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We work closely with our main education team to help deliver quality education sessions on nature, and to help inspire the next generation to become part of #teamwilder. Jen, our education and training officer is a qualified teacher of 20 years experience, and can come to your school to help deliver sessions around River based topics.
For KS2 and for leading a field based session to assess how healthy the river Sherbourne or its associated brooks are:
What’s a healthy river? Lessons focusing on river features (Geography), river poetry(English) and creating river friendly products (DT).
Field session to test how healthy a local river/brook is, including testing the water, examining it’s features and studying the invertebrates and other life in the water.
Yellowfish activities around river pollution.
River fieldwork – GCSE
Soft management study – GCSE and A level versions
Practice questions based on Sherbourne for both exam levels
Biology A level – phosphate/nitrate levels through the course
A level Ecology
Field work equipment is expensive, and we understand that it can be a barrier to schools taking students out for nature related study and activities. As part of our funding, we have loan boxes filled with field study equipment which is available for schools to borrow for free.
Primary: We have kits which can be used for monitoring the health of streams and brooks local to your school. This includes a riverfly water invertebrates kit and all testing pots and scales etc. We can train teachers on how to use the riverfly kit as part of CPD and you would receive accredited training as part of this process. We also have a science box with quadrats, field guides to species, light meter, infiltrometer etc. which is available for loan. Click here for further details and to book.
We offer CPD days designed to help teachers and group leaders to build their confidence in delivering nature-based learning within the curriculum or for their group. This includes training on fieldwork and surveying techniques for both primary and secondary staff. Click here for further details and to book.
As the Education & Training Officer, I have the joy of running lots of events for schools and young people’s groups. These are always fun and inspiring as I watch the groups or classes connect with nature and learn about the world around them. As a teacher, I know how difficult it can be to find the time to get children out into the world around them to study it, and providing simple, practical solutions for teachers to do that is a key part of my role. Whether it is a healthy rivers day with identifying invertebrates in the river or leading a walk with undergraduate Geography students, there is so much to be gained from being out and seeing what you learn in lessons for real. It makes for tangible learning experiences which leave a lasting impact on the students. There are also classroom resources from KS2 to KS5 available for teachers to use for lessons or homework.
On a wider scale, engaging our children and young people with nature will benefit their mental and physical health, as well as helping the nature they connect with and learn about to thrive. Creating this long-term relationship between young people and nature is vital to their future health and that of our natural world.
“Thanks so much for today. We really appreciated the opportunity to get out of school and do something positive and meaningful for the community. Cadets and staff were really positive about the day- we would love to be able to do the same or similar again next year!”
Rugby School
“What an amazing day Year 4 have had! Thank you so much for your time and energy. The children were very engaged and loved the activities. One child in my class said, "Best day ever!"”
St Christopher's School
“Thank you for today – it was amazing!”
Coundon School
“On behalf of the colony I would like to say a big thank you to Jen for running a really special session last night!”
Allesley Beavers