Residential retreats that bring deep learning to life.
My retreats and camps happen worldwide.
These are transformative opportunities for children to connect with nature - the local landscapes and the ecosphere - and with the power of words.
I have three different ways of doing this
1 - Running my residential poetry retreats, working with cross-school groups (such as my New Forest retreats)
2 - Co-creating learning retreats with other alternative educators (such as my work in Crete, New York and Montana)
3 - Working with schools to develop the impact of their existing school trips (such as my work at Gorsefield and Gilwell)
September 2025
Year 6 Camping Retreat
Gilwell Park, UK
Working in partnership with Fullwood Primary School, Redbridge.
I am building creative forest learning into their existing Year 6 residential visit, hosted at Gilwell Park in Essex, the principal centre of the UK Scouting Association.
October 2025
The Chronicles of Zeus: An Epic Crete Retreat
Heraklion, Crete
Where better to explore your love of Greek mythology than on the island where Zeus grew up, where the Minotaur roamed the labyrinth, where Ariadne dropped her thread, and where Icarus and Daedalus set off on their fateful flight.
This retreat is something special. In a festival of learning across the island, we will re-enact myths in their true homes, we will encounter the natural landscapes, learn the skills of the ancient craftspeople, sample the divine food and befriend many many goats.
On this retreat, Jonny collaborates with somebody whose wisdom is second only to Athena’s: Dr Maria Hnaraki is a professor of anthropology, folklore and ethnomusicology, and is the perfect person to co-host this adventure.
Jonny and Maria take the children out on visits to meet the people and places of Crete, all the while engaging in music, creative arts, writing, storytelling and craft. This is a true blend of the Head, the Heart and the Hands.
Something transformative, in which children can make new friends, deepen their obsession with Greek mythology, and learn alongside two highly-skilled and knowledgeble educators.
March 2026
Year 5 Poetry Retreat
Gorsefield Rural Studies Centre
Working with a group of Year 5 children from across three Islington primary schools, we will spend three days out in nature in Stansted Mountfitchet. Children will participate in Heart Heart Hands philosophy activities, whilst crafting poetry and creative writing.
I am the Poet in Residence at Gorsefield Rural Studies Centre.
If your school would like to do similar work, get in touch with me, or with Gorsefield.
March 2026
Year 3 - Year 6 Poetry Retreat
New Forest, UK
Let’s see the forest with new eyes, on this cross-year group adventure in learning. Across four days, we will tell stories, explore the New Forest, seek out the wildlife and create some stunning poetry, inspired by our discoveries and by encountering some great contemporary poetry collections.
This is the annual Glade Primary School KS2 Poetry Reteat.
June 2026
Year 4 Poetry Retreat
Gilwell Park, UK
Working in partnership with Fullwood Primary School, Redbridge.
Working alongside the Year 4 team at Fullwood, I am co-facilitating a two-day poetry retreat at Gilwell Park Scout centre.
The children spend two days out exploring nature, using a Head Heart Hands approach to learning, and crafting poetry which we produce in an anthology.
May 2026
Year 5 Poetry Retreat
New Forest, UK
Spend four days exploring the dramatic landscapes of the New Forest, in this exciting poetry and creative writing retreat designed specifically for 9 and 10 year old poets.
Led by Jonny Walker and Adisa the Verbalizer, we wander and ponder through the trees, over the hills and across the fairy bridges, all the time building up a flurry of poetry idea in our notepads.
Back at the hostel, we run writing sessions and workshops, so that by the end of our four days, every child and every teacher has created something that they are happy to submit to our anthology.
Back in London, Jonny pulls these poems together and designs, publishes and prints an anthology.
The particular power of this retreat is that we are all strangers! The children and teachers come from the five different schools of the New Vision Trust, and so it gives us a chance to create new dynamics, forge fresh friendships and see new landscapes together.