A New Season at Wildlings: Growth, Change, and New Beginnings
Introduction: Reflecting on Child Days
As we bid farewell to summer and transition into autumn, the Wildlings community is moving through a period of growth and transformation. Over the last few years, Child Days became a place where families connected, children played, and learning felt natural and exciting. After much reflection, we decided to close the chapter on Child Days at the end of summer, not as an ending, but as the start of something new.
This change was guided by a desire to expand how we serve children and young people, particularly those who benefit from specialised support and creative learning environments.
What began as a tentative idea—keeping the spark of curiosity alive, where traditional schooling often quashes it—has now evolved into an educational practice deeply rooted in our values. Wildlings Education has grown strong, with its branches filled with integrity.
This summer culminated in a powerful moment of togetherness, as children and parents gathered in a circle around the outdoor fire. As part of our tradition, we reflect on and celebrate each child moving on from Child Days. For this final session, we extended that practice to everyone present. It was a beautiful, shared space where we read out our appreciations, witnessing the growth of each member of our community. The atmosphere was profoundly moving—many mothers shed a tear that afternoon.
This, to me, is the heart of Wildlings Education. Rooted in community and nature, our children are constantly witnessed, supported, and celebrated. It’s simple yet deeply powerful. As we move forward into the next phase of Wildlings Education, that same core will continue to nourish our new cohorts of children and young people.
Introducing Wild AP: Focused Support for Those Who Need It Most
With the closing of Child Days, our focus has shifted toward Wild AP, a division of Wildlings Group specifically designed to support children and young people referred by Local Authorities (LAs). Wild AP was born from the need to provide higher levels of care and tailored education packages for those with more complex needs. The public funding we receive allows us to create bespoke learning opportunities that truly support each individual’s emotional, social, and academic development.
Wild AP is for children who thrive outside conventional school systems—those who may have been excluded or are between placements. It's a space where each child is seen, heard, and supported through nature-based, project-driven learning that meets them where they are.
I never set out with this part of the mission that is now evolving into Wild AP. But when life gives me such clear signs, I have to listen. I could see the desperate need for this kind of provision, and with Child Days, we would have to turn some applicants away because of the limitations of a blended service.
I’ve witnessed so many mothers—some in tears of relief—watch their child, after years of clinging in fear, being housebound or feeling utterly anxious, finally feel safe enough to engage with something that sparks their interest.
I have seen firsthand how these behaviours are often rooted in the trauma children have experienced within the school system. Watching a child who has become non-verbal with unfamiliar adults form trusting relationships with our team, eventually speaking again, is deeply moving.
Numerous experiences like these over the years touched me so profoundly that I realised the impact of the work we were doing and how deeply it was helping families. I couldn’t turn my back on this, so I’ve focused on developing this area with more connections with local authorities and schools.
Alongside this, we have our wonderful Sam Young leading the AP team, with her two decades of experience in the field and a wealth of skills to share through team leadership and connection with young people.
You can read more about how we work on our AP page: https://www.wildlings.uk/ap-services
Building the Wildlings Learning Community: Affordable and Holistic Education
Alongside Wild AP, we're excited to focus on the Wildlings Learning Community for Electively Home Educated (EHE) children. This community was sparked by the success of our Child Days and has grown from the trust and connections we’ve built with EHE families. We understand the need for affordable, non-profit education that allows families to continue their journey with flexibility, creativity, and support.
Our Learning Community is designed to be a place where children can engage in many ways of learning and being. One of the new and exciting elements we’re introducing is Project-Based Learning (PBL). Leading this is Gemma Juel, a trained teacher who brings years of experience working with SEN children in a holistic and personalised way. With skilled practitioners like Gemma, we create space for children to follow their interests in various formats. With a focus on nature, creativity, and exploration, our PBL sessions offer focused work while also allowing plenty of flexibility. Children can learn in ways that suit them best—whether it’s finding a quiet spot, taking breaks to move and make noise, working outdoors, or being part of a group.
The Learning Community is central to the Wildlings vision, and I’m thrilled to see it evolve and develop as our educational practice matures. This is more than just education; it’s a space where children “do life.” Here, learning is embedded in real, relational experiences, allowing children to engage with material directly relevant to their lived world. This approach supports children in entering a flow state, which comes naturally to them when we, as adults, step back and give them the space they need.
Traditional schooling remains restricted by many limitations, often enforcing the learning of arbitrary information that feels disconnected from the real world. It tends to meet targets that don’t necessarily foster happy, capable, or skilled children. In fact, statistics show an increase in anxious, medicated children who do not benefit from these traditional school experiences. At the same time, teachers, too, face rising levels of stress and job dissatisfaction. Even those who “achieve” within the school system often do not see long-term benefits from high grades alone, as they don’t always equate to happiness or fulfilment later in life.
These reflections have fuelled my drive to create Wildlings—a vision rooted in providing what children really need to thrive.
Our Learning Community is still in its creation phase, with Gemma Juel’s PBL sessions beginning soon. We are reaching out to parents, carers, grandparents, and families to join us, contributing their skills or participating in activity sessions. If you’re interested in getting involved or would like to learn more, we’d love to hear from you!
