On Friday I had my first session working with the staff and children at [1] Ashmead Combined School in Aylesbury.

I’m working with Reception children at this Creative Partnerships ‘Change’ School, as part of my residency at [2] College Lake Nature Reserve, through the Hide project set up by Alistair Will of [3] Outdoor Culture.

I’m going to be exploring the site with all 70 reception children split into six separate groups for half a day each, and then working closely with two small groups over another 3 days, giving us chance to follow up on those individual children’s interests to more depth. We’ll also have a chance to explore some of the school’s own grounds.

The aim of the sessions with the children is to give them a chance to get outdoors, experience a wildlife rich  site, and to explore it using creative ways. We want the children to lead the direction that the project goes in within a general theme of being creative explorers.

Friday morning was a chance for me and the children to meet each other quite informally. I talked with each of three classes, and they told me what they thought an artist did, what a nature reserve might be and what we might see/discover on our trips to College Lake.

I had laid out a couple of tables with natural finds from a wood, and with materials and tools to explore them, including mark-making materials, magnifying glasses, maps and collecting bags - similar things to those which the children will use to explore and document College Lake.

It was a lovely start to the project, with children opting to come and chat with me when they were ready, use the resources in their chosen ways, and to look at some of the photos that I had on a slideshow, of my artwork and other creative outdoor learning projects.

This Friday sees the first two of the six small groups visiting College Lake, where we are going to be based in [4] BBOWT’s yurt; heading out from there to explore the woods, lakeside and hides, following the children’s own interests and ideas.

More images to come, and details of the direction that the project heads in, as it happens…