Muddy Mondays Outdoor Learning

We are a small Staffordshire based company, able to plan and deliver bespoke Forest School and Outdoor Learning sessions to suit you setting's needs.

We are passionate about Outdoor Learning and the positive benefits this has on all children.

Sessions are led by Amy MacKinnon, a qualified Primary School Teacher, with over 10  years teaching experience across all age ranges, including pupils with a range of SEN and ESBD. Amy is Forest School Leader level 3 qualified and has held this qualification since August 2015.  Amy is also a Personal and Specialism Tutor, and Geography Lead for Keele and North Teacher Education SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training). 

Why choose Muddy Mondays?

We are a small company able to tailor sessions to the needs of your children- we don't work from text books, and believe that there is no 'one size fits all' when it comes to teaching.

We believe in a holistic, child-centred approach, where the children's needs come first. We aim to create a caring, nurturing environment within our sessions, where each child feels welcomed, valued and included. 

Our Forest School leader has trained with a very experienced and knowledgeable trainer who was trained by one of the teachers who originally introduced Forest School to the UK. The majority of the training was undertaken 1-2-1 whilst working alongside the trainer, observing and working with a wide range of children of different ages, abilities and backgrounds. As far as we know this is the only forest school trainer in the UK to offer such training - in the learning environment with children, rather than just among a group of other adult trainees.

Consequently we are confident that we deliver 'real' child-led Forest School which includes lots of free play and child led discovery, rather than a set of forest school 'lessons'.

We love to be creative with learning! Our sessions are imaginative, delivered at a pace to suit the children, and above all....fun!

We are flexible with our content during sessions and throughly understand the need to follow children's interests and curiosities, after all, that is how the best learning develops. Some children may never have seen a frog in 'real life' so if the opportunity arises to track 'Mr Frog' to his habitat in the school grounds then we must take the opportunity. After all, he may not be there next session!

Safety

Safety is of utmost importance. To ensure children are safe at all times, Muddy Mondays' session leader holds:

Postgraduate Certificate in Education (Primary Graduate Teacher Programme)

Level 3 Forest School Qualified

CRB/DBS enhanced disclosure check

BA (Hons) in Geography and Business 

Masters module "Reflective Practice in Education" 

First Aid certified

Food Hygiene level 2 certified

Manual Handling certified

Safeguarding trained staff

Public Liability Insurance to £5 million underwritten by Birnbeck

We also ensure:

Comprehensive risk assessments are undertaken and avaliable for each activity and the site used.

Appropriate Personal Protective equipment is provided for pupils and assisting adults.

For Forest School sessions, an inital letter, consent form and kit list is provided to parents to ensure pupils are correctly dressed for the session. Kit list available here

Our Forest School Handbook is reguarly updated and reviewed

Our Policies are updated regularly and are avaliable on request Muddy Mondays Policies

Contact us to book a session or make an enquiry