During my visit to Churchwood Valley Holiday Park last week I also meet with the team from the Churchwood Forest School CIC.
It was great to catch up with Emma, the Forest School Leader, and Ben, who is leading the new alternative provision which officially opened just last week! Big thanks also to owners John and Shirley for introducing me to them and their generosity in supporting these brilliant educational facilities.
Emma spoke to me about the forest school and how outdoor learning can help children build confidence, resilience and communication skills in a more hands-on environment.
I also discussed with Ben and Emma how the new alternative provision will support young people who may be struggling in mainstream education. This new facility will provide for those young people who need a more personalised and structured setting to re-engage with learning.
Supporting children with SEND and improving access to alternative education locally continues to be an important issue for me, so it was valuable to see this new provision in South West Devon and hear directly from those delivering it.
