THE URBAN LIVING ROOM & GARDEN AUTUMN DISCOVERY WEEK – October Half Term

A five-day creative nature programme for children aged 5–11

During Autumn Discovery Week, children will explore and learn about the natural environment and the changing seasons while developing their creativity, communication skills and confidence through making, story telling and performance.

Across five days, children will use natural materials found in the garden to make toys, characters and imaginary worlds in the living room of a Victorian house. While learning and playing, they will create, tell and write stories, experiment with photography and video, and develop multisensory presentations. Yes, it can get messy with mud, slime, sticks, and natural dirt!

Every day will have its own theme, learning goals and creative project. The children's work will gradually come together across the week, giving them opportunities to develop their ideas, collaborate with others and discover their own preferences and talents.

Children might begin with a leaf, seed, branch, stone or something they discover in the garden. They will observe it, investigate it and imagine what it could become. While discovering new objects, plants, and seasonal changes, children will be making sense of the environment in their own way towards creating characters, stories, and eventually a miniature world with its hand-made props.
That world will become a photograph, film, and performance.

The emphasis is on learning through exploration, making, storytelling and creative collaboration which will feed children's communication skills and confidence.

Throughout the week, children will build towards a small Autumn Spectacle.

The children will decide how to present their creations and stories, practise communicating their ideas and work together to transform the Urban Living Room & Garden into their own temporary creative world.

Children will finish the week with things they have made, stories they have created, new practical and communication skills, greater confidence and some new friendships too.

Dates: Monday 26 – Friday 30 October 2026
Age: 5–11 years
Location: Barking, East London. The sessions will be taking place in a living room and an urban garden of the Victorian house which offers safety and cosy atmospehere.

ATTENTION: there are two cats on site which will be around, so sadly if children suffer from cat allergy, they will not be able to attend in this venue (check other venues in the future!).

Food is part of our Autumn Discovery Week experience. Children will have opportunities to explore food through its ingredients, colours, textures, smells, origins and seasonal connections. Depending on their age and abilities, they will also take part in simple food preparation as part of the programme — for example, making carrot cake or preparing pumpkin soup.

Parents and guardians are asked to provide their child with:

• a named breakfast box
• a named unch box
• a named water bottle

Please include foods that your child knows, likes and is comfortable eating. We ask families to make breakfast and lunch boxes as healthy and balanced as reasonably possible.

Please do not include sparkling or sugary drinks. Still filtered drinking water will be available throughout the day.

The Urban Living Room & Garden will provide:

• vegetarian snacks
• still filtered drinking water
• ingredients needed for food-making activities that form part of the week's creative and educational programme.

The safety and comfort of every child is important to us.

Before attending, parents and guardians must complete our Food, Allergy & Medical Information Form and tell us about any known food allergies, intolerances or other relevant dietary requirements.

Please also tell us if your child may be particularly sensitive to the smell or presence of foods being brought or eaten by other children. This is especially important where exposure, rather than consumption alone, may cause a reaction or significant distress.

Information about ingredients used in our planned food-making activities will be available to parents in advance. Where necessary, activities will be adapted so that children can participate safely.

Food preparation is a supervised learning activity rather than simply preparation of meals.

Children will talk about ingredients, seasonal produce, colours, smells, textures and where foods come from. They will participate according to their age, abilities and individual needs, learning practical skills while creating something together.

Children will never be required to taste or eat something they do not want to eat.

Autumn Discovery Week involves making, exploring, cooking and spending time in the garden, so children should come dressed comfortably and ready to take part.

Each child should bring:

• a named breakfast box and lunch box
• a named reusable water bottle
• comfortable clothes suitable for creative activities
• a warm jumper or fleece
• a waterproof jacket
• a complete spare set of clothes for every child, in case they get wet or muddy in the garden, or simply need to change during the day
• a pair of indoor house shoes that are fully enclosed, comfortable and non-slip, which can be left in the hosue for 5 days.
• a separate pair of outdoor shoes suitable for the garden and the autumn weather

Please check the weather each morning and dress your child accordingly. We intend to use the garden throughout the week whenever conditions allow.

