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The following web pages include content created for the Wood Green Junior School Handbook which was presented to the school after work was completed on their site. You can use the links above to navigate the different sections of the handbook. WOOD GREEN JUNIOR SCHOOLWOODLAND AREAHandbookWelcome to your woodland area. We hope it will give you pleasure all through your schooldays and that one day your own children will be able to enjoy this wonderful woodland and wildlife habitat you have helped to create at your school. In this guide you will find:
You will be able to add in your own information to help this handbook be even more useful to teachers and pupils in the future. We hope you have lots of fun learning outdoors. ContentsSection 1How to use this handbook (a note for teachers). Section 2An introduction to areas in the woodland and some simple activity suggestions.
Section 3Summary of activities and curriculum links Section 4Contacts and resources Section 5Maintenance Section 1How to Use this Handbook for Learning Outside the Classroom (a note for teachers).In each section you will find some general information about the relevant area. In orange print you will find some suggestions for stimulating and educational activities to do in each area. In blue print you will see how these activities relate to the Key Stage 2 National Curriculum. There is more information about curriculum links in Section 3. Section 4 provides contact details for organisations and individuals who can help or provide workshops. There are also relevant websites with mostly free to download resources, including lesson plans, curriculum linked fact sheets, activity sheets and evaluations. There are examples of some of the many resources available from the various websites in the appendices, Section 6. You will be able to access the web links easily on your own page on our website at www.primarylandscapes.co.uk. These details are also in Section 4. We hope we have covered everything you will need in this handbook, but we would be very interested in what you think and in any suggestions for how we may improve this handbook for you. Please email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Section 21. Vegetable BedsThis area is ready to grow a range of things you can eat. In spring, sow seeds in pots or trays in the classroom. Choose easy things to grow and harvest before the end of the summer term. Ideas:
Activity Ideas (see also Contacts and Resources pages in Section 4)Make a summer picnicFreeze borage flowers in ice cubes for drinks. Make a salad with the ingredients grown on your plot. Don't forget to add some herbs and edible flowers. Invite some guests. Make a nectar barPlanting nectar rich plants near to the vegetable beds will encourage more pollinating insects to visit. You could plant these in the ground or in big pots filled with compost. Make a diaryThis will help you remember what was planted the previous year. You could note down which crops were most successful, weather conditions and anything else that will help you and others plan your crops for the following years. Make a compost heapYou can put all the spent plants from the vegetable garden and elsewhere together with some of the grass clippings in a compost heap. (Many creatures could use the compost for food or to live in, including worms, bugs, toads or even slow worms.) The compost heap will take about a year to rot down. When it is ready it can be put back onto the vegetable beds to help things grow better. Be a scientistMake a wormery in an old aquarium to keep in the classroom so you can see the worms turning vegetable waste into soil. Learn about ecosystems and food chains. Curriculum links: (see also section 3) literacy, technology, science, citizenship. 
A School Vegetable Garden 2. Nettle Beds
Hedgehog 
Comma Butterfly Stinging nettles aren't nice to touch, but they have lots of uses. Butterflies such as Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell lay their eggs on them so that the caterpillars can eat the leaves. They prefer not to lay their eggs in the shade so you could leave some areas of nettles in a sunny spot for them. If you get stung you will notice that somewhere near the nettles grows a plant that will help to ease the sting. The plant is called Dock. Why does the nettle have a sting and what happens when the sting is rubbed with the dock leaf? 3. Log PilesA pile of logs in a shady corner will feed beetle larvae and shelter minibeasts such as frogs, toads, slow worms and hedgehogs. You may be very lucky and find the rare Stag Beetle too. 4. Butterfly AreaButterflies love a nectar rich plant called Buddleia. Its nickname is the Butterfly Bush. Activity suggestions (for more ideas see contacts and resources pages in section 4)Butterfly SurveyChoose a sunny day when the buddleias are in flower to count the numbers of butterflies on each one and identify the different species. There are three different Buddleias planted together. Do some species of butterfly prefer one colour to another? Make a book and graph for your results. Compare your results in the following years. Draw some pictures or take photographs. You could find out about them on the internet and write about them for your book. Some hibernate and others migrate to a different part of the world. Grow nectar rich plantsSow seeds of other nectar rich plants in trays in the classroom. These can be planted into the butterfly area. Some plants you could try would be Honesty, Sweet Rocket, Scabious, Verbena and Valerian. 
