We are very proud to have gone to the Royal Forestry Society Excellence in Forestry Awards at Calke Abbey, and are pleased to share that we won the Learning and Education Award!

Winning this award is something we really are exceptionally proud of, and really is a celebration of all of our hard work of our wonderful staff team.  Our approach to outdoor learning and inspiring our next generation to care for and enjoy the great outdoors, is at the heart of everything we do.  It is truly wonderful to gain this recognisation with such a prestigious award.  We will be using the £500 prize money to reinvest in our Forest School base camps, we are continually reflecting and  looking how we can develop our provision further.  Well done team Great Wood Farm!

The following is a copy of the  press release from the Royal Forestry Society:

The Education & Learning Award – sponsored by Forestry Journal and PEFC – highlights the need to get children and young people engaged in nature and forestry. The importance of the country’s woodlands is only set to grow in the coming decades. Nurturing this interest at an early stage in children’s education will be vital for fostering the future generation of foresters and woodland managers.

Gold went to Great Wood Farm Early Years Centre, a nursery based on a farm in Lincolnshire and surrounded by 150 acres of woodland owned by Forestry England.

"The dedication and passion that came across from Kate and her team was infectious. It was obvious from walking around the site and chatting to the children that they felt at ease, safe and secure in their woodland environment." - EIF Judges, Sarah Wood & Gill Forrester

Great Wood Farm Early Year Centre is a nursery based on a farm in Lincolnshire, surrounded by woodland and including a newly planted area. The forest school journey is a key part of the teaching curriculum and external structures (made from locally sourced wood and recycled materials) showcase timber as a natural resource as well as providing play equipment and environmentally-friendly facilities.

The judges commended Kate and her team for their ability to evolve, plan for the future, and build a connection with the local community boosting inspiration and education to more children and families. The site also includes donation and swap points for wellies and outdoor clothing. They were also particularly impressed with the curriculum progression framework, which allows for consistency across the team, and includes babies and toddlers being inspired by their surroundings: “It was evident that despite children appearing to be ‘everywhere’, the cleverly organised activities gave children a real sense of freedom and responsibility.”

“We are so incredibly proud to have won this award and have our work recognised in such a way… Forest School and being out in nature really is the best classroom, it brings out the best of every child and is so important in developing the whole child, their well-being and teaching the next generation about our natural world.’ - Kate Robinson