Hotel near Milton Keynes helps local students grow new skills through conservation partnership
A Buckinghamshire hotel has hosted students from a local special education school for a foraging experience, building on a growing partnership that uses its grounds to support learning beyond the classroom.
Horwood House, a four-star country house hotel in Little Horwood, near Milton Keynes, recently welcomed students aged 14 to 16 from Furze Down School in Winslow for an opportunity to explore its 38-acre estate and practise their gardening skills.
The visit forms part of an ongoing relationship with the specialist school, which supports young people with communication and interaction needs. Beginning with gardening work experience, the partnership has expanded to involve more classes, creating opportunities for students at different stages of their learning.
For the young people taking part in the sessions, they gain practical and sensory experiences that are an important complement to classroom teaching. The visits to Horwood House give them opportunities to meet new people and apply their learning outside school, helping build confidence in their local community.
Caroline Morrone, General Manager at Horwood House Hotel, said: “We want Horwood House to be a place where our local community feels welcome and can play an active part in what we do. Our relationship with Furze Down School has become a wonderful example of that, growing from gardening work experience into opportunities for more students to enjoy and learn from our grounds.
“The young people bring so much to the hotel, and our team takes real pride in seeing what they achieve. Whether they are working on a gardening project or exploring somewhere new, we want them to feel valued and recognise the contribution they can make.”
The partnership began when Furze Down approached the hotel about meaningful work experience for its students. Gardening offered a natural fit with Horwood’s conservation work, with hotel colleagues helping prepare tools and welcoming students as honorary members of the team.
The latest visit extends those opportunities to students who are not yet ready for work experience, giving them another way to develop practical skills and spend time in nature.
Eleanor Attridge, Assistant Head / Head of KS4 & Sixth Form at Furze Down School, said: “Taking learning outside the classroom can make a real difference for our students. A new environment gives them the chance to use familiar skills in a different way, grow in confidence and show what they can do.
“Partnerships with local businesses like Horwood House help us broaden our students’ horizons and prepare them for adulthood. Our young people have a great deal to contribute to their community, and these experiences create opportunities for others to see their abilities.”
The relationship supports the environmental and social elements of Horwood House’s wider ESG commitment, connecting its conservation work with practical opportunities for local young people. Its grounds are home to a butterfly trail and beehives, alongside wider projects to support wildlife and encourage engagement with the natural world.
The partnership is also becoming part of the hotel’s history. Students have created artwork and stories for a time capsule to mark Horwood House’s 115th anniversary, with plans to recognise previous gardening students at a celebration alongside their families and teachers.
For more information on Horwood House Hotel, visit www.horwoodhouse.co.uk.