What we do
Nature Days is an independent field studies service offering quality bespoke educational field trips in and around the Gower peninsula for junior schools, senior schools, colleges and the general public.
We also provider teacher training on how to use your school grounds and local learning area to teach the curriculum. Training can be undertaken in your school grounds or online and provides you with ideas and techniques to use your site effectively and a resource for teaching and learning across the curriculum.
We provide a cost effective way for children to learn about the different environments that exist around Gower, in South Wales just a few miles from Swansea and the M4.
Field trips are tailored to your student’s needs and are created with your learning objectives as guidance.
If you are not able to visit the Swansea area, then Nature Days can provide a small number of field trips in your school grounds, depending on the site you have.
School based field trips include:
- Maths outdoors
- Literacy outdoors
- Science investigations
- Art outdoors
- Navigation
- Survival and bushcraft
Contact Nature Days for more details on in-school outdoor learning sessions.
Dawn Thomas – Outdoor learning consultant
Dawn Thomas is the founder and CEO of Nature Days, an outdoor learning, consultancy and training provider. She has a degree in Environmental Biology, MSc in Environmental Impact Assessment and is a qualified secondary science teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience. For nearly 20 years she has worked with over 200 different schools supporting the embedding of outdoor learning into the curriculum through staff training, creation of teaching resources, talks and presentations.
Dawn has been teaching outdoors for over 25 years. She is passionate about the use of the outdoors to allow all pupils to access the curriculum. To this end Dawn has provided teacher training on how to strategically embed outdoor learning into practices in schools. She is expert in integrating outdoor learning into the coverage of the curriculum for Wales. As a chair of IOL Cymru South and the Curriculum Based Outdoor Learning and Field Studies Professional Practice group Dawn has supported providers of outdoor learning to use the outdoors to teach curriculum content.
Dawn has spoken at various conferences and provided training and resources for organisations such as the Council for Learning outside the Classroom (CLOtC), Institute for Outdoor Learning, (IOL), Geographical Association (GA) and the Welsh exam board (WJEC).
Dawn works with the WJEC exam board supporting their geography fieldwork provision and developing resources and teacher training.
Codes of conduct and practice
The following is taken from Nature Days’ health and safety policy.
Nature Days is committed to ensuring the health and safety of its customers, in so far is reasonably practicable. We also accept our responsibility for other persons who may be affected by our activities. We will take steps to ensure that our statutory duties are met at all times.
Any customer will be given such information, instruction and training as is necessary to enable the safe participation in all activities. Although sometimes it will act in good faith and assume that the client group leader is competent to supervise.
The ultimate responsibility that of ‘loco parentis’ lies with the client group leader, the head of school etc. I, Dawn Thomas am the ‘provider’, the ‘instructor’, the person with technical expertise, therefore, I have a duty of care to my clients and will ensure that all activities are designed to take account of health and safety. Even when taking instruction from me the ultimate responsibility for supervision lies with the client group leader and they must be aware of this.
If a child cannot partake safely in the activity, or is threatening the safety the group, it is the responsibility of the client group leader to remove the child from the activity and meet the cost of doing this.
If the client group leader overrides my H&S advice, I cannot be held responsible, and may have to cancel the activity.
The supervision is the responsibility of the client group leader, as I do not know the children and therefore cannot be held fully responsible for discipline and control. The recommended ratios are set down by the County Council and National Governing Bodies, but as there is no relevant body for fieldwork, if I deem it necessary to alter the ratios I will state this in my risk assessments and the client group must meet them.
Every individual has a legal obligation to take reasonable care for his or her own health and safety, and for the safety of other people who may be affected by his or her acts or omissions. The children should be made aware of this by the group leader in advance of the trip, warned of the main hazards, and reminded of them again in the field.
Although at pains to stress where the ultimate responsibility lies in law, I will always behave as if it lie with me, for as the technical expert, and the person familiar with the sites I accept that I have the greatest duty of care.
I wish to work in an atmosphere of good faith and believe in partnerships between client group leaders and instructors.
Nature Days will risk assess sites and activities and make client groups aware of the risks on site. However that teachers are also charged to make their own assessments based on their group with any concerns over the behaviour or fitness of the group to be sent to Nature Days on the booking form.
