17 September 2025
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As another school year begins, we want to take a moment to reflect on the past academic year of outdoor learning here at Fort Burgoyne.
Over the year, we welcomed 505 children from 14 different primary schools to take part in our education programme.
It was Jasmine’s first year delivering sessions at Fort Burgoyne. She began by shadowing the knowledgeable Lauren, and soon progressed to leading her own sessions.
“Thank you to all the students and teachers who were patient with me in my first year of delivering outdoor sessions. You’ve all made it truly memorable, and I can’t wait to see some of you again in the next academic year!” – Jasmine
Team Tactics, a new addition to this year’s programme, proved to be a big hit and will be returning for 2025/26. This session tested students’ communication skills and even gave some lucky pupils the chance to guide their blindfolded teacher through an obstacle course!
We ran many exciting bug hunts, where students discovered a variety of insects – including a lesser stag beetle and a leopard slug!
We also amazed many pupils with sightings of slow worms, and shared fascinating facts about their unique defence mechanism of dropping their tails.
One of our highlights was completing our first ‘Attention to Fort’ booklet with Barton Juniors. Together, we explored what life would have been like for a soldier at Fort Burgoyne in the 1800s. Well done to everyone for the marching and imaginative poses. We had so much fun delivering that session!
We feel incredibly lucky to be able to offer outdoor education at such a unique and inspiring site. Fort Burgoyne provides a rich setting for hands-on learning across a wide range of topics.
A huge thank you to all the schools that trusted us with a day of outdoor learning. It’s been a true delight to watch so many of you enjoy the site as it was meant to be experienced. We hope to welcome many of you back in the coming year – and to see some familiar faces!
Thank you for all your wonderful words of encouragement and feedback that you provided:
Sellinge Primary School – Year 5 – Team Tactics & Bridge Building
"We just wanted to say a massive thank you to Jasmine for the excellent day that she put on! The children and staff have raved about the experience and it is something the school would like to do regularly! It really was an amazing day"
White Cliffs Primary School – Year 4 – Team Tactics & Magnificent Mammals
"We had a fantastic time. Leaders were perfect and able to keep children engaged and entertained. Activities were on point and well-paced. Thank you so much for the day!"
If you haven’t yet heard about our outdoor education programme at Fort Burgoyne, drop us an email at fortburgoyne@dover.gov.uk and we’ll be happy to send you more information.
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Jasmine
Community Engagement Ranger