There is a misconception, within the teaching profession and the general public, that Ofsted, the Health and Safety Executive and the establishment are against children being exposed to danger and that schools are prevented from giving children experiences which involve risk. Mike Fairclough, headmaster at West Rise Junior School, has blown that theory out of the water. In the superb Playing With Fire, Mike urges all schools to follow his lead, empowering other Heads and their schools to provide activities for their pupils which include an element of risk and danger. With entertaining and visual examples of his work at West Rise, including bee keeping, water buffalo breeding, shooting, archery, Forest School, paddle boarding, and skinning rabbits, Mike breezily demonstrates how teething problems and mistakes are part and parcel of risk-taking and should be embraced. The result is an empowering book that urges educators to cultivate their own resilience, courage and trust in the same way that we are hoping to foster those qualities within our students.

Discover the revolutionary path to incredible parenting and embrace your child's free spirit, inspire their imagination and prepare them for a confident, empowered future. Foreword by Dame Jacqueline Wilson. This isn't your average parenting book. This is a call for rebellion; a liberating, transformative, joyful rebellion, proven to inspire confidence and resilience. Encouraging children to explore and reconnect with their adventurous side is more important than ever. Rewilding Childhood offers game-changing tools and techniques to help you raise empowered children who will thrive in this unpredictable world. You'll find out how climbing trees instils a healthy attitude to risk, how adventuring into fields and forests cultivates gratitude, and how getting messy with a paintbrush can liberate a child and elevate their confidence. Full of down-to-earth advice, honesty and positivity, this book will encourage both you and your child to move beyond the boundaries of everyday life to become self-assured, secure and, above all, happy.

Mike Fairclough shows why embracing childhood traits into adulthood can lead to true happiness. Acclaimed headmaster Mike Fairclough reveals how reconnecting with the fearlessness and playfulness of your childhood will help you on the path to ultimate happiness and wellbeing. Do you remember how adventurous, joyful and limitless life felt when you were a child? Sadly, the anxieties and pressures of adulthood mean that many of us have forgotten the wonderful gifts this way of life can offer. In this book, acclaimed head teacher Mike Fairclough explores how to reclaim these lost feelings and rekindle enthusiasm for life's adventures to improve your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing - and to create a healthier, happier existence. Drawing on over 20 years of teaching experience and his own powerful journey of self-discovery, Mike shares the transformative insights from children that can teach us all timeless and indispensable lessons about life. From breaking the rules to building resilience, this is an invitation to adventure: to reconnect with the magic of childhood and rediscover your own exuberant and joyful self.