Seeley Copse is an eight-hectare area of semi-ancient woodland directly opposite Home Farm dairy and the location of the Goodwood Education Centre. Two hundred years ago chalk was dug from areas of the copse to make mortar for Goodwood House and Estate walls. This has resulted in holes and hills around which a Nature Trail weaves, providing a myriad of opportunities for outdoor learning, exploration and discovery.

Visits to Seeley Copse are designed to promote an improved understanding of the ways of the natural world. Through first-hand exploration and discovery, children become familiar with concepts in conservation, including minibeasts and woodland habitats, food chains and ecosystems, discovering for themselves the importance of looking after the environment. 

An example of the workshops available are Terrific Trees, Stone Age Workshop and Rocks, Soils and Den Building. 

Please email get@goodwood.com for further details of workshops available.

INSPIRED BY FOREST SCHOOL

Originating in Scandinavia in the 1980’s, Forest School is now hugely popular in the UK as the benefits of outdoor learning become more and more widely recognised. Children and young people are given opportunities to develop confidence, creativity and self-esteem through hands-on learning in a natural woodland environment. This allows them to develop physically, emotionally and socially, whilst at the same time forming an appreciation and respect for the natural world.

Sessions are child-led, meaning that children are allowed to follow their own interests and develop at their own pace, rather than being told which activity to do when, as happens in a more traditional classroom environment. Research has shown that Forest School increases children’s independence, self-awareness, motor and social skills. Children learn to understand boundaries, stay safe whilst taking risks, explore at their own level and pace and develop highly creative imaginations.