At the end of school on 17th October, parents and children once again joined members of the PTA and our Academy Community Pioneer (Matt Linley-Simon) for a walk in the woods. Following the successes of previous seasons, participants  were keen to follow the passage of the year as Nature slows down in Autumn, making ready for Winter.  Matt also leads on the Forest School at the academy as part of his role as Community Pioneer and has been using the sessions to develop confidence, resilience and teaching the children new life skills.

The walk was open to the whole community, and we inevitably adopted several walkers and their furry companions as we kept our eyes mostly glued to the ground, hunting for the plentiful funghi all in full fruit. They were everywhere, in the grass, on trees, and even around the ephemeral ponds in the parks.

As we completed our circuit of the woodland and through the local cemetery, one parent said: “Great autumn walk! Thank you!”

Matt, our Academy Community Pioneer said “It was a lovely opportunity to continue our observation our local area’s native wildlife. Particularly at this time, so shortly after National Funghi Day, these are the stars of the show, and it was great to see such biodiversity in what we saw.”

“These regular walks encourage us to stop and really see what’s all around us. Hundreds of people walk through these woods every week, without having the time to appreciate all it has to offer. The children who joined us dashed from log to fairy ring, careful not tread on any of the delicate mushrooms and toadstools. One brave soul even picked up a snapped Fly Agaric, though I’m thankful to say not directly with his hands and everyone was very careful not to take any risks!”

A huge thank you to Matt and everyone who joined him for the Autumn woodland walk. We hope to see you all on our next walk in winter! #SucceedTogether #BeYourselfAlways