Green Man Learning

What's your next career step? We've changed the delivery model for our Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship! And it's the final run before this apprenticeship standard is retired, so jump on board before it's gone! (FULLY FUNDED!!!)

I'm super proud of the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship that I'm involved in with my work with Coventry Outdoors - Professional Development, and these changes to how it's run will make it much more accessible for more and more outdoor learning practitioners all over the UK!

Feel free to message me for more details.

***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.

We've got a whole bunch of training coming up this spring! Come and join us and build cool stuff like this!

Visit www.wildpassport.co.uk/training for upcoming training dates.

We've entered planning season! With three courses coming up in the next couple of months, I've started getting excited about discovering more ways to teach some of our more advanced tool work skills. It's a good excuse to start sketching some of the ideas for the next WILD Passport resource, focusing on toolwork projects.

I'm currently getting excited about whether wood cookies will make effective cams for woodland automatons! Wood geekery at its finest.

Come and join us on one of our upcoming courses to see what you'll create! Visit www.wildpassport.co.uk/training to find out when and where our next courses are taking place.

I've been tasked with conducting a bit of market research as part of my role at Coventry Outdoors - Professional Development

For some time it's been apparent to many of us in the outdoor learning sector that most practitioners gain a level 3 qualification (most commonly the FS L3) and then are left in a position where there isn't a clear route for professional progression. There are a lot of non accredited CPD routes and other level 3 qualifications but in terms of gaining a deeper and more advanced qualification, options are limited. There are limited degree options but not everyone wants to spend 3 years and all that money towards an academic qualification. There are level 5 apprenticeship options but the funding is limited to those in employment and the time commitment is untenable for lots of employers.

What we're looking at doing is trying to create something that the entire sector can access; a level 5 qualification that is time limited and financially accessible but will give Practitioners the recognition of the professional level they are operating at and the technical skill they possess. We'd be looking at doing some advanced practical skills, deeper level learning on neuroscience, learning theory, lots of stuff on measuring impact, lots of work around programme design, etc. We see this as a route to establish practitioners at the level of "subject leads" within schools; giving them the expertise to be considered a specialist within the area of outdoor learning (so not just forest school but areas such as designing curriculum complimentary programmes).

We'd like to gather a wide range of opinions and thoughts on this as we're keen on it being supported across the sector.

So, the questions are;

- Would you value the opportunity to undertake CPD at a level beyond level 3?

- What kind of knowledge/skills would you appreciate learning at a deeper level?

- Are there any specific areas you feel should definitely be covered in such a qualification? (e.g. Therapeutic skills, understanding of neuro diversity, behaviour/group management)?

- Realistically what kind of time would you be willing to invest in such a qualification over the course of 18 months? A week a term? Three days every half term? Two weeks every six months? Semi regular evening Teams meetings?

Why other thoughts or comments would be gratefully received!

Thanks in advance!

That's the wood store restocked for the New Year! Come and join us in 2026!

🎵🎵 "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire" 🎵🎵

And that's a wrap on our final sessions of 2025! That's 13 full years of Green Man Learning complete!

We've Forest Schooled, WILD Passported, Scienced, Historied, Adult Mental Health'd, Teacher Trained, Camped Out, Birthday Partied, Built, Made and Played all through the year!

Thanks to everyone who has attended our sessions or booked us to deliver at their school or setting. We appreciate every single bit of work that comes our way, especially when we know that school and household budgets are so tight.

We've got lots more of the same in line for next year, as well as looking to develop some provision for Adults with learning disabilities, bring back our holiday provision (in a limited form) and increase the amount of Alternative Provision we offer too!

Have an awesome Christmas and we'll catch you in 2026!

We've finally got a start date for our Yorkshire/Northern Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship! Fully Funded!

We'll be beginning our new cohort in mid-January and have already filled half of the available places.

I cannot stress enough how incredible this training opportunity is. The qualifications we work through (WILD Passport, Forest School, Therapeutic Interventions Outdoors) are amazing courses on their own, but this long-form learning journey allows us as a training cohort to develop incredibly deep skill sets, understanding of application and pedagogy, experience and community. I am part of the delivery team, but I can hand on heart say that this is absolutely the best way I've encountered to learn these skills.

Run via Coventry Outdoors (Part of Coventry City Council) this course is aimed at ANYONE employed (full or part time) in a role where outdoor learning and play might be beneficial to the client group; teachers, teaching assistants, lunch time staff, nursery staff, social services, voluntary and community groups. It is fully funded and can be completely covered by the Apprenticeship Levy.

I'm beginning sign ups next week, so if you're interested or would simply like more information, please feel free to get in touch directly!

Two new exciting training opportunities!

Coming soon!

Coming soon!
Email tom@greenmanlearning or direct message to register your interest!

What could we possibly do to engage more children in school?