Woodland crafts for educators (CPD / private group)

A course for existing educators (teachers, classroom assistants, pupil support officers etc) who want to discover or develop techniques, approaches and projects for safe tool use and woodland-based crafts with adolescents and younger learners. The details of this course can be tailored to your requirements, for example the age or ability of learners you work with. This training is ideal for educators looking to work in (or already working in) outdoor nursery settings, as well as those working to deliver forest school or green woodworking activities in high school, primary or PSS settings. The skills and approaches covered actively help educational settings realise their potential in outdoor learning and Learning for Sustainability.

The course is based in our bothy workshop. Numbers could be from 1-8, but smaller groups offers the opportunity for more one-to-one teaching of practical techniques. The courses inherently need tailored to your group's priorities, but would typically last 1-2 days. Please just get in touch to discuss some options.

As a guide, activities might include tool use covering bladed tools such as secateurs, knives, axes and saws. Example projects might include bead-making, wood cookies, whittling or toys and functional items, and wand-making. We can look at examples, suitability and suppliers of tools, as well as foraging for nature materials. We will also discuss, more generally, approaches for taking learning outside of the classroom including how is outdoor learning different from forest school, risk assessment, age-appropriate tasks and working with additional support needs.

While we cover a lot of information, the day is intended to be relaxing; the setting is rural Fife at its best, and the format friendly, safe and informal.
Tea/coffee is provided. And obviously cake/biscuits!
Please bring a packed lunch with you on the day.

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Our tutor, Jonnie Crawford, is a practising teacher of Craft, Design and Technology, as well as a qualified forest school leader experienced in running woodland sessions with teenagers. He relishes teaching wood-based crafts and safe tool use to youngsters, helping them build creative freedom and discover meaningful connections with nature. As a qualified teacher (GTCS) working within Curriculum for Excellence, courses are designed to mesh with current policy as well as being effective and achievable within real-world constraints of school life.