Woodcraft School were the first company in the country to offer an accredited course designed specifically for bushcraft instructors in the UK. We believe it is still the most in-depth and comprehensive course of its kind dedicated to teaching trainee instructors both bushcraft techniques and how to deliver them.
You will not attend a raft of courses alongside the general public nor will you be expected to teach our courses on our behalf and pay for the privilege, instead, each of your sessions are dedicated solely to the development of first class bushcraft teachers and trainers and are attended only by such people. The outside groups we bring in to help develop your teaching skills do not pay us for the tuition. They are selected from groups within the local community who might otherwise struggle to attend a bushcraft course. This selection is designed to give you the best possible range of teaching experience and typically includes youth groups, mixes of children and adults and adult only groups. The range of experience within these are vast from countryside professionals to complete novices so your need to adapt enhances the learning process and gives you a wide range of skills and activities to draw on in the future. Trainee instructors are given the task of planning, preparing and delivering these sessions in their own style and with their own emphasis, we are not in the business of producing Woodcraft School clones who teach exactly what we teach in the way that we teach it.
Upon completing the instructor course if students feel that they want to see Woodcraft School courses in action, we offer a volunteer placement where in return for helping with the cooking and preparation etc there is an opportunity to see firsthand life on the other side of the fence. This is free of charge, in fact we offer some travel expenses. Volunteers also get a chance to experience our other courses and events as a reward for their input and assistance
Course Content
Tool design, safe tool use and selection, carving techniques, use of axe, tree felling with hand tools (axes), cleaving and conversion of timber, bow design and construction, atlatls, introduction to flint knapping, primitive glues, bark work, arrow making and fletching, cordage, net making, ropes knots and lashings, natural shelters, modern shelters, effects of heat and cold, clothing, backcountry cooking techniques, game preparation, winter twig identification, tree and plant identification, poisonous plants, wild food, basic fungi identification, coastal plants and seaweeds, using identification keys, uses of plants and trees, habitats, woodland management for recreation and conservation, natural navigation techniques, hazard tree recognition, risk assessment, codes of conduct, legislation for outdoor practitioners, teaching and learning theory, lesson planning and delivery, animal track and sign recognition, introduction to animal trailing, finding and making water safe, effects of dehydration, fire lighting and management, bow drill, hand drill, natural and manmade tinder.
Students also bring their own areas of expertise to the course and you may experience a wealth of other subjects than those listed, delivered by your peers during some of our teaching practice sessions.
Details
Selection is interview based. Once we have processed your enquiry (see form below) then you will most probably be invited for interview:
Interview Dates for the 2013/14 Academic Year
- 22nd May 2013
- 21st June 2013
Max course size is 16
You can download the course information booklet and enquiry form below or if you have not got a printer then please contact us on 01730 816299 so we can arrange to send you one.
If you would like to apply for this course then see the Student Information Pack below together with the application form which should printed off and sent back to us.
Enquiry Form - to complete and send back ASAP
Final note: Our student base went international again last year and there is a very high demand for this course. To avoid disappointment you are advised to complete and return the above form as soon as possible. The places will be decided after the last interview session on the 31st May; however there may be a mopping up interview closer to the start time if we have any last minute cancellations.
Dates for the 2013-2014 Course
- 11-15th September 2013
- 16-20th October 2013
- 6-10th November 2013
- 4-8th December 2013
- 15-19th January 2014
- 12-16th February 2014
- 12-16th March 2014
- 23-27th April 2014
- 14-18th May 2014
- 11th-15th June 2014
