How the partnership began

In March 2019, we worked with the Vale of Evesham School to facilitate a work experience week for a group of 15 students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). These students had particularly complex needs and the school had found it difficult to give them an immersive and challenging workplace experience in previous years. 

Our Head of Learning and Skills, Elaine Skates, developed a 5-day programme of physical woodland tasks for the students, each giving a flavour of the work undertaken by our volunteers. The programme was developed with the curriculum in mind – ‘Developing skills for the workplace: getting things done’ unit and ASDAN Personal Progress unit. The week was a great success that both staff and students thoroughly enjoyed.

“Each and every one of our students engaged with the environment and the activities, where they are generally a cohort for whom this kind of engagement is rare. This is significant because the activities were outside their comfort zone and had a longer duration than they were used to so they presented a big challenge to the students. 

Being outdoors is a very positive influence for our students and doing repetitive, structured activities benefitted all of them. Our students all gained in confidence and self-esteem, and they all engaged with follow up activities in school the next week.” Vale of Evesham School, March 2019.

Weekly volunteering in the Forest

Due to the success of the work experience week, our team worked with the Vale of Evesham School to create an ongoing partnership enabling students to visit the Forest on a weekly basis and develop their skills while connecting with nature.

6th form students brave the elements and the terrain, working for a morning each week. The activities they do are broadly woodland management activities, but they are tailored to provide an achievable challenge for the students. Some students require ongoing support, but many learn how to tackle a task and then can carry on with some independence.

Volunteering with a local conservation charity gives the students learning opportunities outside the classroom in an environment where they feel safe in the middle of the woods. They learn new skills and practice those they have already acquired. The sessions are also particularly beneficial to their wellbeing.

“During the sessions I feel encouraged to have a go at things I have never tried before, and I usually really enjoy these new activities.” - Michael

The sessions are broken down into two parts. First, the students are reminded of health and safety procedures such as putting gloves on, keeping safe distance, etc. Then, they are briefed about what activities we will do during the session. This could be collecting redundant tree guards, removing weeds from the tree nursery beds or seed trays, tidying up the irrigation hose pipe, or raking and disposing of mowed grass. The students usually work in groups rotating between tasks, so they get as much opportunity as possible to try and learn new skills.

“It has been useful to practise working as part of a team. I really enjoyed the sessions a lot, especially when we did seed collection, and would like to volunteer with the charity in the future.” – George

Preparing for life after school

The preparation for life after school can be a very daunting prospect for students with additional needs, as David Short, 6th Form Tutor and KS5 Curriculum Lead at the Vale of Evesham School explains.

“Our school has a highly practical programme for 6th formers with a focus on applying skills, knowledge and understanding in the real-world settings of the workplace, community and home. The partnership with Heart of England Forest dovetails with this very effectively and it is a relationship which we are keen to nurture and develop.

For my students the sessions represent a valuable opportunity to develop job skills and attitudes outside the classroom. Some of the students flourish in this environment in a way that goes beyond what they can achieve in the school setting, for others it presents a challenge because they are taken out of their comfort zone.

The staff we have worked with at the Heart of England Forest have been excellent and it has been a great benefit to our students to work with such knowledgeable and encouraging people.

The provision has undergone a continual development, and we are keen to see what happens next. It would certainly be a goal for the Heart of England Forest to continue to be part of the lives of some of our students when they have left school. Given the development of links with local colleges and providers, perhaps this is a realistic possibility!”

Learning outside the classroom

Educating our future Forest guardians is a vital part of the work we do at the Heart of England Forest. We strive to create meaningful, long-term connections between young people and nature, not only to benefit their physical and mental health, but so they can look after our natural world for generations to come. 

“I particularly enjoy finding out about nature and wildlife during our sessions with the Heart of England Forest and would like to volunteer with the charity in the future.” – Joe

Find out more about our education programmes and how we could work together.