Coventry Outdoors - Professional Development

Our level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist apprentices practicing what they preach and doing their learning outside!

We're really excited to invite any practitioners in the Midlands to our new FREE CPD network! We're offering a full calendar of events throughout the next year, all absolutely FREE!

Sat 13th June 2026 - Timber and Tools - You'll learn five brand new achievable woodcraft ideas to take directly back in to your sessions

Weds 16th Sept 2026 - Root and Revenue - (Online session) - Grow your passion into a sustainable business!

Sat 3rd October 2026 - "The Games We Play" - Come and join us for a day of learning a whole raft of group games to incorporate into your sessions

Sat 12th Dec 2026 - Yuletide Workshop - Christmas crafts! Come and learn some now ones and revisit some old ones!

Sat 20th Feb 2027 - Pyrocryptics - The secrets of Fire!

Weds 31st March 2027 - Curriculum and Canopy - Bridging the gap between the national curriculum and Outdoor Learning

Sat 17th April 2027 - Edge and Grain - Moving beyond basic whittling

Fri 2nd July - RossFest - Our annual network camp out, skill share and social.

Visit www.bookwhen.com/coventryoes for more information and to book your places

Coventry Outdoors is proud to be supporting the Muslim Youth Alliance in the Amanah Summit 2026

***FULLY FUNDED VIA THE APPRENTICESHIP LEVY***

We've got some really exciting news to share about our Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship!

In response to ongoing consultation we have changed our model of delivery to make this qualification EVEN more accessible to Outdoor Learning Leaders.

⏱️We're moving to a flexible hybrid learning system, which means you don't have to secure weekly release and can learn at a time that is appropriate for you and your employer.

🌳All practical skills will be taught from regional hubs in four, three day blocks, meaning that the only release you will require from work is time limited and timetabled. There will only be four of these blocks scheduled over the 2 year lifespan of the apprenticeship; that's only six days of release each year of the programme, at a place that is easily accessible for you.

🖥️ We'll have multiple, regular monthly scheduled group discussion opportunities so that you can engage with the rest of your learning community and participate in the deep level discussions and topic explorations that make this such a wonderful learning opportunity. This means that if you can't make one designated online meeting, there will be several other options to join a discussion.

👩‍🏫 Apprenticeships are now available to ANY member of staff in permanent employment...staff no longer need to be employed for 30+ hours a week

🏁This apprenticeship standard is being retired later this year, so this is your last chance to take advantage of this fully funded opportunity to gain your Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship.

Learners will gain the following qualifications:

🌿 Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist
🌿 Forest School Practitioner Level 3
🌿 WILD Passport Practitioner Level 3
🌿 EQE Outdoors - Wilderness Therapy and Training Therapeutic Intervention Level 2
🌿 Learning Beyond the Classroom Level 3
🌿 Outdoor First Aid

We're recruiting NOW for our final cohort in September.

Please email [email protected] for more details or to apply for a place.

Another successful year for Coventry Outdoors as a traded service — and one we’re incredibly proud of.

At a time when many local authorities are scaling back or closing outdoor education services altogether, Coventry City Council has continued to take a genuinely holistic and forward-thinking view of what outdoor learning can and should be.

Rather than seeing outdoor education as a luxury, Coventry has recognised it for what it truly is: a powerful tool for education, wellbeing, inclusion, personal development and prevention.

That vision is making a real difference.

Over the last year, Coventry Outdoors has continued to grow its reach and impact across the city and beyond — supporting young people, schools, families and residents through high-quality outdoor learning, personal development, therapeutic activity, holiday provision and targeted support. From building confidence and resilience in children, to improving wellbeing and creating meaningful opportunities for those who need them most, the impact of our work continues to be seen every day.

This growth in delivery is no accident. It reflects both the strength of our offer and the increasing recognition nationally — particularly through the direction of travel set out in the White Paper — that services like ours have a vital role to play in improving outcomes for children and young people.

As a traded service, we’re proving that outdoor education can be both purpose-driven and sustainable when there is belief, ambition and the right support behind it.

Huge credit to the brilliant Coventry Outdoors team, our schools, partners and the wider Council for continuing to back a service that is changing lives.

Outdoor learning matters. Early intervention matters. Inclusion matters. And Coventry is showing what’s possible when a Council chooses to invest in all three.

We're in Castleton in the Peak District this week, working towards our Advanced Outdoor First Aid certificates. This CPD is part of our progression towards being able to deliver the Outdoor First Aid certificate for our own WILD Passport , EQE Outdoors - Wilderness Therapy and Training and Forest School learners

We're nearly all set up at the NEC National Outdoor Expo for the weekend!

Come and see us and Spin the Wheel of Fortune to win freebies, enter into prize draws for FREE Forest School training and kit, PLUS massive discounts from Howl Bushcraft , Muddy Faces and WILD Passport!

See you there!

We're at the University of Cumbria todayfor the2026 Schools Outdoor Learning conference. We're running two workshops and giving out information on our upcoming training opportunities!

We're at Rough Close Scout Camp today with some of our level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprentices. They're running through some of their EQE Outdoors - Wilderness Therapy and Training Therapeutic Interventions Outdoors practical activities. I'm taking the opportunity to soak in the beautiful spring woodland site, having never visited before.

We're hoping to deliver lots more of our future training here, so keep your eyes peeled for upcoming dates!

We're going to be at the National Outdoor Expo on March, 21st and 22nd! Come and say hello to grab some awesome freebies, enter our competition for a chance to win some free training and outdoor learning resources and find out about the services and outdoor learning training opportunities we offer both in the Midlands and Nationally!
https://www.nationaloutdoorexpo.com/