School Woodwork Training and Consultancy Back to Home Page

We are on a mission to get primary schools teaching woodwork. If you think this is a great idea please read on.

Sadly, woodwork in schools has been declining for decades. Wentwood Timber are offering a full package of consultancy, training and equipment/material supply and ongoing support to primary schools to enable them to introduce woodwork, either as a regular scheduled class, or as an extra-curricular activity.

Why would I want to introduce woodwork in my school?

If you are a teaching professional you probably already know many of the answers to this, suffice to say woodwork is widely recognised as providing a wide spectrum of learning - practical, mental and behavioral. The owner of Wentwood Timber (who is also the author of this website) started woodwork at his school at age 4 and is pleased to confirm that his old school still teach woodwork to every year, though now it is taught to the girls as well as the boys.

A five-year-old using a saw for the first time.

Isn’t it dangerous to get children as young as six or even younger doing woodwork?

With the correct supervision, tools, and physical environment, the answer is “No”. In our training course for teaching professionals we will show how to recognise the minimal risks that exist and how to mitigate them. If you follow our methods the most dangerous place at your school will continue to be the car park followed by the playground.

What machinery do you need?

None

What tools are required?

Again our course covers this in detail, indeed we will supply all necessary tools if required, and the cost is low as they are simple hand tools.

Do we need a proper workshop or can this be done in a classroom?

Any normal classroom with sturdy desks is suitable.

Will we need a specialist teacher?

No – our courses will provide all the necessary knowledge and skill for a teacher or classroom assistant to be confident in taking a woodworking class.

Will the woodwork make a lot of mess?

No. Some sawdust will be created, but this will be very limited as sawing and sanding is all by hand.

Helen is indeed qualified to use this saw, and when the need arises we do run chainsaw courses here, but this is not the type of saw we train teaching professionals in the use of!

Will we need a new risk assessment?

If woodwork is a new activity to your school it will need to be risk assessed, which again we will help with.

What are the costs?

The owner of Wentwood Timber (Gavin Hyatt) usually provides an initial free informal discussion at your school, which will then lead to a free written report on the training and consultancy needs of your particular school in relation to woodwork tuition.

Purchase cost of tools can vary widely depending on your requirements, but for an average class size of 22 the total outlay on tools will usually be no more than £300. Bear in mind that you do not need one of each tool for every child, as for supervisory reasons you will not allow all pupils to do the same thing at the same time.

Costs of initial supplies of timber can vary considerably as well, but for smaller projects for one term this could be as little as £40 for a single class of 22 pupils.

Teachers and Classroom Assistants who need training can then attend our “Preparing Teaching Professionals to Teach Basic Woodwork” course at our premises in Wentwood Forest. The cost of this course is £145 to £245 per delegate (depending on the exact content required) and the duration is one or two days with a minimum charge of £290.

What does your “Preparing Teaching Professionals to teach Basic Woodwork” course actually cover?

This is a one or two day course with no more than 6 delegates and covers some or all of the following as required:

· An introduction and scene setter from Gavin Hyatt or Helen Hyatt including a brief tour of our sawmill and showrooms.

· Discussion about concerns or problems – let’s get them out in the open, and they should all be addressed during the course.

· Paul Wooldridge (a 40 year experienced joiner and furniture maker who has his workshop on site) will then take over and cover:

o Woodworking environment

o Recommended tools

o How to use each tool

o Types of wood and how to select

o Simple joints

o Gluing

o Sanding and finishing

o Managing risks during the lesson

o Selecting suitable woodwork projects

· Return to Helen or Gavin for close, including raising any concerns not addressed during the course, and feedback.

Paul in his workshop.

When are the courses held?

According to demand, courses can be held during the week, twilight (over two or three days), or Weekends. Courses can often be arranged within a week or two, but do book early so you have more chance of getting the date you want.

A short course will not make my staff expert woodworkers will it?

No it won’t, but it will give them the skills and confidence to teach and supervise to the level appropriate for children up to age 11, using the tools we recommend. Further training is available if required from Paul Wooldridge which will cover simple furniture making over three or more days, but this is not needed for the purpose of teaching primary school children.

Where can I get further information?

Please feel free to contact us on 01633 400720 during business hours or by email gavin@wentwoodtimbercentre.co.uk and we will be pleased to discuss the joy of Early Years woodwork with you in more detail.

Do you help out with woodwork for secondary schools?

No – we don’t go beyond age 11, but we can point you in the right direction of professionals who will help with this. We do of course supply timber for a number of local secondary schools.