Learning outside the classroom

The Ernest Cook Trust places education at its heart by offering children and young people the opportunity to learn from the land in a very direct way.

The comprehensive outdoor education programme, led by qualified Education Officers from the Outdoor Learning Centres on its estates in Gloucestershire, Leicestershire and Dorset gives teachers a wonderful opportunity to transfer any part of the National Curriculum and higher level learning out of the classroom and into the great outdoors.

Using the Trust’s farms, woodland and rivers, children and young people of all ages – from Foundation Stage to undergraduates – are actively encouraged by the Trust to learn about farming and agriculture, wildlife, biodiversity and natural habitats, at first hand.

The Trust's Education Team tailor each visit to the specific learning needs of the children and their teachers. Forest School and residential opportunities are also available on the Trust's Gloucestershire estates.

The Trust is hoping to become one of the first of the country's landowners to gain national Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS) status for its educational activities. The scheme both accredits staff who are working with school groups and endorses premises as being appropriate for school visits.