How to start a school

[jlw538uk]

Dear all,
I have been bored with my current job for some time and have been interested in the outdoors for a while. i am thinking about setting up my own bushcraft school which i am aiming for in about five years. I know that i will need to do a few courses in order to be an instructor in the beautiful art, but what i dont know is how to go about finding a location for a site. I am not loaded so i cant buy a plot of land . any body done this before please help and any other tips would be good.

John.

 

[Heathenpeddler]

First, I'd suggest a Woodland Management degree or a good few years working in the woodland conservation field. Then get some experience with another school, if you can find one that wants a junior trainer. After that, see how it goes. Doing it because you're bored is not a good idea

 

[Zodiak]

I think that a lot of Schools start out as part time jobs while the trade build up

 

[falling rain]

I have done a bit of teaching for the Oxfordshire County Council and wanted to dabble a bit in taking it a bit further but I've decided personally it's not for me now.
Firstly there are more and more schools appearing almost daily as bushcraft grows and grows in popularity and I believe new schools will struggle to get custom. Long established schools build repuatations as people want to make sure their getting exactly what they want from highly knowledgable and skilfull instructors, and that knowledge dosn't come overnight not by a long shot. Personally I go to Woodcraft school for my courses as the instructors there are absolutely professional, and extremely knowledgeable, not to mention great company.
The little teaching I've done I've found I enjoyed to varying degrees. I will admit I don't particularly enjoy teaching children. Some are good kids, but a lot (and it tends to be middle class kids) are impatient and want everything to work first time and if it dosn't they get bored and want to go onto the next thing. I assume this is because they generally have everything done for them by mummy and have no determination or sense of having to do things for themselves. The poorer kids tend to persevere with things if they don't go right and wont give up at the first hurdle if they fail to get over it. I taught some real hardcore ASBO kids back in the summer and they were hard work and I had to tread on egg shells the whole day in case I said the wrong thing I was quite nervous despite the care workers being there. They all had tags on their ankles and one was facing 8 years detention for a crime he'd commited, but one of those kids did bow drill and kept doing it until he got it which he did after about an hour of hard graft. I was over the moon for the lad.
Anyway it's one thing to have a hobby and another to teach it. Even some of the adults I taught had obviously seen old Ray on TV and decided to come along and most were very nice people, but the odd few obviously expected everything to be easy and it's not.
It's very hard work running any business of your own and very hard work indeed running a bushcraft school. There's a lot of legal stuff to consider too as was highlighted on another thread.
There's an NCFE bushcraft instructors course run by Woodcraft school in conjunction with Plumpton college which would give you a qualification. I'd recommend teaching at ATC or Army cadets as a civilian instructor to get a feel for teaching and see if you can get some practice somewhere teaching adults.
Good luck anyway if you decide to go for it but I'd get some experience under your belt to find out if it's really for you. Teaching a few friends for free is a lot different to teaching people who are paying you money.

 

[bambodoggy]

Experience and an ability to teach is the key, it's all very well having done a few courses and then thinking you know enough to teach....personally I don't think you do.
Teaching imo requires two things, a sound understanding of the skill you are teaching and an ability to impart that skill onto somebody else. I had a maths teacher at school who had 2 degrees and a doctorate in various types of maths, she was clearly a very bright lady who knew her stuff....unfortunately she just couldn't teach it and didn't seem to understand why we found it so hard to understand. On the flip side, my mum was a teacher and very good at it, provided she knew the basics she could teach anybody to do anything.

It worries me greatly when people with limited experience suddenly deside they will set up a school. I, like many on here, have been bushcrafting since before I was a cubscout, all through scouts, cadets and then the army, I've completed some very tough military courses and been on three civvie courses, I'm both Kayak and Canoe instructor, SPSA, Summer ML and various other outdoor qualified and have a degree in Outdoor Ed...add that little lot up and it's the best part of 20 years experience and I still DON'T think I'd be ready to start my own school.....I might be ready to teach a few mates a few things but as Nick says that's very different to charging for your teaching.

What if somebody like myself or Nick or any of the other intermeadiates on here came as a student on your course....would you have the depth of knowledge to take us on to the next level of skills?

I don't mean the above to sound quite as negative as it maybe does and it's great that you want to do this but please don't be blind to exactly what is involved before you jump into it.

The best advice I can give is to get yourself onto some course with the best school you can find, strive to not only complete the course but to pass it well, speak to the instructors and see how they got into it. Ask if you can help out on their courses as a goffer for free and do that until they trust you to help out with the teaching (all of this unpaid), after a few years of this then apply to them (or another school) for a paid instructor role and a few years after that think about setting up on your own.

Hope that helps and hasn't put too much of a dampener on your plans....still go for it but don't be like a student on Nick's courses where you want it all NOW! lol

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[Wayne]

Bam is pretty much spot on. I have spent all my life wandering the woodland and doing various courses. Bushcraft and general outdoors based skills. I had nearly 20 years teaching experience before I took the plunge to set up Forest Knights.

Its hard work. I spend more time on courses ensuring everything is going to plan. Each course takes a shed load of preparation to complete prior to a course.