Booking Procedures for Nature Days services
This is from Nature Days working procedures policy available below.
On enquiring, Nature Days will communicate via email with the school. Please ensure the visit leader is communicating directly with Nature Days so that information reaches the appropriate person.
Once a school have enquired about a field trip, either by email, phone or enquiry via the website a link to an online booking form with curriculum planning will be sent to the school. The online booking form can be found here.
These forms include information such as age of the class, number of students and number of staff attending. This information should have already been gathered by the staff.
Schools are required to look at county recommendations for ratios of adults to children for the age group. For more details consult the OEAP National guidance.
Days are planned for a single class which usually includes up to 35 children. Larger groups are not recommended as the quality of learning is reduced by the class size.
If schools want to bring larger groups, then communication with Nature Days is vital to insure that the group can be managed safely without Nature Days bringing in extra safety procedures and that the activities are appropriate for teaching a large group. Contact Nature Days for more details.
Usually larger groups are split up on site with school staff leading a planned activity while Nature Days leads the main activity.
Booking Form and curriculum planning sheet
These forms include information of any special requirements by the children and staff attending such as medical conditions which are relevant, special needs, any staff who are first aid trained and acknowledgement that the school staff are responsible;
a) discipline
b) head counting
c) lunch time supervision /cleaning hands etc.
d) organising a back marker
e) making sure that all medicines and permission slips come on trip.
Once these are received back from the school then the day will be planned.
This involves site selection – appropriate to the learning objectives and time of year, activities – dependant on any specific requirements in the curriculum planning sheet or identified in conversation with the visiting school.
An outline of the activities for the day will then be planned with reference to the learning objectives received. This will be sent to the school with the associated hazards identified for the activities.
Nature Days procedures and the school’s responsibilities during the field trip is highlighted to the school by email and in the “General Covering letter”.
Any questions about the trip are asked for regularly by Nature Days so that the school are aware of what is expected and what to expect.
If requested or suitable for the age range, a teacher’s pack for the site and subject will be sent to the school to help with pre planning and help the school make the most out of the visit. These packs include information about the site, habitats, animals and plants found there and a number of activities to do prior to and after the field trip. This is to help schools integrate the field trip into their scheme of work and planning more effectively.
Worksheets for the day are also sent to the school so that they can see if any differentiation is required and if they are suitable for the classes ability. If the worksheets are not suitable the school can request differentiated worksheets to be provided, bring their own or not complete written work during the field trip. This is the role of the teacher to make this judgement as they know their classes abilities.
Roles and responsibility of visiting staff
The main teaching and leading of the day will be undertaken by Nature Days. This will include running activities, providing equipment, navigation to suitable locations and general group management and safety. First aid if required or delegated to qualified school staff.
School staff are required to take charge of:
a) discipline of the group,
b) head counting
c) lunch time supervision /cleaning hands etc.
d) organising a back marker
e) making sure that all medicines and permission slips come on trip.
During the day school staff are welcome to contribute to teaching and running activities, or observe and monitor learning by the pupils.
School staff are asked not to take over the roles of the Nature Days leader unless they are asked to specifically undertake a task allocated to them.
During emergencies the “Emergency procedure Procedure” will be followed in which the structure of command is identified and roles will be allocated by Nature Days as and when required.
Nature Days supervision and responsibilities end once the class are all safely on the bus back to school or if the staff take the group and their leave of Nature Days staff and walk themselves to the bus.
Structure of day
Schools are informed of the drop off and pick up points for the bus via email.
Timings tend to be drop off 10am pick up 2:30pm. This depends on the schools transport arrangements and the field trips can be run during any set times from 8am – 6pm.
Cost of the field trip is the same no matter what the arrival and departure time of the school.
Activities will be undertaken in accordance to the outline for the day but are subject to change at any point based on the professional judgement of Nature Days.
Schools may leave earlier if the weather is too challenging for the class.
Pricing policy
At the time of booking an invoice is also sent to the school informing them of the cost for the day.
This cost is inclusive of; any resources sent to the school e.g. teacher’s packs, maps and worksheets. Loan of the necessary equipment for the planned day. An experienced qualified teacher as a leader for the day. A memorable, education experience for the class and staff.
