A PRIMARY school is sharing its experience of putting the Forest at the heart of its curriculum with other schools in the area.

Staff at Lydbrook Primary School have written a complete scheme of work for pupils using the history, heritage and culture of the Forest to inspire pride in the area.

The initiative is part of the Foresters’ Forest programme, a £2.5 million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) project to make local people more aware of the area’s built, natural and cultural heritage.

Staff from 15 other primary and secondary schools attended an event on Thursday (September 28) where they heard from teachers and pupils at Lyd­brook about the project.

Lydbrook headteacher Simon Lusted said an initial meeting with the Forestry Commission about the Working with Schools project under the Foresters’ Forest programme came at a time when he was looking at ways of ‘freshening’ the curriculum.

He said: “I came away very excited, my brain was buzzing with possibilities.

“We have pupils, governors and parents who are interested in knowing about the area they live in and the amazing history, cultural and natural experiences this area provides.

“We do this for the children, to inspire and engage them in the hope they develop a lifelong learning attitude.

“We believe all the statutory requirements of the National Curriculum are ticked and we have built our long-term plan around this wonderful opportunity.”

Jodie Hughes, the teac­her of Hawks class, said they had not gone “above and beyond” the National Curriculum but were teaching it in a meaningful way for the children.

She said: “We had a pilot project with a journey from the Stone Age to the Industrial Revolution and we were so inspired we wrote a scheme of work for Years One to Six.”

As well as learning in the classroom, pupils have also visited an archaeological dig at Yorkley, St Briavels Castle, the Dean Heritage Centre and Hopewell Colliery.

Representatives of some of the 38 Foresters’ Forest community projects also spoke about what they are doing.

Visitors to the event, who also included the Lord Lieutenant of Glou­cestershire Dame Trotter and HLF committee member Wilbert Smith, also heard a poem in Forest dialect about sheep and had the opportunity to chat to pupils and staff about their work.

Dame Janet said: “This is a great project related to people, time and place.

“It was impressive to see the pupils of Lydbrook School learning so much about the rich heritage of the Forest and it was also good to see community partners so involved.”