Teaching the beach this autumn

“Inspirational few days” had by all as our Learning Officers welcomed thirteen teachers from across the country to train as Wild Beach leaders.

Two of our Learning Officers specialising in outreach education, Lucy Shepherd and Kirsty Wilmot, have been delighted to share their skills with a new cohort of teachers this term, all of whom are keen to get children learning on the beach.

Most of our teachers in this cohort came from across Suffolk, with many receiving funded places from the AONB’s Galloper Wind Farm Fund. These were joined by teachers from Kent, Wales and the Falkland Islands, where many of them use shingle beaches and tackle similarly windy conditions. With so many shared challenges and opportunities to explore, the group had a lot to share.

Kirsty Wilmot, our learning officer covering the Suffolk Coast was pleased to see their enthusiasm:

“The marine environment is a hugely underused resource; almost fifty miles of coastline is home to some fantastic North Sea wildlife here in Suffolk. It’s been heartening to see so many educators wanting to get out there and use it, not only to discover more about our coastal wildlife, but to look after the health and wellbeing of their children.”

Wellbeing and holistic development is now being covered in the qualification explicitly for the first time this year, after a new module on Ocean Connection has been added into the Wild Beach Leader level three course, accredited by the AIM Qualifications and Assessments group.

Aside from three days of experiential learning, this year at Sizewell Beach, our teachers are now working on coursework and practical skills mastery to give them competence and confidence in leading groups of children in the beach environment. The knots, shelter building and safe fire lighting, as well as sessions on marine flora and fauna, have now been built upon to ensure teachers are giving children free choice and play, something aligned with the more well-known Forest School approach.

Our teachers are really working hard to give children a holistic experience on the beach. This is not just about the academic study of plants and animals, tides and weather, it’s about modelling curiosity, playfulness, exploration, and the mastery of skills that can build children’s self-esteem.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust would like to thank our funders at the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) for giving more teachers the opportunity to develop their careers and give more children access to outdoor learning on the coast. For more information about the Wild Beach Leader qualification or to book on to the next course in May, please see our website, or contact:

accreditedtraining@suffolkwildifetrust.org

Coming soon:

Wild Beach Leader Training - Level 3 | Suffolk Wildlife Trust