IOL Woodland Skills Leader Certificate Training Course
Do you want to effectively deliver the woodland based skills of Bushcraft & Survival?
If your answer is "yes", then this course is for you!
This course is fully accredited by the IOL.
Who is this course for?
With a growing interest in the areas of woodland skills & activities, more people are wishing to engage in activities related to Bushcraft, Survival, Forest School, Scouting and camping.
The need was identified for schools, scout groups, youth groups and outdoor centres to access training for their staff, which not only develops and proves competence but, which ensures the safe and effective leadership of basic Bushcraft activities.
The Woodland Skills Leaders course (WSL)
Was created to provide a basic level of certification for leaders, to ensure the safety of participants & the effective delivery of woodland based Bushcraft activities.
What's covered?
The safe and effective use of tools (bow saw, axe, sheath knife) in the woodland environment, and there effective and safe instruction to a group.
Lighting and managing fires in a woodland space, and it’s use to complete basic tasks; boiling water and cooking basic foods. Appropriate risk/group management strategies for camp fires are also included.
Building shelters from natural materials and using man made resources, such as tarps, including the ability to effectively use and teach the use of cordage/knots/lashings etc.
What can you expect to achieve?
Following a successful assessment a WSL attendee will achieve following learning outcomes:
To demonstrate both personal competence, and leading/instructional ability, in the woodland skills of; tool use, fire lighting, shelter building, flora and fauna identification and natural craft skills.
To develop the ability to create appropriate; lesson plans, risk assessments and operational policies necessary to lead woodland skills sessions.
Develop knowledge and ability of; instruction & group management strategies related to woodland skills, environmental considerations of woodland skills training and the leave-no-trace ethos, appropriate models of teaching & learning and integrating woodland skills into wider outdoor learning practices.
The WSL opens opportunities of further study within the field of outdoor education, for both leaders and their client groups. It promotes safe and responsible use of our natural environments and will help to raise the profile of outdoor learning.
"The Woodland Skills Leader certificate aims to protect the fragile environments in which Bushcraft & Survival training activities take place, by integrating an ethos of conservation into the teaching and learning of unskilled client groups."
Interested?
This 4 day course covers the essential woodland based skills of Bushcraft and Survival instruction, to inexperienced clients. It includes 3 days of training and 1 day of assessment. It's an ideal course for those wishing to deliver these activities within their own instruction and teaching.
Courses at ANDY LEWIS BUSHCRAFT are very popular and places are filled quickly. To avoid disappointment don't delay, book your training today.
N.B. The only form of accommodation on our woodland site is by camping. You will need to provide your own camping equipment and, as this is a non-catered leadership/training course, you should also bring enough food to last for the duration of the event.
This course is for adults, over the age of 18, with previous experience of teaching, leading and/or instructing. Should you choose to book and attend this course, when you do not have previous leadership and instruction experience, then it is likely you will fail the assessment section of the course. The assessors would then have no option but to defer you to another course, after a suitable period of personal development and extension in your teaching experience.
If you are unable to pay online, or wish to pay in instalments, then please call/email us to arrange an alternative way to book your place.
Course Dates
Course dates coming soon, thanks for your patience!
Watch the video to see what Rianon, a teacher from Bolton, thought of her 4 day WSL course, and whether she'd recommend it to others?
Rianon Francis
Cameron travelled to Cheshire, from Scotland, to do the 4 day WSL course. As a scout leader and outdoors-person he knows good quality training when he experiences it! Watch the video to see what he thought of the WSL course.
Cameron Maguire
Neil, a former RAF serviceman and ex police officer, did the 4 day WSL certificate course, in order to re-train and begin working in the outdoor sector. See what he though of the course, and if he'd recommend it to others, by watching the video.
Neil Mcleod
What's the difference
Between the IOL Bushcraft Competency Certificate (BCC) & the IOL Woodland Skills Leader Certificate?
The BCC develops a persons personal skillset, allowing them to gain the confidence & techniques they require to instruct.
The WSL develops a persons instructional ability so that they possess; appropriate activity operating procedures, risk management strategies, group management strategies, and session planning skills.
A 'good' or competent instructor should have a sound personal skillset AND robust instructional ability. If you're aiming to be a good instructor it's not a matter of BCC or WSL, you should ideally do the BCC & then the WSL. This will ensure you are fully able to teach Bushcraft actitivities safely and effectively.