If the field trip is canceled or postponed the invoice is moved to the new date.
There is no financial risk in booking with Nature Days.
All trips can be postponed or cancelled if issues arise.
No deposit is taken so no loss can occur to the school.
Invoices must be paid within 30 days of the field trip being undertaken. If payment is not made within the time then future bookings may not be accepted.
For INSET training the cost is not inclusive of travel and subsidence expenses which are additional.
All policy documents are available on request.
Feedback
Feedback is sort from all clients of Nature Days and a follow up email will be sent with a link to an online feedback form. Please feedback all comment, good or bad, as all are read and integrated into an improvement to Nature Days. You can also add a review on Kaddi.
Here are some of Dawn’s qualifications
- Safeguarding training
- Level 3 Outdoor first aid(RQF)
- Qualified Mountain Leader
- Off-Site Safety Management training by the Royal Geographical Society.
- National Water Safety Management Programme (NWSMP) training. NWSMP equips anyone working in, on or near water with essential knowledge and skills to make informed decisions about managing safety and enables group leaders to deliver safer activity at open water sites. Level 1, level 2 beach and river and Level 3 in-water rescue
- STEM Ambassador training
- Forest School Leader level 3
- Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) – Secondary science with biology
- MSc Environmental Impact assessment
- BSc Environmental Biology at Swansea University
- Countryside management qualifications including;
- Tree and woodland management
- Chainsaw operations
- Training in hedge-laying, dry-stonewalling, fencing, gate hanging and tractor driving
Here is some of Dawn’s experience
Over 20 years of taking groups for outdoor learning and field work on Gower
Over 10 years of undertaking teacher training on outdoor learning
Over 15 years of running Gower Society Youth activities
Scout leader for over 20 years
Providing consultancy and training for WJEC on field work for GCSE and A level Geography
A level Geography examiner and moderator
Forest school leader
Science, geography, environmental science teaching in the classroom
Nature Days policy documents
Nature Days is Covid secure.
FAQ
What are you doing to ensure you are Covid secure?
Nature Days is following all government guidelines and adjusting locations and activities so that social distancing can be maintained. Locations will be thoroughly risk assessed and additional facilities for hand washing implemented.
As the virus is more difficult to transmit outdoors all our field trips will be undertaken outdoors with maximum distance from any members of the public.
Risk assessments are in place for Covid and Nature Days will follow any additional systems individual schools are enforcing to ensure continuity.
Transport options will be discussed with schools so that this does not become a barrier.
What about hand washing outdoors?
On most sites an outdoor hand washing station will be set up so that hand washing can be undertaken effectively. Also any onsite toilet facilities will be used. The use of antibacterial gel will also be used when hand washing is not feasible.
What about sharing equipment?
Nature Days has a large amount of equipment to share out. When necessary individuals will be responsible for pieces of equipment and will not be able to share. If necessary the equipment will be cleaned thoroughly between users in soapy water or if electrical with antibacterial wipes.
We can’t use our normal transport, how are we going to get to the site?
Nature Days aims to use the same procedures as the booking schools for getting children to the site. Most are using parent’s cars and this will be the case on trip day just to a different site. Parents will then pick up from the site. If this is not possible then sites will be chosen to allow children to walk to the site from school or another drop off point.
Do you have a Covid Risk assessment?
Yes we do which we can share if staff require it. As Covid is less lightly to be transmitted outdoors measures put in place after undertaking the risk assessment are generally;
– Provision of hand washing or hand sanitiser.
– Social distancing – ensuring large areas are used for lunch and congregating.
– Disinfecting shared equipment.
– All groups will be self contained and not mix with other groups – one class/bubble only on a trip/site.
Nature days will be updating the measures in place following any change to the guidance and observing the OEAP guidance on Corona virus. Available here
Systems:
- Regularly washing/sanitising hands including when going outside, before and after touching shared objects such as activity equipment, before eating, after using the toilet, when getting on or off transport such as a minibus, when returning inside;
• Avoiding touching objects shared by the public – for example, a member of staff could hold a gate open to avoid everyone touching it;
• Avoiding activities which involve touching each other (e.g. holding hands);
• Sanitising equipment before it is used.