Nature-inspired outdoor learning,
​building social skills and emotional intelligence.

Our School in the Woods is inspired by the ethos and teaching practices of The Wood School, Manchester and we operate in the same setting - Paupers Wood, West Didsbury. 

There is no such thing as a typical day! 
 
Our days are structured to include adult-led activity sessions and supervised free play, using a blend of outdoor learning and forest school approaches. 
 
Whilst we encourage freedom and curiosity, an important element of our structure is the gathering together in circles at certain points during the day - to eat, chat, tell stories, sing and reflect together as a group. 
 
We always start with a Welcome Circle where we share a plan for the day ahead. We like to design the daily activities around how the children are feeling and listen to their thoughts on what we should do during play time that day. 
 
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.  
 
We also teach core bushcraft skills such as fire building, whittling, first aid, foraging and cooking. 
 
At the end of the day we come back together in our Harvest the Day circle to reflect on what we have learnt together. 
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Term dates 2025/26.

Our sessions run Tuesdays to Thursday, largely during Manchester City Council term dates.
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  • Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9am – 3.15pm for ages 5-12 (year 1 to year 7)
  • Thursdays, 9.30am-2pm for ages 11-16 

Term 1 2025/2026
Tuesday 9th Sept - Thursday  23rd October
Tuesday 4th November - Thursday 18th December

Term 2 2026
Tuesday 13th January - Thursday 12th February
Tuesday 24th February - Thursday 2nd April

Term 3 2026
Tuesday 21st April - Thursday 21st May
Tuesday 2nd June - Thursday 16th July