Whitlingham Country Park – a classroom without walls

Added: 10/03/2008
Category: Broads Authority

Youngsters who are not cut out for the classroom are finding they are flourishing in the woodlands of Whitlingham Country Park.

Whitlingham Charitable Trust, in partnership with the Broads Authority, is giving schoolchildren a taste of success and achievement with its new Forest Schools courses.

In the space of the natural world children, aged 7-16 years, are learning numeracy, literacy and communication skills, teamwork, problem solving, risk management and practical skills and, through this, developing that all-important self esteem.

Specially qualified Forest School staff from Whitlingham Country Park are introducing the youngsters to practical skills in countryside and conservation management and to the wildlife within the park.

Children, some of whom rarely go into the country, are finding themselves building fences, footpaths, steps, installing new gates, coppicing, planting trees, cutting grass and interacting with the wildlife. The younger children are revelling in the freedom of building dens, bonfires to heat hot drinks and cook marshmallows, climb trees and make their own kazoos.

Whitlingham Country Park Manager Russell Wilson said: “The young people we have are not necessarily classroom shaped. They would struggle in a classroom environment but if you bring them into an outdoors environment they thrive.

“There are days when they do a fabulous job. We have a really good success rate in terms of attendance to the point where they want to come for another day out here as well. We give the young people the space and time to learn at their own pace in line with the government policy ‘every child matters.’ It’s our most rewarding day of the week – and probably the most challenging as well!”

“About 70% of the students are boys. We had one girl who was scared of the woods but ended up climbing trees and doing a lot of work on a woodchip footpath. One boy was so proud of his achievement he asked if he could show his mum. When she came she couldn’t believe what he had done. Another parent said the course had totally changed her daughter, while a school teacher had said the Forest School had been the making of the pupils.

Four groups, 7-9 year olds from Larkman Primary School, 14-16 year olds from CNS School,16-19 year olds from the YMCA Entry to Employment Programme and 14-16 year olds from NR5 are visiting this outdoor classroom for one day a week each.

The YMCA project offers students the chance to volunteer at Whitlingham which links in with educational programmes at Norwich City College and Easton College. Some of the students have gone on to study Conservation Management.

“If children are introduced young enough to nature it can improve their behaviour and give them a love and respect for the countryside,” said Assistant Countryside Ranger Jackie Pooley.

YMCA Pastoral Care Worker Craig Deal, who is based at Larkman Primary School, said: “I have worked with all sorts of self esteem projects and Forest Schools has definitely been the most effective. It’s fun, the kids really enjoy it and it’s good use of time.”

Schools interested in becoming a Forest School should contact Russell Wilson at Whitlingham Visitor Centre, tel:01603 617332