outdoor curriculum training courses

Our annual conference is designed to help teachers develop their skills and confidence in creating an integrated approach to outdoor learning throughout their school. The day includes hands-on and practical workshops by industry specialists and speeches from inspiring and motivational speakers.

Breakfast and lunch are provided and all delegates receive a goody bag with useful resources they can take back to the classroom.

Friday 26th April 2024

Our 2024 conference is coming soon! Bookings are open now

To find out more about the workshops, the speakers and how to buy a ticket please visit, Beyond the Classroom Conference 24

Our bookings are now closed, we can't wait to see you on Friday 26 April 2024.

Who should attend:

KS1 and 2 Hea or Deputy Head Teachers, primary sports coordinators, outdoor education coordinators or any primary school educationalist passionate about getting children into the outdoors.

Also suitable for teachers involved with transition from primary to secondary and OAA (Outdoor Adventurous activities) in KS3 (Key Stage 3)

Location:

We hold the conference at our High Ashurst centre, in the beautiful surroundings of the Surrey Hills.

It is about 10 minutes from the M25 junction 9. For those delegates travelling by train, there will be a local pick up at Dorking station. Please request at time of booking.

How to find High Ashurst

Accredited course delivered in collaboration with Surrey Wildlife Trust

Outdoor learning can be financed by the School Sport Premium Funding.

Join us and gain the knowledge and skills to confidently bring this effective and enjoyable learning method to your school.

Let's make learning an adventure!

When planned and implemented on a regular basis, Outdoor Learning has been proven to provide many direct and indirect benefits for children's development and learning including better academic results.

Outdoor Learning also offers first-hand experience of our natural world and a tool for connecting with nature.

This course aims to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to confidently offer this engaging, effective and enjoyable form of learning in their school.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

• For teachers and teaching assistants

Delivered by tutors from:

• Surrey Wildlife Trust
• Surrey Outdoor Learning and Development (SOLD)

We will aim this course at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 teachers and teaching assistants, will give a good insight and understanding of the range and benefits of outdoor learning.

It provides practical advice on how best to plan and deliver the outdoor learning sessions as well as many ideas for activities which help to deliver the curriculum.

You will have the chance to experience the activities for yourself, using low cost or free resources.

The course consists of two days of face to face training with our tutors, separated by a three-week consolidation gap.

During this time, you will be asked to plan, prepare and deliver two outdoor sessions, so you will need a group and a location identified in your setting.

The highly experienced tutors will guide you through this and be able to share their experience of delivering outdoor learning in a variety of schools.

Course content includes

• The purpose and benefits of outdoor learning
• Suitable locations for outdoor learning
• Strategies for site development
• Planning and delivering outdoor learning
• Participation in a range of outdoor learning activities
• Risk-benefit assessments
• Policies and procedures

The impact of your activities

• Consolidation time between training dates to try concepts covered
• Booking – online via SOLD's website booking portal

Dates and times

Tuesday 1 October 2024 - Nower Wood Educational Reserve Mill Way, Leatherhead, Surrey, KT22 8QA

Wednesday 6 November 2024 - Either starting at Nower Wood or at the nearby High Ashurst, our centre in Mickleham near Dorking.

Book 2-day course

If you have any further questions about this course, please contact Andy White via email at outdoor.learning@surreycc.gov.uk or direct at andy.white@surreycc.gov.uk

• Time: 9.30am to 4pm each day

Cost

• £378

What to bring

Training will take place in suitable outdoor areas – whatever the weather. Therefore, please wear and bring clothing suitable to the conditions on the day. Layers are good, a waterproof jacket and boots if looking cold/wet or hats and sunscreen if sunny.

Please bring a packed lunch. Tea and coffee provided and drinking water available.

The main focus of this day will be to provide participants with the skills and knowledge to be able to manage fire lighting sessions in their setting. Participants will also be introduced to activities such as shelter building and scavenger hunts, providing a basis for running a range of 'Bushcraft' style activities on their site.

This training day would also be suitable for anyone with prior experience in running these activities, providing a chance to refresh knowledge and explore new ideas.

Learning outcomes

• Learn how to perform and instruct fire lighting using methods and equipment appropriate to an educational setting
• Learn techniques and systems for managing risks on fire lighting and woodland activities
• Learn how to run popular woodland activities (shelter building, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts)
• Group management and session structure
• Further ideas and session development

Sessions can be run within a school day or as twilight sessions at your school or at a time to suit.

To arrange your course, please email us at outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk with a general overview of your requirements and we will get back to you.

For more information about our teacher training courses , please sign up to our 'Beyond the Classroom' Newsletter

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Orienteering is an excellent activity to teach in your school grounds. It has many cross-curricular learning outcomes and is an engaging and inclusive activity. We offer schools an 'orienteering mapping' package, which allows you to teach progressive and technical orienteering and run your own orienteering competitions.

This package includes:

• a professionally drawn orienteering map of your school grounds
• a simple software which allows you to create different orienteering courses in your grounds
• a set of 20 permanent orienteering plaques to fix around your site.

We will come to your school and show you how this all works and help to get you started. The Orienteering Mapping package costs between £750 to £900 depending on the size and complexity of your site. To book or enquire about this package, please email outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk

The primary school sports funding can pay for this and you can find out more information on the gov.uk website.

If you're specifically interested in orienteering training for teachers, please contact outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk

Give your team the skills to confidently deliver orienteering in your school.

We can deliver training to your team to give progressive orienteering activities that can take place in your school grounds or inside the classroom. These activities can support subjects such as Maths, PE and Geography.

