Its been an amazing two weeks running In the Wild sessions for three cohorts of 20 learners at West Coventry Academy. Miranda supported me in week one and then Coach Anna (who is based in Leicester) joined me in week two.

The In the Wild outdoor sessions again showed transformational results for participating children:

  • Engaged Mindful Focus: Across multiple sessions, teachers and staff noted significant improvements in mindfulness, confidence, and social connection:
  • Building Self-Confidence & Creativity: Children actively participated in grounding activities like finger braiding and visualisation, with many quietly concentrating or closing their eyes during the exercise.
  • Strengthening Teamwork & Kindness: Staff highlighted exceptional collaboration, mutual support, and a shared sense of belonging as children worked together to build and create using natural materials.
  • Re-engaging Isolated Students: The outdoor setting provided a breakthrough for children struggling with mainstream classroom attendance or school anxiety. In one case, a student who previously refused to go outside joined in, built a den in a tree, and showed remarkable progress. Other students who felt isolated or arrived in tears were able to connect, participate fully, and enjoy meaningful outdoor experiences.

“I am so proud of how the students conducted themselves and joined in.

I called the parent of the one boy I spoke to you about (starting to climb up a tree, really engaged, a year ago would not join in) and she was so happy to hear how involved he was.

It is a truly invaluable intervention for some of our students as some do not have any green space at home.

As their pastoral leader I often see some of the students when they are dysregulated and upset so to be able to share such a great experience with them is heart warming.  They seem to get so engrossed in the amazing  activities you do .  It is a joy to watch them relax and enjoy.

Thank you so much for the great work you do.” – Miss Rebecca Rivers | Pastoral Leader & DSL Year 8

also love this feedback from Gemma and Molly – both new Family Support Workers at West Coventry Academy:

“We saw a lot of children that wouldn’t really get involved at school, actually participate really well and kind of step out of their comfort zone a little bit and actually like sat and listened and enjoyed to everything that Laura and her colleagues were saying. I think there was children that didn’t normally mix together that mixed together. All the children that I spoke to that attended the sessions, they all said that they couldn’t wait for the next week, and they said that they wanted more after the second session finished. So I think that was really good feedback from the children.”

Feedback from A Year 8 who came to the session:

” I liked just being outside instead of sitting inside, I found it a lot easier. it helped me to feel good id like to do more. I feel stressed in lesson outside i felt calm. I d go outside but It was different going in the woods making a den my favourite was building the boat.I sometimes feel pressured in lessons but I felt good being outside”