'I want more children to enjoy education outdoors'

Nathan Whittaker wants to ensure children visiting Flatford Mill enjoy their educational experiences in the outdoors

The new manager of an educational centre said he wants to ensure the children who visit enjoy their learning outdoors.

Nathan Whittaker, from the Gipping Valley area in Suffolk, lived and worked in China before he moved back to the area during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He is now taking up the role of centre manager at Flatford Mill, near East Bergholt - a National Trust site that is run by the Fields Studies Council, which offers a range of educational courses.

"I’m absolutely delighted to take up this new role back in my home county and in such a special place," Mr Whittaker said.

"It brings together perfectly my experience in the education sector with my love for the environment."

Mr Whittaker said he spent much of his childhood in nature as both his parents were avid birdwatchers.

While he was in China, he worked in education for 15 years, managing the interests of British and US universities there.

Flatford Mill was owned by John Constable's father

He said the role at Flatford Mill, which was the first and original centre set up by the Fields Studies Council in the 1940s, "popped up out of the blue".

Mr Whittaker said he wanted to ensure all schoolchildren could enjoy outdoor educational experiences.

"For me, I didn’t thrive in the classroom environment, but I always spent a lot of time outdoors in nature learning, so I know from first-hand experience how important it is for all learners to have those opportunities," he said.

"Schools are up against a lot of challenges with rising operational costs and travel costs, so one of the things I’ll be looking at is how we can work in partnership with different education settings to ensure all schoolchildren can enjoy outdoor educational experiences."

The Hay Wain by John Constable is on display at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery until 1 September

The charity operates across four buildings at Flatford Mill, including the mill itself and Willy Lott's Cottage - both of which were made famous by artist John Constable in The Hay Wain.

Constable's father, Golding Constable, owned the mill from 1742 and wanted his son to take it over.

However, the younger Constable pursued his art career and instead his younger brother took over the site after their father's death.

Today, visitors and pupils can learn about nature in practical settings by taking part in activities and challenges.