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The beginning of the Summer term is an incredibly busy and exciting time for us here in ODW. Block 5 students present their projects to the moderator, and Block 4s pick their topics and areas of interest for the following academic year.
On 29 April Richard Dunne from The Harmony Project returned to moderate our Block 5s, spending the morning listening to 35 students present their projects and outcomes, both individually and in groups.
As ever, projects covered a diverse range of interests, including foraging and fermentation; blacksmithing; bee keeping, sheep husbandry; cooking; tractor restoration; willow weaving; charcoal making and selling; and various construction projects including a green roof, fruit-cage, log store and a bug hotel for Bedales Pre-prep.
Richard said:
“I was extremely impressed by the quality of the work the students had produced, the richness of their learning experiences over the duration of the course, and the passion and authority with which the students spoke about their work. Please congratulate every one of them on the excellent progress they have made.
My congratulations to both of you and your team for leading the course so enthusiastically and successfully. You strike the right balance between supporting and guiding the students to develop the necessary skills to achieve their project goals, and giving them the autonomy and freedom to make the projects theirs.
I very much enjoyed my day with you. The Outdoor Work BAC course is a brilliant course and your students are very lucky to have the opportunity to participate in it and learn so many important life skills.
Very well done to you all.”
Our Block 4s are also progressing well. We place a lot of emphasis on participation and engagement (30% of course marks), so students select their projects on interests rather than friendship groups. And once again this is proving to be a winning formula, as this year’s cohort get properly stuck in!
Bees and sheep are attracting the most students this year, with three groups choosing these as their main topics of interest. The bee group have a hive each to manage (the waiting list for honey is particularly long this year!), and the sheep groups are preparing for shearing and halter training.
Another group of students are testing their construction skills by replacing the chestnut railing of the fence in Butt’s field by the school’s main entrance. This is work that will keep our beloved ponies Sonny and JimJam safely fenced in, so we’re glad it is in such capable hands! Next the group will take on the challenge of replacing the bee hut, where we keep all our beekeeping equipment.
We also have enthusiastic groups of green-woodworkers who are learning about whittling and rustic furniture, blacksmiths who are currently learning the basics before deciding what farm-related implements to make, and foodies who will be keeping the farm shop shelves topped up with delicious produce such as jam, chutney and apple cider vinegar.
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