of the landscape and how it is managed, the HLS scheme helps reduce harmful behaviours like touching or feeding livestock and damaging habitats.

Education is also critical to promoting the New Forest code, a set of nine guidelines which helps people enjoy the Forest responsibly while protecting its wildlife, Commoners’ livestock and the unique landscape.

The education programme, therefore, plays a vital role in safeguarding the area for the future and ensuring it remains a thriving and resilient landscape for future generations.

 

 

‘The visit met and exceeded all objectives. The students completed a range of fieldwork techniques and activities. Students got to experience the National Park with expert guidance and information which was invaluable’

New Forest Academy

Find out more

If you are a school and would like to find out more information about a visit to the New Forest then email the education team below

education@newforestnpa.gov.uk