There are lots of good schools out there all trying to get customers. Its hard to make a living. What are you going to offer to make people want to book there hard earnt money with you?

Good luck with your ambition. We all need a dream and there is nothing wrong with wanting earn a living doing something you love. There are too many instructors out there who have lost their passion for bushcraft and the outdoors. Learn to teach and motivate and you will do well. Other skills will come with time.

 

[falling rain]

One little annecdote that springs to mind - I was once teaching a group of kids with their parents, and I got them to whittle a kebab stick from a hazel shoot, stripping the bark off and putting the salami and tomato on the stick and 'cooking' it over the fire. (it's already edible as it is of course but they felt they were cooking like pioneers) Anyway they all had their kebabs cooking away and after about a minute little johnny (can't remember his real name) started complaining he was hungry and couldn't wait any longer and wanted to eat his kebab NOW. I suggested that if he was patient and waited a while it would 'cook' and taste so much better than as it was. ........But no..... Johnny couldn't wait!!
Expecting back-up from his mother that it would be worth the wait I asked his mother what she thought, and was dismayed that she agreed with Johnny and said to me 'no he's hungry he can't wait any longer and he was going to have his now'. I was quite gobsmacked, strewth the childs hardly going to die from starvation if he waits a few minutes. But of course that was up to him. It's not too difficult to imagine that Johnny was a child who got everything he wanted when he wanted it.
What I'm trying to say is you have to be prepared for awkward people on your courses too, and equally that goes for adults. Some will muck in and dig the poo pit or help out with the cooking or washing up, and some will have you do everything for them and not raise a finger to help out with any camp chores. I've seen it many times. It probably dosn't even occur to them to give a hand because they get everything done for them in home life by Mummy or wifey.
Not trying to be negative, go for it and good luck if that's your plan, but bear in mind it's not all roses by any stretch of the imagination

 

[swyn]

I did a tiny bit of assistant teaching before I was married and still take Work Experience students on a one to one basis.
My worst experience has been when parents come along with their children just as falling rain has pointed out. This was over food habits too!

The original idea was for three children to prepare, cook and wash up one meal for 18 bods. Assisted quietly in the background by one of us. This was proven over many years to enable the young cooks for that meal to recieve good positive comments from their hungry peers having done the majority of the work.
Of course mother was there and little Johnny and Jimmy never having cooked before in her eyes were totally incapable and consequently not allowed to perform this task. We then had a grumpy mother who felt like SHE was doing ALL the work. A grumpy Johnny and Jimmy because they couldn't do anything useful and an upset leader group disjointed from their usual positive programme! Not a good trip.

In my Work Experience field I find that this is one of the most intense ten day periods that I have during the year as HSE rules and keeping the student positively occupied is a difficult although rewarding task. These are students that want to be doing what I can offer so motivation is not an issue here.

I am not a teacher and would probably find doing this on a daily basis without professional training impossible. I feel that those who can teach well have a gift and enthusiasm along with method to enable the subject to be understood. Bam has said just this too.

All in all though I wish you the very best.

Swyn.

 

[C_Claycomb]

I have enjoyed teaching people new skills on a few occasions but I have found that as soon as you go beyond one-on-one (maybe 2), that Murphy bloke will step in and things can start going down hill all too easily. It doesn't matter how much preporation I have done before hand, its never enough for everything to go to plan.

Teaching something is a whole lot harder than doing it yourself, even if you have become truely expert; and that is teaching it to patient people who have good skills sets and want to learn!

The advice I have heard many times on all sorts of home businesses, going self employed, is to start it while you have a full time or part time job to fall back on. Grow your business slowly. It takes some of the pressure off if you aren't relying on it to pay all the bills.

Whatever you decide to do, best of luck with it

 

[Buckshot]

It doesn't matter how much preporation I have done before hand, its never enough for everything to go to plan.

This kinda reminds of an old army saying that goes something like
'No plan survives first contact with the enemy intake'

 

[gunnix]

What I'm trying to say is you have to be prepared for awkward people on your courses too, and equally that goes for adults. Some will muck in and dig the poo pit or help out with the cooking or washing up, and some will have you do everything for them and not raise a finger to help out with any camp chores. I've seen it many times. It probably dosn't even occur to them to give a hand because they get everything done for them in home life by Mummy or wifey.

I don't know about your particular courses but I think most of them survival or bushcraft courses cost awfully much and I wouldn't expect anything else then the one being paid to do the boring dirty jobs like digging a poo pit...

 

[woodwalker]

I wouldn't expect anything else then the one being paid to do the boring dirty jobs like digging a poo pit...

I like digging poo pits though...

