Wilderness Pioneers - How We Are Doing Home Education Differently

The autumn term is now in full swing and as we move into a new season - and indeed, a new school year - we relish the opportunity to take a moment and reflect on the incredible year we’ve had. This is especially the case for 2024/25 which was the inaugural year for our wonderful Wilderness Pioneers; the Home Education session we launched last autumn which allowed us to welcome a special mixed-age group of creative, intelligent and adventurous children to our Base Camp.

When we started Wilderness Pioneers last October, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect but we knew that we wanted to create a space where the local Home Ed community could thrive. We were excited to welcome families and nurture children’s learning, following their interests and helping them grow in confidence and independence while letting them learn new skills. We wanted to offer a place they felt safe and empowered; to explore, to experiment and to ‘be’. As one parent shared, “Honestly these sessions have been incredible, not only for my child but for me too. Knowing she’s going somewhere, where she’s cared for, looked after and somewhere she really enjoys going is something special.”

Children aged 4-10 years came together in all weathers at our Outdoor Classroom (Base Camp) to explore the outdoors and enrich their learning. The drop-off session gave the children 3 hours a week in which they could find their independence and challenge themselves. They were encouraged to expand their learning with new skills and perspectives, all while embracing a new environment and forming new friendships. “Thank you for always being so welcoming and working through all the emotions with friends and accepting all the special quirks they may have,” another parent reflected. “My child loves coming as they can be just themselves.”

Over the course of the year, our Pioneers - with guidance from our exceptional leaders, Charlie and Briony - got stuck in with everything from planting their garden and making compost, to tending to the pond and building shelters. They were all keen to build on life skills too, learning to use different tools like saw and tree loppers, as well as testing their (impressive!) culinary skills cooking snacks on the campfires they helped build. One parent told us: “Thank you! My child has gotten on so well at Pioneers, they really feel so comfortable with you guys.”

We enjoyed lots of projects too, with our science projects and art projects being particularly noteworthy. In fact, our talented Wilderness Pioneers contributed to our Summer Art Show, and to the community Flower Festival! Already this term, we have researched, written and produced an entire newscast about Wildlife, and we have barely begun! As another parent proudly put it: “My child has loved Pioneers and has really thrived this year!”

Truly, there have been too many wonderful moments and memories to recount in a single post, so we will leave you with a round-up of some of our favourite moments from this past year! “Thank you for creating such a lovely environment for her,” one parent shared. “She thoroughly enjoys her Friday afternoons and it’s been so wonderful to see her grow… She doesn’t even say goodbye to me now!”

With full hearts, we look forward to what 2025/26 has in store for our Wilderness Pioneers, and we hope to welcome even more new friends to the group! It has been such a privilege to be part of our Pioneers’ Home Ed journeys so far and they have inspired us to continue building and growing our Home Education offering. So thank you! To the children, the families, and the community. Your support, your feedback and your trust in us is something we take note of with pleasure and pride.

Of course, if you’re not yet part of our Home Ed adventure but you would like more information or to sign your child up, please get in touch!