WOODCRAFT SCHOOL LTD

What WOODCRAFT SCHOOL LTD does

Woodcraft School Ltd is a UK private limited company (registered 2000) that delivers specialist outdoor education in wildlife tracking, bushcraft, and ethnobotany, primarily from a 250-acre woodland camp on a private estate in the South Downs National Park and through overseas tours in Bulgaria and South Africa. Its product portfolio centres on multi-day field courses priced from £90 (one-day workshops) to £3,075 (Level 4 certificates), supplemented by CyberTracker certification evaluations, NCFE-accredited qualifications at Levels 2–4, self-led online courses hosted on Teachable, books authored by founder John Rhyder, and specialist tracking consultancy services.

The core 'technology' is field-based experiential instruction delivered by John Rhyder, a CyberTracker Senior Tracker with 100% scores in track & sign and trailing, supported by proprietary teaching collections (skulls, bones, track casts, scat). The company is the first UK organisation to offer NCFE-accredited bushcraft qualifications, developed in partnership with Plumpton College, and Rhyder serves as a CyberTracker external evaluator for Europe. Supporting infrastructure includes standard SaaS tools: Teachable for online delivery, Mailchimp for the newsletter, and PayPal for payment processing.

The business model is predominantly direct-to-consumer, with individual enthusiasts paying course fees upfront (often with deposits and instalment plans) and small group bookings (4–12 participants). Revenue streams include course fees, book sales, consultancy, mentoring, and online courses. Distribution is primarily through the company's website, with overseas tours and a licensing arrangement with Phil Brooke (East Sussex) extending delivery. Customers span nature enthusiasts, outdoor instructors seeking NCFE credentials, conservation organisations, media productions, and academic institutions.

Name

WOODCRAFT SCHOOL LTD

Legal name

Woodcraft School Ltd

Website

https://woodcraftschool.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Woodcraft School Ltd delivers expert training in wildlife tracking, bushcraft, and ethnobotany from a 250-acre woodland camp in the South Downs National Park, serving nature enthusiasts, outdoor instructors, conservation groups, media, and academic institutions across the UK and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Outdoor Education and Nature Skills Training

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor & Survival Skills Lessons (Bushcraft, Navigation, Foraging) (THAJAKAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Certification & Training Providers (Wilderness First Aid, Lifeguard, Guide Training) (THAAAOAF), Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Adventure Multi-Sport Camps & Skills Academies (THAAAKAM)

Keywords

• Wildlife tracking training
• Bushcraft education
• Ethnobotany courses
• Outdoor skills training
• Nature education

Headquarters

HQ city

Midhurst

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course Fees: Primary revenue stream from in-person courses including wildlife tracking, bushcraft, and ethnobotany programmes ranging from one-day workshops to multi-week intensive courses. Prices range from £90 for single-day events to £3,075 for advanced certificates.
2. Book Sales: John Rhyder self-publishes and sells books on animal tracks, bird tracks, and woodcraft through the website and major bookstores. Titles include Animal Tracks Field Guide (£19.99), Track and Sign (£20), Bird Tracks (£25), and Woodcraft (£22).
3. Consultancy Services: Specialist wildlife tracking consultancy for conservation, research, and media projects. Includes interpretation, landscape literacy development, and advisory services for natural history productions.
4. Online Courses: Self-led online training courses hosted on the Teachable platform for students who cannot attend in-person courses.
5. Mentoring Services: One-to-one or small group mentoring sessions for experienced trackers looking to improve their skills through feedback and guidance.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Woodcraft School delivers expert-led, in-person training courses in wildlife tracking and trailing, bushcraft, and ethnobotany from a 250-acre woodland camp in the South Downs National Park, with overseas tours in Bulgaria and South Africa. Offerings range from one-day workshops to multi-month NCFE-accredited qualifications at Levels 2–4 and CyberTracker certifications, supported by online self-led courses on Teachable, published books, mentoring, and wildlife tracking consultancy for conservation and media clients.