Bumble bee 
Red Admiral butterfly on ivy Curriculum links: (see summary in section 3) science, literacy, numeracy, itc. Bird HideThere will be lots of different birds using the woodland. If you sit quietly in the hide they will come close so you can see them better. Learn to identify them using a book. Look at the way they feed and on what. Some, like blackbirds, starlings and dunnocks will look for worms in the more open areas, under leaves or even in the compost. Some feed from the trees, like nuthatch and woodpecker. Leave the seeds on the plants over the winter and many more birds will visit. There will be ivy and plants with berries, which some will love. Activity suggestions (see also Contacts and Resources in Section 4)Make some nesting boxes and a bug hotelThese can be attached to the tree trunks. You will be able to watch the adult birds feeding their young in the spring. On which side of the tree do the birds prefer to nest? Do some research before siting the nest boxes. You could also make some bat roosting boxes, bee nests and a bug hotel. These will all be loved by the wildlife and will help to protect the vulnerable species such as the bumble bee. Why not ask your parents to come and help if they can? 
Your Bird Hide 
Nest box ResearchWhy are some species becoming rare? Use the internet for your research. Is it because of climate change or are there other reasons? You could include information about migration, feeding patterns and food chains. Join in the Big Garden Bird Watch. Look on the RSPB website for the date and details. Make some identification chartsTake some photographs or use the internet to make some charts. Laminate them so you can take them outside. 
Song Thrush 
Robin Curriculum links: (see summary in section 3) design and technology, art and design, English, science. 6. Bog AreaThis hollow area has been lined with a waterproof sheet to hold some water because the plants in the bottom like it wet. The plants towards the top of the hollow like drier conditions and some of these are very attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinating insects. You could call these plants nectar bar because visiting insects like to drink the nectar from the flowers. Here is a list of plants that are there:
Cranesbill 
Peacock butterfly on sedum Activity suggestions (see also Contacts and Resources pages in Section 4)Be a Scientist - Identification of PlantsChoose a plant from the list (but don't pick it. Do you know why not?) What colour and shape of flower does it have? What shape are the leaves? Does it have a nice scent? These are its characteristics Look it up on the internet or in a book to find out more about it. When does it flower? What sort of soil does it like? Draw and write about its characteristics and talk about it to your class. Make a book or identification chart so that visitors can find out about the plant. Write a label and leave it in the ground by the plant so that everyone else will know what it is. Wildlife you might see:
Damselfly 
Toad Do a surveyChoose a sunny day and count the number of each species you see. Make a graph or log of the results. Do this at the same time every year so that other classes can compare the results and discuss the changes. You might want to put the creatures into categories, for instance insects, amphibians, birds or mammals. Make a diary for wildlife sightings and note down anything else you see for the first time. This will be very interesting for classes in the future to see. Add in some drawings or photographs. Curriculum links: (see summary in section 3) literacy, numeracy, science, PHSE. 7. Wildflower AreaThe longer grass here will be a home to many mini beasts and wild flowers. Try to keep to the paths, which will have been mown through in the summer, so that the wild flowers get a better chance to grow into colonies. Activity suggestions (See also Contacts and Resources, Section 4.Grow some wildflowersFind out what kind of soil you have in this area. Is it dry, wet, stony, deep and loamy, and is it mostly sunny or shady? Sow some suitable wildflower seeds in trays in the classroom. When the plants are bigger you can plant them in the wildflower area for extra nectar. You could try knapweed, ox-eye daisies, wild carrot, meadow cranesbill, ragged robin, yarrow and wild primroses (depending on the soil conditions). Be a scientistUse a quadrant of 0.5m long and 0.5m wide. Lay this on the ground and count how many different species of plants are growing in your square. See if you can identify any and log your results. Compare your results every year to see how your wildflower meadow is changing. 
Primroses 
Dog daisies, buttercups and clover Curriculum links: (see summary in section 3) science, geography. Bulb areasThe time to plant spring flowering bulbs is in the autumn. The bulbs will flower the following spring and every spring after that. They will eventually spread to form a colony, but you could help this along. Activity suggestion (see also Contacts and Resources, Section 4)Bulb PlantingIn the spring, mark out a new area where you have chosen to plant more bulbs (you can see where the other bulbs are then and so won't dig any up by accident later). In the autumn you could plant more bulbs such as wild daffodils, native bluebells and snowdrops. (It is important that you plant only native bluebells. Check on the internet to find out why that is.) Plant them twice as deep as the height of the bulb, with the pointy end up. Make a map to show where the areas of bulbs are. 
