Nature-Inspired Outdoor Learning Building Social Skills & Emotional Intelligence
Our School in the Woods offers nature-inspired outdoor learning to 5-12 year-old (year 1-year 7) children. It is a new venture using the same setting previously used by The Wood School in Paupers Woods, West Didsbury. We are open every Tuesday and Wednesday from 9.00am to 3.15pm (roughly following Manchester term times). Our days are structured to include three adult-led activity sessions and supervised free play. We use a blend of the outdoor learning and forest school approaches.
Our style is to make learning fun, hands on and to use the natural resources on offer in the woods. Projects may involve learning about the lives of local wildlife, following a tree through the seasons, reading a map, understanding climate change, local history or acting out a play. Gathering in daily circles, we eat, chat, tell stories, sing and reflect together. We aim to provide a loving environment in which each child is nurtured to thrive.
A key aspect of our approach includes the use of non violent communication (NVC) and Thomas Gordon's parent effectiveness training (PET). If you are considering enrolling your child, we gently request that you familiarise yourself with these approaches. Your child's emotional well-being is at the heart of everything we do. We are also passionate about being part of a community with you. With the help of this page, our aim is to support one another in raising children in a compassionate way so that they become self-confident, creative, and motivated adults who care about the natural world.
Our term dates for 2022/2023 are: Term 1 Tuesday 6th September - Wednesday 19th October Tuesday 1st November - Wednesday 14th December Term 2 Tuesday 10th January - Wednesday 15 February Tuesday 28th February - Wednesday 29th March Term 3 Tuesday 18th April - Wednesday 24th May Tuesday 6th June - Wednesday 19th July
Our term dates for 2023/2024 are: Term 1 Tuesday 5th September - Wednesday 18th October Tuesday 31st October - Wednesday 13th December Term 2 Tuesday 9th January - Wednesday 14th February Tuesday 27th February - Wednesday 27th March Term 3 Tuesday 16th April - Wednesday 22nd May Tuesday 4th June - Wednesday 17th July