Children are learning how to survive in the wild with a series of outdoor classes covering campfires, making dens and tying knots.

An experienced outdoor craft teacher is helping the children of Horrabridge Primary and Nursery School make the most of the natural world around them and even impress their parents on camping trips and picnics.

Teaching assistant Francis Hayes, who joined the school in September, is leading the outdoor lessons after he suggested making the most of a piece of wooded land within the school grounds.

Francis, who is also a leader with Buckland and Horrabridge Scouts, said: “It’s going very well with the children. They get very enthused and are engaged with all the activities. They’re trying to start a controlled camp fire in a safe way, starting with practising making sparks, rubbing two sticks together to make smoke and setting light to cotton wool with sparks they generate.

“It’s not easy making sparks, let alone setting a fire, for anyone not used to it, but they never give up. It’s very good to see and bodes well for their futures as they grow and develop.”

Francis is teaching under the guidance of a nationally adopted Wild Tribe programme of hands-on experiences to build confidence, resilience and a connection to the environment. This can be integrated with any subject in the curriculum.

Francis added: “Basically, I’m teaching them life skills they can use in the great outdoors. They live next to wonderful wild Dartmoor and I’d like to think they can use these new skills. I don’t expect them to survive in the wild, but they can use practical skills such as lighting a camp fire for when they go out in the summer with their parents and impress them.”