Wild Daffodils 
Wood anemone Curriculum links: (see summary in section 3) numeracy, science. 9. WoodlandThere are many big old trees in your wood. Some of them have produced seedling trees. These are called saplings. Some of the young trees will die but the healthiest ones will keep growing for many years until eventually they become mature. When the mature tree dies there will always be other trees at various stages of growth in the wood. This is the way a woodland regenerates. You can plant some more saplings in your wood. Activity suggestions (see also Contacts and Resources, Section 4)MeasuringMeasure the new trees. Give them a number, identify and label them. Take some photographs. Make a booklet, logging all the information you have collected. The trees can be measured every year so you can see how fast they are growing. How long will it take for the trees to grow up? Can you predict how big they will be in 5, 10 or 50 years time? How might the woodland have changed? Write your predictions in the book so that in the future, others can see if your predictions were correct. Measure and mark the older trees too. Measure the girth of the trees one metre from the ground. You could measure some of the biggest in hugs, (how many children's hugs does it take to reach round).
Learning in the woods 
Traditional woodturning workshop IdentificationMake an identification booklet with facts about the trees. Include photographs and drawings. Traditional wood craftAsk some traditional wood turners to the woodland to do a workshop. Find out about other traditional woodland crafts and their modern day uses. The Coppice AreasThe hazel, dogwwods and willow planted in the woods wil grow long flexible stems. You can cut some off every winter. They have many uses. Making sculpture, mobiles, models, masks and collageWeave the thinner ones into shapes, animals or birds and hang in the trees as decorations. Use the thicker ones for supports in the vegetable garden (tie a few together at the top and use as a wigwam for peas and other climbers). Make some dens (see item 10 in this section). 
Hazel coppice with bluebells 
Silver birch in your wood Curriculum links: (see summary in section 3) literacy, numeracy, science, art and design. Den building, activity trail and explorationYou will find some areas to make dens. There are some piles of brushwood you could use, as well as other natural objects you might find in the wood. There will eventually be some bigger pieces of wood called coppicing which you will be able to use to make bigger dens. Activity suggestions (see also Contacts and Resources, section 4)CompetitionHave a den building competition (Forest Schools Practitioners will be able to provide the expertise). 
Den building Invent your own fitness trailMeasure and map out your route. Use the area for team challenges and games. Improve your balancing skills, upper and lower body strength and co-ordination. Have relay races or include this area in a treasure hunt or orienteering route. Try geocaching. Make a sensory trailUse natural found objects and make it suitable for everyone including disabled children. Talk about the items on the trail and how they affect the senses. 
Activity trail 
Paths and glades in your woodland Curriculum links: (see summary in section 3) geography, PE, design and technology, PSHE and citizenship. Section 4Contacts and ResourcesForest Schoolswww.forestschoolsbirmingham.com andwww.forestschoollearning.co.uk Using the outdoor environment to help children to learn. Local providers Christina Dee and Wendy Dick. They can provide curriculum linked lessons and activities. They are also qualified to train the teaching staff so that your school can be a forest school provider. Tel: 01242 602476 (See information in Appendix 1) Learning through landscapeswww.ltl.org.ukPromotes and supports better outdoor environments in education for children. Become a member for a regular newsletter, updates and excellent curriculum linked lesson ideas, activity sheets, factsheets with notes. (See example in appendix 2) Annual subscription £60 www.growingschools.org.ukProvide the framework, support and resources to help deliver government initiative such as 'Every Child Matters' 'Learning Outside the Classroom', 'Health Schools' and 'Sustainable Schools'. Has a huge library of resources spanning all National Curriculum subjects. Learning Outside the Classroomwww.lotc.org.ukGuidelines for learning outside the classroom. Mostly free to download resources. Resource submissions change every month. www.bgen.org.ukand www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk Learning Outside the Classroom quality badge holder. School visits. Downloadable risk assessment. Woodland Trustwww.woodlandtrust.org.uk and www.naturedetectives.org.ukProvides free to downlad curriculum linked fact sheets and themed activity sheets. For example The Picnic Pack includes themed food recipes, games and activities or The Storytelling Pack includes ideas for writing and telling stories outdoors. It is also possible to obtain free seeds and trees for the school under The Tree for All Scheme. The Wildlife Trustwww.wildlifetrusts.orgLocal branch - 28 Harborne Rd, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 3AA Tel: 0121 454 1199 Join the local wildlife watch group. Free to download fact sheets, activities, blog and competitions (look under the 'Kids and Families' section) www.bbcwildlife.org.ukThe Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country Bird Watchingwww.rspb.org.ukThe RSPB. Schools Programme linked to the National Curriculum. Join the RSPB to get a handbook for