Only a slightly more serious note though, having only had a small amount of experience within Scouts of working with children and bushcraft, I can definetly say that its not at all easy. Despite this, its very rewarding watching someone get an ember for the first time or a similar achievement. However, I could never contemplate charging for imparting any of my bushcrafting knowledge as compared to some, such as Mr Konanschski (spelling error) I know relatively little. I lead in Scouts not for any personal gain but because I am content in the knowledge that someone is benifiting from me helping them. In a school environment though, it wouldn't just be the odd skill or two being imparted, but a whole repetoire presented over the course of a few days.
Therefore my recommendation to you is to get out the woods/ on courses and start building up your knowledge base. Good luck in your quest ,

woodwalker

 

[pothunter]

I suggest that you go to your local cub, scout, guide pack or TA and offer to help out or join, this will give you the opportunity to see if teaching is for you, they may also help with training, safety assessment and certificates etc.

However having said all that when there are so many well established instructors why would I enrol in one of your courses as opposed to any other, do you have particular skills or knowledge to impart. If not now is the time to get that knowledge before you invest a lot of time and money.

You also suggested that you would attend courses to learn the skills necessary to teach I think this is an excellent idea, take a basic course and then go home, write the lesson plans and perfect the skills, then evaluate how long it will take you to become competent in all areas of bushcraft.

Good luck with what ever you chose to do, you are on a very steep learning curve.

 

[Bushwacker]

if I was goin to muck in and dig a `poo pit as Falling Rain suggests, I`d dig it long and deep enough to throw little johnny and his family in. As you can tell, I don`t have any people skills, much prefering to keep to myself. I know my teaching limitations, and they are very limited. Being confident in your knowledge and imparting it to others are as chalk and cheese, some have it, and I`m very gratefull that they do, but some are just not gifted with teaching. You can decide which category I fall into, (and it`s not the poo pit)

 

[falling rain]

I don't know about your particular courses but I think most of them survival or bushcraft courses cost awfully much and I wouldn't expect anything else then the one being paid to do the boring dirty jobs like digging a poo pit...

OK fair enough that's where we differ then. Yes granted the courses can sometimes be expensive but they take a LOT of organising and a LOT of work to run whilst in progress. Poo pit maybe not the best example but I personally don't mind peeling some spuds or helping with a bit of cooking or helping take down the parachute on de-camping, helping collect , chop and saw firewood for the campfire etc, etc, etc. and I have dug new poo pits too. and why not, it's helping out a little. We all benifit on a course from the food, fire, poo pit. It's called mucking in and being helpful. I have been on courses though that some folks have done nothing to lend a hand for the entire course, just as long as their own personal needs are satisfied. Just because I've paid £350 for a week course I don't expect to be waited on hand and foot. I DO expect to come away with some new skills and knowledge though. Each to their own though.

 

[ilan]

Suggest you join the scouts as a leader and get some experience of teaching and people skills lol if you can cope with that for a few years then start thinking about it . Dont forget it will take a lot of cash to set up

 

[Bhold]

Why to go on a bushcraft course? Becasue you LIKE BUSHCRAFT! Because you like camping, wild camping, whatever. Because you want to learn more, spend more time doing it. IT IS about getting the chance to get involved. You are paying to DO something, not to SEE something being done. Otherwise it is better to stick with dvds.
If you don't like to DO stuff that is bushcraft related (and camping without some work, I haven't heard about yet), well, then don't waste your time.
After all, if you don't like bushcraft, you are paying too much just to have a poo pit digged for you. If for you the course is not about bushcraft, well, it will be about dirt, pits and smoke.

 

[falling rain]

Dear all,
I have been bored with my current job for some time and have been interested in the outdoors for a while. i am thinking about setting up my own bushcraft school which i am aiming for in about five years. I know that i will need to do a few courses in order to be an instructor in the beautiful art, but what i dont know is how to go about finding a location for a site. I am not loaded so i cant buy a plot of land . any body done this before please help and any other tips would be good.

John.

jlw538uk - how rude. I've only just noticed that this was your first post. Apologies......and a big welcome.
Everyone is churning out their advice which is all meant in good faith by the way. We have a first class bunch here. :You_Rock_ There are people here with more skills and knowledge than you can shake your booty at. Welcome again and enjoy.

 

[Toddy]

Welcome to BcUK

Land to run a bushcraft school? Difficult unless you either have money or contacts, I suspect; and the fact the you want to run a business means that even those contacts may very well be limited in their usefulness.
Why not try the same route that folks go for when trying to find land to use for personal use? Find the landowners and ask. Ask if they know someone else, ask the local forest authorities, the farmers and the countryside parks. You might get very lucky but I expect it'll be a lot of work.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[jlw538uk]

Thank you to those of you who have offered a little advice and words of encouragement. To those of you who have been rude well we can all read your comments and it sums up alot about you as a person and not me. i do not expect to just fall in to bushcraft teaching and i know that we are not intrinsically born with the knowledge which is why i would like to learn more and if i can make a little money at the end so that i dont have to do my regular job and can enjoy what nature has to offer instead then great. please keep your positive comments coming and any pitfalls i should look out for would be helpful. I know that people expect a lot for their money. I have worked as an emergency nurse for 5 years now in our wonderful ( cough cough )NHS so i do have a bit of confidence in dealing with people and part of my job involves a degree of teaching. Although not formally structured. I have no illusion that i am ray mears the guru but we all start somewhere and i am starting here. I may not get far but without even dreaming what hope is there? sleep well.