All educational, creative and play materials needed during Autumn Discovery Week will be provided.

Children do not need to bring their own toys, games, tablets or other objects, unless such objects make part of their development and are necessary for their comfort. Our environment and materials are prepared specifically to support the week's tehmatic activities, exploration and creative work.

Every parent or guardian must complete one Child Information, Health, Safety & Consent Form for each child before their place on Autumn Discovery Week can be confirmed.

The form helps us understand your child and prepare appropriately for their participation. It will include:

• emergency and parent/guardian contact details
• medical conditions and relevant health information
• allergies, intolerances and sensory sensitivities
• Medic*tion and emergency Medic*tion
• dietary requirements
• additional educational or support needs
• information about an EHCP, where applicable
• communication, sensory, behavioural or mobility needs that may affect participation
• any adjustments or support your child may require
• authorised adults who may collect your child
• photography and video permissions
• emergency and medical consent
• other information necessary for your child's safety and participation in the programme.

Autumn Discovery Week is an inclusive creative programme for children aged 5–11. Although it is not a specialist SEND provision, we recognise, however, that children learn, communicate and participate in different ways. Where a child has an EHCP, SEND, a medical condition or another additional need, parents are asked to tell us about this before the child's place is confirmed.

Where appropriate and reasonably practicable, we may be able to make adjustments or provide additional support. This must be discussed and agreed with the provider in advance, so that we can consider the child's individual needs, the activities planned, the home and garden environment, and the needs and safety of the whole group.

Parents do not need to provide an entire EHCP unless this is necessary. We may ask for the relevant sections or information needed to understand the child's needs and the support required during the programme.

A child's place is confirmed only after the completed form has been received and the information relevant to their participation has been reviewed by the provider.

The Urban Living Room & Garden – Autumn Discovery Week is a programme of University for Children, a children's educational provision created by In-Light-of Ltd, a private education and human development company founded and led by Dr Marta Hawkins, CEO.

University for Children is built around a simple concept: children are capable thinkers, creators and explorers whose curiosity deserves respect and appreciation. 'University' is a theory and practice that underpins our motto: "University for Children - where child's universe inspires". 'University' means that child's potential in recognised and appreciated in every act of learning or play in an individualised way. 'University' is an environment where each child learns about themselves and their own position in the world, so they can understand the connection between their own self, their current commmunity, the heritage of the past and the future of the planet. 'University' is a place where children can be themselves, while learning how to be accountable for their own actions and helpful to others who are diffrent from them.

Our approach brings learning into contact with lived experience, nature, daily surroundings, and children's natural abilities. Children learn through making, growing, sharing, playing, creative experimentation and encounters with the natural and cultural world around them.

We encourage children to discover what the world is made of, ask questions about the past and the future, imagine what they are capable of doing, interpret their own surroundings, and communicate their observations in individualised forms.

Our programmes are designed to develop creative courage, curiosity, critical thinking, and confidence to communicate their own learnings, emotions and ideas in collboration with others.

Autumn Discovery Week is created and led by Dr Marta Hawkins, founder and CEO of In-Light-of Ltd.

Dr Hawkins is an experienced educator with more than 25 years' experience across teaching, educational leadership and work with children and young people on all educational levels. Her professional expertise includes child development, creativity, inclusive education and neurodiversity. Dr Hawkins was a senior lecturer at several UK universities, where through her teaching and practice she realised that university quality education starts much earlier than what the educational system dictactes, namely at the pre-school level when children are unconstrained to learn and play in their own way without regard for subject distinctions, grades, and systemic measures. Children create their own universes through play and thus learn very early about world's social rules, their own abilities and expectations from others, while constantly developing identities that they will continue expanding throughout adulthood. So the connections among diffrent aspects of development need to be recognised early and consciously practised through every act of learning and play. This concept laid foundation to the University for Children that opened in 2019, first online and later in person.

Dr Hawkins has built this approach through her practice and qualifications over the years. Her qualifications and professional development include a PhD, BA and MA in Education, and M.Litt in English literature, an MSc in Family and Child Psychology, a diploma in Play therapy to Children and Adolescents from the University of Cambridge, and many up-to-date qualifications in teaching, learning, and safeguarding.

