09/01/2025
Hi everyone. Just an update on what I’ve been doing. Obviously I had my amazing time in Poland and otherwise was working through a temping agency as a TA in the same school from February until the Summer holidays supporting a couple of children in particular, plus a small group for phonics alongside side them and anywhere needed when they didn’t need my support.
In the Summer I ended up volunteering as staff on two Summer camps for my children’s camping charity as hadn’t other work in the school holidays. Both of these were great, but very different in terms of the staffing role. The first was on our 10 day Summer inclusion camp which is specifically for child and adult campers with a wide range of additional needs that is better managed there than on our main camps. This year it was at a farm we often use in East Sussex which has a n main field with a river and a woodland area. We practice inclusion in our main camps too, but this camp has more staff who have the necessary experience for the more complex needs of these campers and a greater level of support and adaptation than can be achieved on some other camps, especially also with terrain for hiking and wheelchairs. Within the camp the groups of campers and their staff are carefully chosen to have a range of campers with varying needs that can be accommodated alongside each other. On the camp we had fun games, including nature connection activities, creative crafts, we swam in the river, sang, had campfires, discos and a big show everyone could participate in. All of us were assigned a clan/ a group invited to contribute to preparing and cooking the meals for the day, including chopping the firewood for the fire to do so. Some groups had an overnight hike, some just a day walk where we all convened in a beer garden of the village pub for lunch (by arrangement). Then on the penultimate day a trip to the seaside for all the campers and a majority of staff (whilst some stayed behind to start camp take down/ packing as causes less stress to the campers and staff.
The second camp was also 10 days, but in the Yorkshire dales and I was was in the group staffing children aged 9-11, part of a Lodge with children from 6 and a half to 17 years. Similarly we did activities like above, though with higher expectations of contribution on clan and to helping with practical tasks for all such as turfing, digging and preparing their own lats (toilets) with screens and group fires. Plus participating in Lodge activities though these are planned with their input and there is always flexibility and usually choices. The Ledge activities include most mentioned above as well as more practical woodcraft and orienteering skills, discussions on areas of interest, country dancing, a night game and a 2 or 3 night group hike for all groups.
Since the Summer I continued to work with a temping agency doing various supply days as a Primsry school teacher or TA. It was nerve wracking the first could of times to stand and teach in a classroom, especially with Key Stage 2 as haven’t done that in 20 years and it is vastly different from supporting learning in the woods or on camp or working in Pre-school. However it was great to discover I was able to enjoy snd be successful at that. However I stopped working for the agency in November and have been concentrating on family issues, trying to move nearer to them with mum having moved into an annexe at my brothers new home, still in Derbyshire. I’m also doing an online course and taking on any Forest School work I can. I’ve enjoyed doing lots of the holiday sessions over Christmas and the New Year with Fireflies Forest School… see photos below.