This training can be delivered as a whole day, half-day or as twilight sessions. It can also support schools who have recently had the school grounds professionally mapped by SOLD's cartographer.

If you would like further information on mapping of your school grounds or orienteering training, please email outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk with your requirements.

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Our Staff welcome the opportunity to come and visit you at your school to discuss how to develop a 'whole school approach' to using outdoor learning in your school curriculum.

This will include:

• Looking at ways in which outdoor learning can be delivered e.g. in school, educational visits, residential visits etc
• How outdoor learning can become embedded, progressive and curriculum linked
• Training opportunities for your school staff, individually or bespoke packages for inset days

We aim to inspire you to increase the amount of outdoor learning your school uses and make the most of these experiences from a learning and development perspective.

Please email outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk to arrange your school visit.

The Outdoor Education Advisors Panel (OEAP) has developed and designed a range of outdoor learning support resources to help teachers to integrate outdoor learning into your school curriculum.

This one-day course will train teachers and youth workers on how to deliver exciting and inspirational outdoor learning activities using the 50 Outdoor Learning Card resources.

The training will cover four elements:

• team-building and problem-solving
• orienteering
• bouldering
• journeying

These activities can be used for Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 3 in a variety of situations.

Active Schools Membership discount available.

We can deliver this course either in one day or two twilight sessions.

If you decide to train with us, we will add the cost of the learning cards to your quote.

To arrange your course, email us at outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk with your choice of dates or days, and the number in your group.

Let us design a bespoke course to give your team the skills and confidence to offer creative woodland activities in your school/own grounds. The course content will be designed with our team to best suit the age range of your children and your required learning outcomes.

Activities could include:

• Making a fire and fire lighting
• Cooking and types of food, for example, dough twists, stews
• Tool work, for example making key rings, kazoos, charcoal pencils

We can also provide advice and information on the safe use of equipment and tools.

Active Schools Membership discount available.

Sessions can be run within a school day or as twilight sessions at your school or at a time to suit.

To arrange your course, please email us at outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk with a general overview of your requirements and we will get back to you.

Outdoor learning can be financed by the School Sport Premium Funding.

This is a 3 day course covering bushcraft skills and knowledge suitable for teachers, instructors, leaders, to deliver progressive bushcraft learning experiences in their setting.

This course is accredited by the Institute of Outdoor Learning.

This course covers eight core bushcraft subjects; edged tools, knives and saws, fire, bow drill, water, debris shelters and bedding, tree identification and uses, natural navigation and cordage.

No prior experience is necessary.

Throughout the course you will be provided with advice and guidance on tools and equipment and how to teach the skills covered to other people, whether that be individuals or groups, all based on their own years of experience.

After the course there is a consolidation period which requires completing a Bushcraft Competency logbook demonstrating 120 quality hours of consolidated bushcraft experience.

There is a separate one-day assessment.

Course length: 3 day course

What to bring and what to wear

A large part of the day will be spent outside, so sturdy shoes, and appropriate warm/wet weather clothing is advised.

You will not need to bring any equipment but may want to bring something to take notes with.

Food and drink

Tea and coffee will be provided but you will need to bring your own lunch.

There are some small shops within a few miles of the course locations but bringing a packed lunch is recommended.

We will have breaks for food and drinks throughout the day.

Access and parking

At High Ashurst, there is plenty of parking if using your own transport.

Being in rural locations, public transport can be trickier.

More information about our training courses

We are happy to offer advice on this, so please contact SOLD if needed.

Bushcraft Competency Certificate (outdoor-learning.org)

A one-day assessment for the Bushcraft Competency Certificate Assessment.

Suitable for those who have attended the training or who are highly experienced.

A completed logbook of experience must be submitted prior to assessment.

Bushcraft Competency Certificate (outdoor-learning.org)

This training day will introduce participants to a range of outdoor activities to run in schools and similar settings.

Through practice and discussion, participants will build skills and knowledge of activities such as team building, orienteering and blindfold trails.

All of these are exciting yet relatively low-risk and require no specialist equipment making them accessible for most educational settings.

This training day would also be suitable for anyone with prior experience in running these activities, providing a chance to refresh knowledge and explore new ideas.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn how to run team building activities in your grounds
• Explore and practice methods of running orienteering
• Explore and practice methods of running and constructing blindfold trails
• Learn how to set personal development goals on activity sessions
• Learn techniques and systems for managing risks on outdoor activities

Date: To arrange a course, please email us at outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk with your choice of dates and days, and the number in your group.

For more information about our teacher training courses , please sign up to our 'Beyond the Classroom' Newsletter

Sign up to 'Beyond the Classroom'newsletter.

We can assist your school by providing advice on using and developing your woodland area for outdoor education and learning activities. We will visit you at the school and assist and advise with the following:

• finding a suitable area for your woodland activities
• understanding and preparing your woodland area for learning
• safe group management in your woodland area
• affordable resources/equipment you might require for your woodland area
• simple activities and tasks to use in your woodland area.

We aim to give you the skills and confidence to use your woodland area as a safe, creative and inclusive learning environment.

Active Schools Membership discount available.

To make an initial enquiry, please email us at outdoor.training@surreycc.gov.uk with a general overview of your requirements.

Are you a teacher in a Surrey School?

Join our 'Beyond the Classroom' Hubs around Surrey. These aim to network and support teachers locally to help develop outdoor learning. For more information, please email outdoor.learning@Surreycc.gov.uk

Sign up for our Beyond the Classroom termly email. Each half term you will receive a newsletter packed with the latest outdoor learning news and research, with useful outdoor hints and tips, SOLD updates and offers and a new lesson plan in each issue.