Countryside Stewardship
"encouraging environmentally responsible and caring citizens for the 21st century"
A practical course for 14 - 16 year olds. Through the course we aim to :
- give students an understanding of the countryside
- encourage a positive attitude towards conservation of wildlife and the countryside
- integrate with students who may have learning and or behavioural difficulties
- give students practical skills that will prepare them for work.
This innovative course began nine years ago as a result of cooperation between the forward thinking Headteacher of a local secondary school and the Northmoor Trust, which is totally committed to encouraging young people to take an active role and interest in conservation.
Students have the opportunity to gain 4 credits from the course which is now accredited through the Open College Network, Oxford, Thame and Chiltern, at Level E, 1 or 2.
Students who have various degrees of learning difficulty integrate with the other students and are encouraged to achieve Level E in as many units as possible.
The Countryside Stewardship course runs over a period of two years, with the students coming to the reserve for one morning each week.
Students are involved in coppicing, weeding, raking, tree planting, hedgerow management and making fences, hurdles and bird boxeswork which all contribute to the overall management of Little Wittenham Nature Reserve.
The sheep flock provides the focus of work during winter and spring.
The units cover a wide range of subjects:
Students give the following reasons for choosing the course:
"I chose the Countryside Stewardship course because I am interested in wildlife".
"I want to work in a job where I'm helping to look after the countryside so I think the Countryside Stewardship course will help me".
Assessments are continuous during the course through observations, video and photographic evidence, self-evaluation, verbal questioning and written assignments.
Students also have a series of tests and role play situation at the end of the course to reinforce Health and Safety issues and to assess their personal development and communication.
Our timetable is sufficiently flexible to allow for variations in the student's abilities and, of course, the weather conditions. Practical work is carried out at the appropriate time of year, and is planned and supervised making sure that the students know what the job entails. Both students and Nature Reserve staff benefit.
Students take pride in their work and enjoy showing it to others.
