Projects
Wild About Your School:
Intended as an extended project (of at least 4 individual activities on and
off school premises) for groups of young people (11-18). The project focus is to work as a team to
improve the school grounds for wildlife and those pupils and adults participating are eligible to
receive the John Muir Award.
Structured guidance is provided throughout the project along with the opportunity to bring pupils on
at least one external field visit led by the project officer in the South West Peak. The focus of this field
visit would be habitats and techniques of surveying animal and plant species. This can be particularly
valuable for Key Stage 3 pupils as an opportunity to develop important fieldwork skills to contribute
to their preparation for GCSE fieldwork. The personal development opportunities for the members of
the team working on the project bring far reaching benefits both academically and socially.
Wild About Your Rivers:
Another extended project (of at least 4 individual activities on and off school premises) that is designed
to include at least one field visit led by the project officer to study an element of a river in the South West
Peak. This could be hydrology or freshwater biology or a mix of both. Where possible, this could be
designed to fit with the John Muir Award by incorporating another visit focused purely on conserving the
river the pupils have visited and sharing their experience with others.
Check out the Wild About Your Rivers Project Summary here.
Wild About Your Moorlands:
This is another option for an extended project (of at least 4 individual activities on and off school premises)
designed around moorland habitats which are plentiful within the South West Peak. This would include at
least one external visit led by the project officer to a moorland site in the South West Peak where a range
of studies could take place from different elements of the school curriculum in geography and science. A
conservation visit to a moorland habitat in the South West Peak would then allow pupils to work towards
their John Muir Award.
As with the “Wild About Your School” project these extended projects are easily worked into the
requirements for the John Muir Award and structured guidance would be provided to the school to facilitate
this process.
Check out the Wild About Your Moorlands Project Summary here.
Fieldwork days in the South West Peak:
These can be tailored to suit the curriculum requirements of the
school and can be aimed at Key Stages 3 – 5. They would be led primarily by the project officer. These days
could also be focused on a more holistic experience where the aim is to benefit the young people on a more
intrinsic level promoting wellbeing through enjoyment of the outdoors. Areas of focus for fieldwork could
include sustainability of towns/villages in the South West Peak; Habitats and Techniques (studying a particular
ecosystem in depth or making comparisons between biotic/abiotic features in different locations) or hydrology.
Carbon Days:
These fieldwork days are focused on the carbon and water requirements for A-level courses that occur in some
of the Geography and Science specifications. An exciting opportunity to study the link between the upland
peatlands of the Peak District and their effect on the carbon and water cycles. Students develop a greater
understanding of the role that peat plays in mitigating climate change.
Available between September and March. (This isn't available during bird breeding season April - July)
“Natural World and Me”:
This anonymous survey has been developed and will be distributed through Smart Survey. The aim is to measure
young people’s level of connectedness/level of understanding of ecosystem services/appreciation and attitudes to
environmental issues. This will help to monitor change and measures impacts of engagement measures we employ.
Click Here to offer young people a chance to share their views in this 10 minute survey
Follow Beyond the Classroom on Twitter: @SWP_BTC
More information on the John Muir Award can be found here
Questions or updates should be sent to:
Jackie Wragg: Beyond the Classroom Project Officer
Email: Jackie.Wragg@peakdistrict.gov.uk
Tel: 07585903679
