Our School in the Woods

MDOC will be at the Wythenshawe Games on Sunday 16th August!
We will be putting on a free orienteering course for all to try.

Sunday 16th August 2026
11am – 4pm
Wythenshawe Park, M23 0AB

We will be part of a day of FREE sports and activities at Wythenshawe Park as part of the Wythenshawe Park Centenary celebrations. We can’t wait to see you there!

FREE entry
No booking required
Just come along to our Gazebo – look out for the MDOC flag!

☀️WE ARE HIRING!☀️

🌲 Role: Outdoor Educator
Salary: £14.91 – £20.00 / hour (inclusive of holiday pay)
Annual Earnings: £8,454 – £11,340 (15 hours per week/37 weeks)
Working Days: Tuesdays and Wednesdays (term time only)
Benefits: Paid holiday, sick leave, and pension

We are looking for an Outdoor Educator to work Tuesdays and Wednesdays to facilitate nature-based play and primary-age learning in our beautiful Manchester woodland. The role will start in October.

We are actively working to build a diverse team that reflects the vibrant community of Manchester. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, and we are particularly keen to foster a supportive environment for male educators, global majority individuals, and LGBTQ+ communities who are historically underrepresented in the outdoor sector.

This role is ideal for those with backgrounds as a:

* Outdoor Instructor / Forest School Leader
* Community Youth Worker / Play Worker
* Childcare Worker / Teacher

🌱 What You’ll Do

* Deliver engaging Forest School and outdoor learning sessions for 5–11 year olds.
* Foster a safe, inclusive, and joyful environment for children to explore, create, and grow.
* Work collaboratively on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to maintain the site, share ideas, and care for equipment.

👋 Who We Are Looking For
We value a wide range of life experiences, community work, and skills. You might be a great fit if you:

* Have a genuine passion for nature play, primary-age exploration, and community building.
* Have experience guiding, caring for, or teaching children aged 5–11 (formal or informal).
* Enjoy working outdoors in all weathers and bring an adaptable, collaborative mindset.
* Share our active commitment to equity and making the outdoors a safe, welcoming space for everyone.

📝 How to Apply
To apply, please request an application form by emailing us or sending us a message. We want to hear from you in the way that feels most comfortable.
⏰ Deadline: 10th September
Submit your completed application form via:
📧 Email: [email protected]
📞 Voice or Video Message: 07563 757338
(Please contact us if you would like us to send you the application form via WhatsApp or post instead).

Our School in the Woods Ltd is an equal opportunity employer. We actively welcome and support applications from individuals underrepresented in the outdoor and childcare sectors, including Global Majority, LGBTQ+, male, and disabled candidates.

We really love working alongside Mary at holiday club. Come play, build dens, make friends, get creative, use tools and have fun with us this holidays. We have spaces left for 4th, 5th and 6th August. To book go to http://www.bookwhen.com/woodschool97

This term we said a sad goodbye to one of our families who have been part of the woods for four years. To help us all with the transition and wish them well on their journey we had a ceremony. Usually for these occasions we light a fire and place a stick on it, handing over a wish or superpower to the person leaving. Due to the hot, dry weather we chose to have a water ceremony. We made origami cups to fill with water and make our offerings. It was a lovely way to say goodbye and give thanks to water 😍

Tasty treats to welcome our families into the woods to celebrate a wonderful year together 😋

We love receiving end of term presents, the beautiful Sunflowers and nourishing home made bath salts. What we really treasure are the homemade cards made by the children. Totally brilliant drawings 🤩 😍 Thank you so much 🙂