Options Booklet for IOL Field Studies (NAFSO) Group Professional Development Event 2016
Venue: YHA Lee Valley, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire
Dates: Mon Jan 4th & Tues 5th 2016.
KEY: M--Monday Workshops T—Tuesday Field Days;
For each day choose one or two workshops depending on their length (some workshops are repeated). When we receive your
booking we will send you a link to an online booking options form.
Monday Jan 4th.
CODE
M1
TITLE
Increasing engagement through technology
1pm-2.30pm (repeated in next session as M6)
Participants will explore the centre of the Lee Valley Regional Park as they discuss different approaches to
orienteering and gain a practical experience of the use of GPS machines to engage participants in orienteering.
Learn the basics of geocaching and how to set their own star course.
M2
Forest School for all
1pm-2.30pm
An introduction to Forest School, its ethos and approach. Illustration of how Forest School has developed in Essex
to become imbedded in the outdoor learning programme of hundreds of schools and pre-schools. Presentation
and discussion followed by a short walk to a local area of woodland.
Delegates will :
 Understand what Forest School is and isn’t
 Appreciate the importance of training and how to get started
 Understand the value of FS in learning and development
This is a stand-alone session but delegates may also wish to book on the practical outdoor workshop on Tuesday,
which will be an opportunity to experience Forest School and try some of the activities, which happen there.
Details
Location
Leader
Outdoor gear
essential.
Some areas
may be wet
and muddy.
River Lee
Country
Park, Lee
Valley
Lee Valley
Park Youth
and Schools
Outdoor gear
essential.
Some areas
may be wet
and muddy.
River Lee
Country
Park, Lee
Valley –
Walk from
YHA
Essex
Outdoors
(ECC) working
with FSA Essex
M3
Responding to curriculum change 1pm-2.30pm (repeated in next session see M7)
Indoors
YHA
classroom
Epping Forest
Field Studies
Council staff
Wellies if
possible for
the working
dairy farm. (If
not a change
of shoes.) Both
sites are
exposed.
Bring old
clothes
suitable for
crawling
around in an
artificial cave
made of
concrete. May
have some
wet parts but
its’ not dirty.
Lee Valley
Park Farm
and White
Water
Centre
Lee Valley
Park Youth
and Schools
Staff
Herts
Young
Mariners
Base (next
to YHA)
Youth
Connexions
Hertfordshire
Outdoor gear
essential.
Some areas
may be wet
and muddy.
River Lee
Country
Park, Lee
Valley –
Walk from
YHA
Lee Valley
Park Youth
and Schools
Indoors
YHA
classroom
Epping Forest
Field Studies
Council staff
This session will look at the FSC Epping Forest Field Centre's response to curriculum change.
We are in the middle of major changes in both the national curriculum and with exam specifications. Epping
Forest Field Centre delivers first hand learning experiences to over 20,000 learners a year as part of the FSC's
wider vision to deliver environmental understanding to all. As a result we have had to respond proactively to
these changes from Foundation Stage to A Level across Biology and Geography.
In this session participants will have an opportunity to learn about how we have faced these changes and intend
to continue delivering outstanding LOtC into the future.
M4 is the only option that covers both sessions so tick M4 only in the first or second choice.
M4
Bringing Geography to life- utilising novel locations for fieldwork 1pm-4pm
Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities of geography fieldwork in novel
locations. Experience how farm visits can bring learning to life with a guided tour of our working dairy farm.
Discover how a car park was transformed into a world class venue to host the London 2012 white water canoe
slalom and how it has been utilised to help teach geography.
M5
Utilising Artificial Caving Systems for Team and confidence building. 2.30-4pm (Repeated with circus
skills on Tuesday, see T6).
By the end of the session the participants will



