For Teachers & Nursery Practitioners

Children (c) LRWT

For Teachers & Nursery Practitioners

Discover wildlife through school

We are passionate about inspiring the next generation to love and care for wildlife and wild places. We offer a broad and varied education programme that we can deliver with your class, group or school, linked to the curriculum and designed to maximise learning opportunities for your pupils, whilst encouraging to love wildlife and inspiring them to take action for it. We work across Leicestershire and Rutland with all communities and cultures, because we believe that nature should be accessible to all. 

Learn and Discover

Wild Forest School

We have received valuable funding from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, enabling us to run our Wild Forest School project since January 2015. Wild Forest School provides fun, engaging opportunities for children in Leicester to experience the natural world and discover nature through a range of wild activities.

Find out more

What we offer

Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust offers a range of exciting Outreach Education Programmes. 

Through our Environmental Education Workshops we can bring quality environmental education to your primary school, whilst meeting the requirements of the National Curriculum. Our Forest School sessions help children to develop personal, social and emotional skills and increases confidence and self esteem, and our comprehensive programme can be run either in your school grounds or in a nearby green space. Our range of Woodland Workshops help pupils experience elements of Forest School such as woodwork, shelter building and fire lighting. We also offer a Wild About Learning pack, especially designed for teachers. 

You can find out more about each work area below.

 

 

Forest School

Forest School is a unique educational programme run by trained Leaders that takes place outdoors in the natural environment. It gives children and adults the chance to explore, learn and discover at their own pace, developing their confidence and self-esteem in a safe, supportive and positive space.

Typically, small groups of pupils (usually a maximum of 15) take part in a programme of six or more weekly sessions lasting 1.5 to 2.5 hours.

All sessions are designed and led by trained Forest School Leaders, however, Forest School strongly encourages child–led learning, so as the weeks progress, pupils are given more freedom and responsibility to explore their interests and initiate and direct their own learning.

Forest School uses natural resources to stimulate imagination, creativity and investigation. Activities can include:

  • Woodwork using tools, e.g. making musical instruments, jewellery, decorative items
  • Shelter building
  • Natural art
  • Using knots and lashings
  • Fire lighting
  • Climbing and balancing

Sessions happen entirely outdoors, whatever the weather. This enables participants to connect with nature, experience the seasons and see how the Forest School site changes over time.

Forest School takes place at the same location each week. We run Forest School sessions in school grounds, local green spaces and at our nature reserves in Leicester city and across Leicestershire and Rutland.

The benefits of Forest School

Forest School is suited to all ages and abilities. The aim of Forest School is to develop the child as a whole, and can:

  • Heighten self-awareness and improve emotional and social skills
  • Promote co-operative and group working
  • Enable participants to evaluate risk learn how to stay safe
  • Develop physical abilities
  • Encourage participants to take care of themselves and others
  • Foster care, appreciation and respect for wildlife and wild places
  • Broaden knowledge and understanding of the natural world

 

Environmental Education Workshops for EYFS, KS1 and KS2

Our Environmental Education Workshops have been designed to be delivered in primary schools. We bring hands-on resources into your classroom and use your outdoor space and grounds to explore and discover the natural world.

Our workshops are: 

  • Fun and interactive: using stories, games, art and role-play
  • Curriculum-linked: designed to meet specific national curriculum targets
  • Run by experienced Education Officers

Workshop topics

Topics are designed to broaden children’s knowledge and understanding of wildlife and nature, and foster care and respect for our environment. Topics include:

  • Life processes and living things
  • Variation and classification
  • Habitat exploration
  • Plant reproduction
  • Animal survival strategies
  • Climate change
  • Renewable energy

Click here to download a full list of the workshops we offer.

Teacher resources

Each workshop has an accompanying session plan for teachers which includes suggested activities to do with the class before and after the visit, along with web links to further resources and information.

Woodland Workshops

Our Woodland Workshops give pupils the opportunity to experience elements of Forest School, without having to take part in a full six week programme. Each session lasts 1.5 hours. During the workshops, pupils get take part in practical hands-on activities, many of which they will be doing for the first time. They will also learn new skills and explore nature and natural materials first-hand.

Enquiry for more details.

Wild About Learning pack

Our curriculum-linked teacher’s pack is designed to support and encourage teachers to take their lessons outdoors.

Wild About Learning consists of 2 hour numeracy and literacy lesson plans for each KS1 and KS2 year group, plus links to other packs and resources.

Lesson plans have been designed to:

  • Work in any school grounds

  • Use commonly found natural materials

  • Need minimum preparation time

You can download Wild About Learning here, or request a printed pack by contacting us

Osprey Education

Free School Resources

Schools and educational groups have free access to over 60 osprey related primary and secondary school educational resources. These include lesson plans and schemes work, games, a range of cross curricular activities, pupils worksheets with teachers notes and answers, plus educational games.

Find out more here

Wild Tots sessions with Nursery/Pre-school groups

Our Wild Tots sessions for Nursery or Pre-school groups are suitable for 2 – 5 years old and are designed to get young children outside, exploring, discovering and learning about the natural world. They are led by trained Forest School Leaders.

What happens during the sessions?

Sessions focus on set themes. For example: Colour, Music, Minibeasts, Trees, Birds and Mud.

The sessions generally involve:

  • Scavenger hunt or trail
  • Listening to a story
  • Snack time (optional)
  • Natural craft
  • Wildlife themed game or song

How long to they last?

The sessions can last from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.

Where do they take place?

Sessions are designed to take place in nursery / school grounds or a local green space. They are run outside, whatever the weather.

 

Contact us

Want to find out more?

Email education@lrwt.org.uk or call 0116 262 9968