Queensmead Academy Pupils Excited By Unique Forest Foxes Experience

- Leicester City in the Community run Forest Foxes, an inspiring outdoor learning project connecting primary school pupils with nature
- Pupils have felt the benefits of working outside, despite Forest Foxes being in its early stages
- Queensmead Academy is one beneficiary of the outdoor learning programme
- Forest Foxes is part of the nationwide Community Forest Woodland Outreach Project to have a positive impact upon the wellbeing of children

Forest Foxes, funded by the Department for Education, is part of the wider Community Forest Woodland Outreach Project, which looks to deliver rare experiences across the country.

Pupils have the opportunity to make controlled fires and explore wildlife - among many other tasks - in a project funded by the PFA and Premier League Community Fund.

Leicester City in the Community work alongside the National Forest Company and Forest School Association to deliver the programme, which will be overseen by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Natural England.

Sheila Capper, Outdoor Learning Coach with LCitC, discussed the partnership: “Forest Foxes aims to get children outside into the environment.

“The Forest School Association have an ethos to create inspirational lessons in the outdoors. This promotes the health and wellbeing of children and is designed to build up their resilience.”

Queensmead Academy pupils have even made their own tea and, although the Braunstone school was still in the early stages of the project, many children have already benefitted. 

Charlie, a pupil at Queensmead, said: “I find it interesting. I have never done anything like this before and it’s something new.

“It makes me a bit more excited since we are normally trapped inside doing work.”

See Forest Foxes in action HERE. Contact Sheila Capper, Outdoor Learning coach via sheila.capper@lcfc.co.uk to find out more about the programme.