Have an understanding of how team building scenarios can be set up in an artificial cave environment
Have an understanding of how the artificial cave is a valuable resource
Have reviewed the activates and discussed them in relation to their own context
Delegates will participate in team building exercises underground. No experience is necessary but a willingness to
crawl around in the dark and contribute to discussions is essential.
M6
Increasing engagement through technology
session)
(2.30pm – 4pm (M1 repeated from previous
Participants will explore the centre of the Lee Valley Regional Park as they discuss different approaches to
orienteering and gain a practical experience of the use of GPS machines to engage participants in orienteering.
Learn the basics of geocaching and how to set their own star course.
M7
Responding to curriculum change 2.30pm- 4pm (M3 repeated from previous session)
This session will look at the FSC Epping Forest Field Centre's response to curriculum change.
We are in the middle of major changes in both the national curriculum and with exam specifications. Epping
Forest Field Centre delivers first hand learning experiences to over 20,000 learners a year as part of the FSC's
wider vision to deliver environmental understanding to all. As a result we have had to respond proactively to
Herts Young
Mariners Base
these changes from Foundation Stage to A Level across Biology and Geography.
In this session participants will have an opportunity to learn about how we have faced these changes and intend
to continue delivering outstanding LOtC into the future.
Tuesday Jan 5th.
CODE
Full day and half day Field visits
TITLE
DETAILS
Location
Leader
These are all outdoor days needing appropriate clothing & footwear unless otherwise shown
T1
Utilising novel sites- the Olympic outdoor learning legacy (full day)
In this session, participants will explore the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (QEOP). During the guided visit
participants will discover how FSC are using QEOP as an Outdoor Classroom, how education providers are
using the Olympic Legacy to bring the curriculum to life and discuss the challenges and opportunities of
learning in an urban / parkland setting. FSC staff will share novel approaches to outdoor learning including
engaging students in physics at the Energy Centre.
After lunch at the Lee Valley VeloPark participants will have the opportunity to learn how this iconic building is being
used to inspire geography and design and technology students.
T2
Visit to a Water Recycling Centre plus activities around water, sewage and careers. (full day)
The world’s water is a finite and precious resource which are all dependant on. It is continually used and reused in
the water cycle for domestic use, industry, agriculture and the environment. We all use lots of water every day and
often take for granted. Anglian Water the largest geographical water and sewage company in the UK, treating water
The session
will be both
inside and
outside.
Queen
Elizabeth
Olympic Park
(QEOP) can
be fairly
exposed, so
warm
clothing and
appropriate
footwear.
Queen
Elizabeth
Olympic
Park and
Lee Valley
VeloPark
FSC London
staff, Lee
Valley Park
Youth and
Schools
Service and
VeloPark staff
Bring
outdoor
clothing,
sensible
footwear eg
Anglia
Water
Education
Centre
Anglia Water
Education
staff
for drinking, managing water supplies and cleaning sewage for over 6.2 million customers. Used water is treated and
recycled for the benefit of us all and the sustainability of our environment. Anglian Water out sustainability at the
heart of everything we do through our Love Every Drop manifesto.
By the end of the session participants will:




T3
Understand the water recycling process (sewage)
The environmental issues around water, water recycling and pollution
Water efficiency importance
How we promote STEM and careers
Wildlife monitoring in the Lee Valley (Morning only 9.30-12.15)
Looking to develop your site’s wildlife monitoring?
The LVRPA conservation officers will take you on a guided walk around the River Lee Country Park. The focus will be
on habitat management and methods for monitoring wildlife in this internationally important wetland site. This will
include a visit to a bird ringing station where we will learn about this method of monitoring birds and hopefully see
some in the hand. (NB the ringing session will be weather dependent.) Bring binoculars if you have them.
T4
safety boots
or wellies. All
visitors must
wear
trousers.
Forest Schools in Practice (Morning only 9.30-12.15)
An opportunity to visit a typical Forest School setting to understand how sites are chosen, prepared and used.
Having set the scene delegates will be able to get a flavour of a Forest School programme by choosing from a range
of activities which participants might be involved with over a period of time. These include opportunities for
exploration, creative play, sensory immersion, bushcraft and tool use (including use of knives) and fire lighting.
Outdoor gear
essential.
Some areas
may be wet
and muddy.
River Lee
Country
Park –
walk from
YHA
Lee Valley
Regional Park
Conservation
and
Volunteers
Team
Outdoor
based so
warm winter
clothing.
Wellies or
boots.
River Lee
Country
Park, Lee
Valley –
Walk
from YHA
Essex
Outdoors
(ECC) working
with FSA
Essex and Lee
Valley Park
rangers
This is a stand-alone session but delegates may also wish to book on the short introductory workshop on Monday,
which will provide more of an overview of the ethos, principles and benefits of Forest School.
T5
‘Brilliant Birds’ – Outdoor learning with a bird focus (Afternoon only 1.15-4pm)
Introduction to RSPB Rye Meads nature reserve and their ‘Schools on Reserves’ outdoor learning programmes.
Discover what they use to bring bird based education to life - from ‘Brilliant Birds’ for EYFS to ‘Habitat Management’
for A level students
Outdoor gear RSPB Rye
essential.
Meads
RSPB Rye
Meads
T6
Utilising Artificial Caving Systems and Circus Skills for team and confidence building (Afternoon only
1.15-4pm, first part repeated from Monday M5)
1.15-2.45pm. By the end of the session the participants will

Have an understanding of how team building scenarios can be set up in an artificial cave
environment
 Have an understanding of how the artificial cave is a valuable resource
 Have reviewed the activates and discussed them in relation to their own context
Delegates will participate in team building exercises underground. No experience is necessary but a
willingness to crawl around in the dark and contribute to discussions is essential.
3-4pm Get more ideas of team building activities to complement your fieldwork offer with an introduction to circus
skills from Cuffley Camp
Bring old
clothes
suitable for
crawling
around in an
artificial cave
made of
concrete.
May have
some wet
parts but its
not dirty.
Herts
Young
Mariners
Base
(next to
YHA)
Youth
Connexions
Hertfordshire
Herts Young
Mariners
Base &
Cuffley Camp