Dr Hawkins will be supported by a small team of experienced professionals selected to help provide a safe, attentive and welcoming environment for the children.

Adults working directly with children are appropriately experienced for their roles and enhanced DBS checked. Their roles and responsibilities are established in advance, and children remain appropriately supervised throughout the programme.

Because we deliberately limit Autumn Discovery Week to a maximum of 10 children, our aim is to know the children individually, notice how they participate and learn, and create an environment in which every child has an opportunity to contribute.

Children's safety, wellbeing and dignity are fundamental to everything we do at University for Children.

Autumn Discovery Week is intentionally small, with a maximum of 10 children. This allows us to maintain close supervision, get to know the children individually and create an environment in which children can explore, create and develop with appropriate adult support.

Before a child's place is confirmed, parents and guardians must complete our Child Information, Health, Safety & Consent Form.

The information provided helps us understand any medical conditions, allergies, Medic*tion requirements, additional educational needs, EHCP-related information, sensory sensitivities, communication needs or other circumstances that may affect a child's participation.

Where a child requires particular support or reasonable adjustments, these must be discussed and agreed with us before the programme begins.

The programme is led by Dr Marta Hawkins, who holds Level 3 Safeguarding training and has extensive professional experience in education and working with children and young people.

Adults working directly with children during the programme are enhanced DBS checked and are required to follow the safeguarding and safety procedures established by In-Light-of Ltd.

Children's physical and emotional wellbeing is taken seriously. Children will be encouraged to speak to an adult whenever something worries them, makes them uncomfortable or they need help.

Children receive age-appropriate instructions and adult supervision throughout the programme.

The level and nature of supervision will reflect the activity, children's ages and abilities, and any individual needs identified with parents in advance.

Particular attention will be given to activities involving food preparation, garden exploration, tools, creative materials and equipment.

Children must be brought to the programme and collected by their parent, guardian or another adult who has been authorised in advance.

A child will not be released to an adult who has not been authorised by the parent or guardian.

Parents and guardians must provide current emergency contact information and ensure that an appropriate adult remains contactable while their child is attending.

The home, garden, equipment and planned activities are evaluated in advance for potential risks.

Appropriate risk assessments are undertaken for the environment and activities, including garden exploration, food preparation, creative work and the use of tools, materials or equipment.

Dr Marta Hawkins holds an up-to-date Paediatric First Aid from St John's Ambulance and Food Hygine accreditaion for safe meal making and food handling. Staff supporting Autumn Discovery Week are briefed and trained in the programme's emergency procedures so that they understand what to do in the event of an accident, illness or other emergency.

Appropriate first-aid equipment is available throughout the programme.

Parents and guardians must inform us in advance about medical conditions and provide any required Medic*tion or emergency Medic*tion, such as inhalers or adrenaline auto-injectors, together with clear written instructions.

In an emergency, the immediate safety and wellbeing of the child will always come first. Parents or guardians will be contacted as soon as possible and emergency services will be called whenever necessary.

Personal information about children and parents or guardians will be collected, stored, accessed and processed securely and in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018 and our data protection and privacy procedures.

We will collect only information that is reasonably required to administer the programme, communicate with families and support children's health, safety and participation.

Health, medical, allergy, EHCP and other sensitive information supplied by parents will be treated confidentially. Access will be limited to those who need the information for the safe organisation and delivery of the programme.

Parents will receive information explaining how their personal information is used and retained.

Creative photography and filmmaking may form part of some Autumn Discovery Week activities. However, no photographs or videos identifying an individual child will be taken or used without the specific consent of their parent or guardian.

Parents will be asked separately about photography and video permissions as part of the Child Information, Health, Safety & Consent Form.

Images or recordings of children will not be produced or published in any promotional materials unless the appropriate specific parental permission has been obtained.

Our aim is to create a small learning community in which children feel safe to be curious, express ideas, make things, collaborate, make mistakes and try something new.

Safety at University for Children means more than preventing accidents. It means creating an environment in which children are supervised, listened to, respected and taken seriously.

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