Product overview

Woodcraft School Ltd is an outdoor education provider offering a portfolio of courses and services in wildlife tracking, bushcraft, and ethnobotany. The core offering includes Wildlife Tracking courses (trailing, track & sign identification, CyberTracker certification), Bushcraft courses (NCFE-accredited at Levels 2-4 covering traditional outdoor skills), and Ethnobotany courses (plant identification and practical uses). Supporting services include Wildlife Tracking Consultancy, Mentoring, and Talks/Lectures. The company also publishes books including the Animal Tracks Field Guide, Track and Sign, Bird Tracks, and Woodcraft. Courses are delivered primarily from a woodland camp in the South Downs National Park, with overseas offerings in South Africa and Bulgaria. John Rhyder is the principal instructor and CyberTracker Conservation evaluator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wildlife Tracking Courses Programme category delivering wildlife tracking, trailing, and sign identification across mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, including both UK-based and overseas courses in Africa and Bulgaria. Intended for nature enthusiasts and outdoor instructors.
• Wildlife Trailing Intensive A 12-day deep dive into animal trailing, spread over several modules to build progression in following and finding animals in the wild. Intended for participants seeking advanced trailing skills.
• Wildlife Track & Sign Intensive Comprehensive tracking and animal discovery course covering tracks, scats, feeding signs, bones, skulls, bird language and feather identification across mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. Intended for serious trackers.
• Combined Track & Sign Workshop & Evaluation Five-day programme combining three days of workshop training followed by a two-day CyberTracker evaluation for track and sign identification. Designed to prepare candidates for international CyberTracker certification.
• Tracking & Trailing Workshops One to three-day workshops for beginners and those wishing to refine skills, teaching track and sign interpretation and animal trailing techniques. Intended for entry-level participants.
• Wildlife Tracking Bulgaria Seven-day tracking tour of the Rhodope Mountains focusing on bears, wolves, golden jackals, wildcats and diverse wildlife with local Bulgarian guide John Tavener. Intended for international wildlife enthusiasts.
• Wildlife Tracking Africa Seven-day tracking experience in South Africa's Kruger region with senior trackers, combining foot-based trailing and vehicle game drives. Intended for advanced trackers seeking African wildlife experience.
• CyberTracker Certification Internationally recognised evaluation and certification in wildlife tracking skills, including track & sign identification and trailing assessments. Evaluations delivered by a certified CyberTracker senior tracker and evaluator.
• Bushcraft Courses Traditional outdoor living skills covering fire, water, shelter, tool use, and natural history knowledge, with NCFE-accredited qualifications at Levels 2, 3, and 4. Intended for outdoor instructors and serious enthusiasts.
• Intermediate Bushcraft Award – Level 2 Three-day training block plus assessment for outdoor professionals seeking accredited professional development in bushcraft skills. Leads to NCFE Level 2 Customised Qualification.
• Advanced Bushcraft Award – Level 3 Five-day intensive training plus two-day assessment covering essential bushcraft skills including tools, fire, carving, cordage, plant ID, and shelter construction. Leads to NCFE Level 3 Customised Qualification.
• Certificate in Applied Bushcraft – Level 4 NCFE-accredited qualification for bushcraft instructors covering nine modules of advanced skills over 12–24 months. Delivered under license by Phil Brooke near Heathfield, East Sussex. The first such accredited course in the UK.
• Traditional Bow Making Level 4 NCFE-accredited programme exploring the craft, history and heritage of wooden bow making across northern Europe, creating several longbows over multiple workshops. Delivered under license by Phil Brooke.
• Ethnobotany Courses Plant identification and practical uses courses covering wild foods, medicines, and bushcraft applications, with NCFE accreditation at Levels 3 and 4. Intended for naturalists, foragers, and outdoor instructors.
• Foundational Ethnobotany – Level 3 Five-day intensive course covering identification of 80–100 plant and tree species for food, medicine, craft, navigation and bushcraft uses. Leads to NCFE Level 3 Customised Qualification.
• Practical Ethnobotany & Plant ID – Level 4 Eighteen-day modular course over six blocks covering plants, trees and fungi across various habitats, with seasonal study from May to November. Leads to NCFE Level 4 Customised Qualification.
• Mentoring Service One-to-one or small group mentoring for experienced trackers looking to improve their practice through honest feedback and personalised guidance.
• Wildlife Tracking Consultancy Specialist consultancy for conservation, research, and media projects providing tracking expertise, landscape interpretation, and CyberTracker evaluation services. 10% deposit secures dates, 50% due 6 weeks before delivery, balance within 7 days of completion; travel expenses additional.
• Talks and Lectures Presentations on wildlife, tracking, ethnobotany and bushcraft for societies and organisations, including talks on Trees/Bows and Tracks/Scats/Sign.
