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No exams, no tests, no unnecessary waste of money. Learn through experience.
This is a Level 4 Instructors and Mentors Qualification accredited through the NCFE CQ Licence (CQ10667).
The course was started in 2001, the first of its kind, and has already proven very successful with some outstanding results. By working through the courses and attending extra sessions you can gain the Survival School Instructors Certificate and the Level 4 Bushcraft, Survival and Wilderness Living Skills Instructor and Mentor Certificate.
These certificates are not easy to attain. We are looking for a blend of knowledge, experience, coaching and instructional techniques, the ability to empathise with students and above all a down to earth and friendly personality.
Pre-requisites (as at 1st January 2025)
- Level 2 Training Course and Assessment with Survival School or other Survival School licence holder. (You need to see all the lessons before you learn to teach them. This also gives us a chance to have a look at you and you at us to make sure that we are happy working together from the start.)
- Applied Level 3 Bushcraft, Survival and Wilderness Skills Course (This is a consolidation course that ensures that your skills are up to speed before the Level 4 course.)
You must also do 4 of the following:
- Level 3 Animal Tracking Qualification.
- Level 3 Primitive Crafts Qualification.
- Level 3 Axe Proficiency Qualification.
- Level 3 Foraging and Wilderness Cookery Qualification.
- Level 3 Fire Lighting Qualification.
- Level 3 Wood Carving Course.
You will also need:
- 2 Day Outdoor First Aid Qualification (e.g. REC or Mountain & Outdoor), please call us for more details.
- Good level of fitness and good health. You will be required to work longer hours than participants and carry more equipment. You also need to work in rain, shine, hail, snow and sleet.
- DBS check (formerly the CRB check - this can be done through Survival School for a £15 admin fee).
- Food Hygiene Certificate - Level 2 (This can be done online at Virtual College).
- You must be dedicated to Survival School and to your fellow instructors, students and bushcraft/survival.
- You must be over 18 to attend this course.
- The Level 4 course should be completed within 12 months of starting.
- From 1st August 2022, all certifications will be in the form of eCertificates.
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The Course
Once you have completed all the pre-requisites, you are then ready to launch into the Level 4 Instructors Course.
When does the course run? It is a rolling course. It doesn't stop or start. When someone finishes they free up a space so that you can start. This means that you don't have to wait too long to start the course. There is also no pressure to finish by a certain date so you complete when you have reached the highest of professional standards. This ensures that you are ready to run your own courses with experience.
The course is split into 5 units:
- Unit1: You will learn to design a course to cover the Level 2 Bushcraft, Survival and Wilderness Living Skills Course.
- Unit 2: You will learn to produce the lesson plans and schemes of work for the Level 2 Bushcraft, Survival and Wilderness Living Skills Course.
- Unit 3: You will learn to deliver the lesson for each module on the Level 2 Bushcraft, Survival and Wilderness Living Skills Course.
- Unit 4: You will learn to mentor students both during and after a course.
- Unit 5: You will learn to deliver an entire Level 2 Bushcraft, Survival and Wilderness Living Skills Training Course.
You will be given in depth instruction on the subjects listed below and will also be given advice and guidance on how to set up and conduct a lesson. A big emphasis is placed on group dynamics, teaching techniques and attitude towards teaching and individuals.
The course is a rolling course. In other words, when one person finishes then there is a place for the next person on the list. We can accommodate 10 people in Devon and 10 people in Staffordshire.
Helpful hint: Get your Level 2 Course and the 5 Day Applied Bushcraft, Survival and Wilderness Skills Course booked early so that you can start straight after you get back from Scotland. The sooner you start the process, the sooner you get to the Level 4 course.
Course Content:
Safety in the woods, safe cutting techniques, game preparation (mammal, fish and fowl), cutting techniques with axes, saws and knives, shelter building (natural and man-made), fire lighting, fire lighting and fire management (to include friction fire lighting), animal physiology, basic botany, foraging and tree ID, cooking techniques, water sources, collection, filtration and purification, natural navigation, knife sharpening, knife law, natural cordage, traps and snares, setting up courses, woodland management, living in the field - details of field hygiene and potential diseases, outdoor activity industry comprehension, the history of bushcraft and survival. Throughout the course you will be teaching sessions based on the Level 2 syllabus.
Level 4 Learning Outcomes. Please click here for Level 4 Course Learning Outcomes
How much does it cost? Total Cost: £450
Price includes registration and certification.
