St Cuthbert’s Wild School for Boys

St Cuthbert’s Wild School for Boys is an exciting story of discovery for children and everyone who cares about learning, play, nature and the wild.Jack hates school and never plays out in the gritty, traffic-jammed city where he lives. He’s about to explode with boredom when by chance he is sent to St Cuthbert’s Wild School for Boys, a wonderful and very different kind of school. Suddenly, teachers are interesting, lessons are brilliant, learning is exciting and life is full of campfires, stories, treehouses and the great outdoors. But freedom comes with risks and challenges. And when the school is threatened with closure and only something extraordinary can save it, Jack just might have a plan.This story is about friendship, change, finding out what you are good at and discovering the joys of learning, nature and the wild.

I love stories. Reading them, writing them, telling them... From early childhood and throughout our lives, I believe they have a unique power to change the way we think and feel. I’m passionate about the importance of creative education and outdoor free play for children, in order for them to grow into their best selves. I want to help change the way people think about these things. My website and blog is at www.wildschoolstory.co.uk I myself had a wild, free-range childhood in Nottingham and Wales and I attended a very experimental state primary school. I’ve tried to give my own children some of those experiences. In my professional life, I work with acclaimed projects that develop and promote the importance of creative learning (www.room13hareclive.org.uk) and free, natural play for children (www.playingout.net). So for all these reasons, I wanted to write this story to share with others. I’ve published academic papers and articles in The Guardian newspaper and my work involves writing for many different audiences. This is my first novel.