This is an introduction to leading environmental activities with primary schools and how to meet teachers needs. It is a course to help those new to environmental education and/or those who wish to make the most of their school or centre grounds. Linking in to the National Curriculum, this course aims to fulfil teachers’ needs and offers great ideas, methods, resources, and activities from one of the country’s leading environmental trainers.

This workshop will cover ‘how children learn’, tips and techniques for leading groups, particularly in the outdoors, and linking activities into the national curriculum and school schemes of work.  The day is for anyone working with primary schools and early years groups, including education officers for NGO’s, rangers, project officers, voluntary leaders, teachers working in an outdoor setting, in fact anyone with a passion for outdoor environmental learning.

The day will include -

• Learning styles and catering for different learning styles
• An examination of participants own learning styles and how this affects their own leadership
• Accelerated learning and what this means for environmental/outdoor learning
• Communication skills and questioning strategies, particularly those required in the outdoors
• Dealing with groups safely and imaginatively in the outdoors to achieve full participation.  Including working with groups within groups!
• The ‘do’s’ and ‘don’ts’ of leadership
• A look at where environmental and sustainable development concerns occur in the national curriculum at Foundation stage and Key Stage 1 and 2 and resources and activities that can support this
• How to work with teachers in the outdoors to make the most of the teacher/environmental educator partnership

The day will be participatory and include a number of activities that are transferable. 

Location: This course will take place near Totnes, Devon.

Times: 9.30am - 4.30pm

Course Tutor: Jon Cree is the Education and Training Officer for the Bishops Wood Centre.  Jon has worked for almost 20 years now with pupils, teachers, local education authorities and other organisations working with schools on environmental matters.