identifying birds and a magazine four times a year. RSPB action awards. Discover wildlife practical projects to qualify for bronze, silver and gold awards. Forest Education Initiativewww.foresteducation.org.ukJoin a local cluster group. Provides learning resources.Free to download cross curricular lesson plans, fact sheets and activity sheets. For example A Woodland Workout. Field Studies Councilwww.field-studies-council.orgAn einvironmental education organisation. Free online resources and field work support. Easy to use charts on birds/insects/plants etc. British Trust for Conservationwww.btcv.orgOnline shop for trees, shrubs, bulbs, wildflower plants and seeds, equipment, books etc. Local Willow Weaving WorkshopsSally Murray. Willoworks. Tel: 01242 228374 Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Carol Beavis, Wildworks, Tel: 01773 880329 Iris Bertz Tel: 01926 314643 Allotmentwww.allotment.org.ukAdvice and support from allotment associations www.gardenorganic.org.uk/schools or www.theschoolvegetablepatch.schools.officelive.comAdvice, resources, curriculum links, mail order plants and equipment. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardeningSow it, grow it, eat it projects. Free to download lesson plans, games, and activity sheets. Links to other related websites. Join their Benchmark Scheme free of charge. Local Bat Groupwww.brumbats.org.ukCan organise a bat walk in the school grounds. Bat box building etc. There may also be local butterfly, bird and botany groups to link with. The local Wildlife Trust may be able to help. Telephone 0121 454 1199 Tree SurgeonsThere are several listed in this area. This one was recommended by the local Wildlife Trust as being more in tune with the wildlife and the sensitive nature of your site. Midland Arboriculture and Woodland Services. Neil McLean 07710626668 Awards Your School Can work Towardswww.rspb.org.uk Wildlife action awards, bronze, silver and gold. www.sustainabilitywestmidlands.org.uk www.naturedetectives.org.uk Green trees schools awards, bronze, silver and gold. http://apps.rhs.org.uk/schoolgardening for school gardening. Benchmark wards level 1-5 (some funds available for projects.) Section 5MaintenanceVegetable BedsClear the crops away to the compost heap when they are finished. These plants are called annuals as they are sown, grown and then die completely in the same year. Edible flowers such as borage and nasturtiums are also annuals, but their seed will stay in the ground until the following year and grow then. If you are growing herbs, perennials like mint and oregano can be cut back in the autumn, or left until spring for any seeds to be eaten by wildlife. Mint is very invasive and you might need to split up the clumps every spring. Other herbs like lavendar, sage and rosemary are shrubby. It's best to trim these, (like a haircut), after they have flowered, but don't cut them so far back that all the leaves are cut off as they might not grow back. The Butterfly AreaThe buddleia will produce seeds that the birds will like. Cut each stem hard back to two buds from the base in spring. Paths Glades and open SpacesRemove any grasses and plants from the paths unless some are required to flower. Cut back brambles etc from used areas. Wildflower AreaTo encourage colonies of native wild flowers, the grass here should not be mown. Strim and rake off, before removal, once a year in late summer, (to disperse the wildflower seed). Use a four year rotation system , mowing the paths through the meadow in a slightly different location every year. Bog AreaPlants will appear to die in autumn or winter, but the plant is still alive underground. Each spring they will grow again. These kinds of plants are called perennials. In time, some plants will get so big they will grow over smaller ones. In the spring you will be able to see which small ones might need rescuing and you will need to dig them up and move them out to a safer place. You could make some new planting areas for these and other plants. It is best to leave clearing until the spring as the birds can use plant material for nesting, and also may enjoy eating any seed heads during the winter. In the spring, cut the dying leaves and stems back to the ground. You will need to keep the plants free from grass otherwise some of the plants may eventually die. When you have some compost to use from your compost area, you could sprinkle a covering of compost to about 6cm around each plant. This is called mulch and the best time to do this is when the ground is warm in late spring or early autumn. This will improve the soil. Bulb AreasThe bulb foliage should not be cut off but allowed to die back naturally. The grass areas should be strimmed/mown back once this has happened. The WoodlandThe old trees should be checked for signs of disease and damage from time to time. The tree surgeon will advise on remedial work. The wood is regenerating itself and the trees have produced many younger saplings which in time may need to be thinned to ensure the health of the remainder. Coppice AreasThe hazel and dogwoods can be cut back in the spring. Keep the coppicing for projects, plant supports etc. DogwoodsCut around half the stems as close to the base as possible. The youngest stems of dogwood have the best colour and are more flexible, so cut out the oldest stems each year. HazelDepending on the project, thicker or thinner wood can be coppiced. It isn't necessary to do this every year. One in every three of four years would be adequate, but less often or more often would also be corret. Use a rotation system so that not every plant is cut at the same time. |