The Summer School is for those who have an interest in wood as a material, and see forests and woodlands as a place for learning and growing.
Training
We deliver training and education necessary to support the transformation of society, focusing on the stewardship of our forests and the utility of home-grown timber.
Sylva Wood School
The Sylva Wood Centre is the home of excellence and training in home-grown wood.
Summer School
The Summer School is offered in collaboration with Grown in Britain with the aim to explore home-grown timber that is under-utilised yet has lots of potential.
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The Sylva Wood School
Sylva Wood School
Sylva Wood School is bridging the gap between education and practice, and promoting the value of home-grown timber
Sylva Wood School provides an innovative new approach to design and skilled craft in home-grown timber through collaborations with educational institutions, non-profit organisations and commercial partners.
By providing inspiring experiences for students, and innovative opportunities for collaborating partners, the Wood School is highlighting the importance of using home-grown timber and the value of reviving Britain’s wood culture.
Based in the Sylva Wood Centre in South Oxfordshire, the Wood School provides access to a multi-purpose teaching barn and a large workshop with industrial-quality machinery. This allows students, not only to experience working with wood in a stimulating learning environment, but to achieve a professional standard of practice.
Wood School Short Courses:
By providing a programme of accessible short courses covering a wide range of topics and skills, the Wood School is creating inspiring and accessible opportunities to experience working with home-grown timber.
Wood School Courses
Professional Course
The vision for our Professional course is to sensitively combine education and business to create a sheltered workshop experience. Participants will learn in a professionally-equipped workshop by producing commercial projects. Learning will focus on repetition through low volume production rather than working on bespoke projects.
Introductory Courses
The vision for this programme is to introduce participants to a range of furniture making skills and experiences in a professional workshop. Essential health and safety training is delivered in hand tools, power tools and woodworking machinery. Training will be delivered in small groups by demonstration with the opportunity to practice skills through project work.
Short Courses
We provide a growing range of short courses suitable for all ages and skill levels: Maker sessions enable course participants to learn new skills and take away a beautiful object; Woodwork sessions are designed to hone your skills and techniques; Courses for young people have been developed to inspire and create a great experience.
The space and the equipment here – you can’t compare it to anywhere else, it’s just excellent. The fact the course is centred around machining skills, which sets it apart from others. Although you do hand tools work, the machining skills is what people in industry want, and is a bit more realistic. Also Joe is an excellent teacher, just the way he teaches really shows his experience…
Fergus Hooper – Sylva Wood School Fellow 2022
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Summer School
The Summer School is for those who have an interest in wood as a material, and see forests and woodlands as a place for learning and growing.
Visit the Summer School Web page
The Sylva Summer School is a unique opportunity to realise three major ambitions at Sylva Wood School; to bridge the gap between education and the wood industry, to encourage a diverse range of people to come and engage with the opportunities we have to offer, and to collaborate in creating inspiring experiences and opportunities for young people to experience making with home-grown timber.
Over the past three years, Summer School participants have been given the opportunity to immerse themselves in all aspects of the Sylva Wood Centre: accessing the well-equipped Wood School workshops and industry-standard equipment; work with experienced mentors and teachers, and connect with our vibrant and creative community.
