Country parks and local nature reserves
Contents
Educational visits and forest schools
Educational visits
We offer a range of ranger-led environmental education programmes that support national curriculum requirements for Early Years, Key Stages 1 and 2.
We can also provide support and equipment for you to self-lead your class on any of the activities. Our activities offer children a unique hands-on experience in safe but natural outdoor classrooms. The park offers 3 permanent orienteering courses with associated maps (beginner, intermediate and advanced) which are ideal for testing map reading and compass skills.
Education visits are predominantly run from High Woods Country Park although other Colchester country park sites can be considered on request.
Education sessions can be ranger-led or self-led, the sessions start from 10am onwards most weekdays. We can offer pond dipping, minibeast hunting, den building, orienteering, soil studies, tree studies, stream studies and sensory session.
Once you have completed the relevant enquiry form you will be contacted by the Education Ranger soon after to confirm your booking. You should complete the forms with as much notice as possible (at least 2 weeks before your proposed event).
Completion of an enquiry form does not constitute a booking; you will receive separate confirmation if your session can go ahead.
Find more information on booking an event for private or public attendance
Ranger-led
All equipment for ranger-led activities is provided by High Woods Country Park. If you decide to run any self-led activities alongside a ranger-led activity the equipment will be provided for you at no additional charge.
Ranger led visit enquiry form
As part of your booking you will also receive:
- worksheets
- a generic risk assessment
- a timetable for the day
- education visit guidance notes
Self-led activities
Self-led sessions can be run whenever the park is open (including evenings and weekends). The use of a Country Park site for a self-led education session is free of charge if you use your own equipment, alternatively, education equipment can be hired from High Woods Country Park.
You must complete a self-led enquiry form letting us know you want to use the park's facilities and to prevent clashes at specific sites, pond dipping platform for example.
Self-led visit enquiry form
Forest school
High Woods Country Park and a number of other countryside sites have forest school classrooms available for use by forest school leaders.
High Woods:
- Chestnut Coppice
- Chanterelle and Brinkley Grove
Countryside sites:
- Wivenhoe Woods
- Hilly Fields
- Bourne Valley and Ghost Wood
If you want to discuss a forest school site in a different or new location to the sites listed above, contact the Education Ranger directly.
Forest school enquiry form
What happens once you submit your enquiry
If we can accommodate your enquiry, you will receive a confirmation email with the key points of your visit and any related documents. At this point you are booked in and can notify the families, coach companies etc.
If we are unable to accommodate your booking, we will be in contact via phone or email to find a time and date to suit your group's requirements.
What you need to provide (forest schools only)
Public Liability Insurance
You are required to hold a current policy of insurance in respect of public liability or third-party risks (including products liability where appropriate). The relevant limit of indemnity shall be an amount approved by our risk and insurance section and legal section. Under no circumstance shall this be less than £5 million and we reserve the right to require a higher limit if deemed necessary.
Risk assessments
You will also need to submit a risk assessment for the sessions, identifying all risks associated with the events and activities undertaken and what preventative measures you will take to minimise these risks.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
EIAs make sure that project decision-makers think about the likely effects on the environment at the earliest possible time and aim to avoid, reduce or offset those effects.
Leader Qualification Certification
A level 3 forest school leader qualification is required to lead all forest school sessions. If you are working towards your level 3, contact the Education Ranger to discuss further.
Fees and charges
Contact us
Page last reviewed: 4 April 2024