• Books and Publications Published books including Animal Tracks Field Guide (2nd edition), Track and Sign, Bird Tracks, and Woodcraft, written by John Rhyder based on 35+ years of field experience. Sold through the Woodcraft School website, major bookstores, and York Book Shop distributor.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants receive internationally recognised CyberTracker certification and NCFE-accredited qualifications
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plumpton CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal NCFE-accredited woodcraft courses were created by Woodcraft School and John Rhyder in partnership with Plumpton College. These were the first of their kind and remain the origin from which later courses have emerged.
• Phil BrookecoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerPhil Brooke runs Certificate in Applied Bushcraft and Traditional Bow Making courses under exclusive license from Woodcraft School. Phil has been trained by John Rhyder for this role over many years. All programmes remain Woodcraft School courses with certification via Woodcraft School and NCFE.
• Local Bulgarian Guides (Rhodope Mountains)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal Bulgarian nature guide John Tavener and other local guides support the Wildlife Tracking Bulgaria tours in the Eastern and Western Rhodope Mountains.
• Kersey Lawrence and Lee GutteridgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for Wildlife Tracking Africa tours. Lee Gutteridge is a certified master tracker through CyberTracker Conservation, FGASA Scout Guide, and author of 12 southern African natural history books. Kersey Lawrence holds a PhD and is the only female Senior Tracker and Trailing Evaluator in the world.
• Burnbeck InsuranceminorOthersInsurance provided by Burnbeck, specialists who cover Public and Products Liability for Woodcraft School as an outdoor activities provider. Coverage level of £10,000,000 for Public Liability.
• CyberTracker ConservationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Rhyder serves as a CyberTracker evaluator in Europe for both track & sign and trailing. CyberTracker is a global evaluation system for wildlife tracking skills developed in South Africa by Louis Liebenberg.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Earthcraft UK: A UK bushcraft and wilderness skills school delivering in-person courses in woodland living, tracking, and traditional crafts. Directly comparable product set (field-based bushcraft, small group sizes) and geography.
• Trueways Survival: UK survival and bushcraft training provider offering accredited and recreational courses. Comparable to Woodcraft School in field-based bushcraft instruction and the mix of consumer and instructor training segments.
• Wildlife Tracking South Africa / CyberTracker Conservation: The originating South African organization for the CyberTracker evaluation system used by John Rhyder. Comparable as a wildlife tracking training and certification body, and a direct partner on the Africa tours.
• Survival School UK: A UK provider of bushcraft and survival training, including weekend workshops and longer courses. Comparable in target audience (recreational learners, outdoor enthusiasts) and in-person course format.
• Wild Wood Survival: UK-based bushcraft and survival school delivering courses across England. Closely comparable to Woodcraft School in niche (practical woodland skills), in-person delivery model, and consumer/professional customer segments.
• Woodland Ways: A leading UK bushcraft and survival school offering multi-day courses in woodland skills, fire-making, and tracking. Directly comparable to Woodcraft School in target market (UK outdoor enthusiasts and instructors), course format (in-person field-based training), and product breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Plumpton College: A further-education college in Sussex that co-developed the original NCFE-accredited bushcraft qualifications with John Rhyder. Comparable as both a partner and a potential broader incumbent that could in-house or scale accredited bushcraft training independently of Woodcraft School.
• Forestry England / Forest Schools: The UK government body managing public forests and supporting Forest School outdoor learning initiatives. Comparable to Woodcraft School as a UK outdoor education provider using woodland settings, though it operates at much larger scale and primarily as a venue/land manager rather than a course provider.
• Wilderness Scotland: A Scottish wilderness guiding and expedition company offering multi-day nature experiences. Comparable to Woodcraft School in premium, small-group, nature-based experiential learning and tours, though broader in scope (hiking, wildlife, geography) rather than focused on tracking and bushcraft.

Emerging players

• Track and Sign UK (independent evaluators): Independent UK CyberTracker evaluators and trackers running workshops and evaluations in track and sign. Comparable to Woodcraft School in subject matter (wildlife tracking, CyberTracker evaluations) though typically operating at smaller scale and on a freelance/event basis.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@johnrhyder5
• Xx.com/woodcraftschool
• Facebookfacebook.com/woodcraftschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/woodcraft-school-ltd

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WOODCRAFT SCHOOL LTD