Fire Lighting Skills

Session overview

This 60-minute hands-on session will teach Year 7 students basic fire lighting skills in a safe outdoor (forest) environment, closely following the National Curriculum for England’s focus on personal development, health & safety, and practical life skills. The lesson integrates AQA Basic Fire Lighting standards and Wild Passport fire safety competencies, blending practical skills with environmental and therapeutic learning approaches tailored for SEND and SEMH pupils. The class size of 3 allows personalised support and close supervision of fire lighting activities.

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Learning Objectives (WALT)

• WALT understand the components of the fire triangle and explain why each is essential (BFL1).
• WALT safely collect appropriate dry wood needed to build and maintain a fire (BFL2, FF1.3).
• WALT demonstrate how to safely light, control, maintain, and extinguish a fire under supervision (BFL3, BFL4, FF1.2).
• WALT practise and explain the importance of fire circle etiquette (FF1.1).

Success Criteria

• I can name and describe the fire triangle’s three parts (heat, fuel, oxygen).
• I can identify and select dry wood suitable to start and keep a fire burning.
• I can light and control a small fire safely using a match or fire lighter with support.
• I can explain and follow fire circle rules for safety and respect.
• I can fully extinguish the fire and explain why this is important.

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Starter (10 minutes)

Activity: Outdoor discussion circle around a safe fire pit placeholder

• Teacher introduces the fire triangle using a simplified diagram.
• Students verbalise the three parts and give examples.
• Brief group discussion: What makes a fire safe vs unsafe? What are our responsibilities?
• This ensures prior knowledge activation and sets safety expectations.

Resources: Visual fire triangle card, real wood samples (dry and damp for comparison).

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Input / Modelling (10 minutes)

Teacher Demonstration:

• Show how to select dry wood, explaining how to check for dryness/twig brittleness in the forest environment.
• Model building a basic fire lay (teepee or log cabin style) with collected wood.
• Demonstrate safe fire lighting using matches or a fire lighter, emphasising wind direction, fire circle etiquette, and calm controlled movements.
• Explain the importance of full extinguishment and modelling this at the end.

Keep explanations clear and dyslexia-friendly with visual aids and simple written steps.

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Independent Practice 1 (10 minutes)

Activity: Students collect dry wood themselves within a defined safe zone.

• Teacher supports lower ability pupil by explicitly showing dry wood indicators and using checklists.
• Higher ability pupils encouraged to find different sizes/shapes of wood for fire building and explain choices aloud.

This supports sensory learning and therapeutic engagement through nature interaction.

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Mini Plenary (5 minutes)

• Circle back to the fire circle, discussing collected wood and suitability.
• Students reflect on how dry wood differs from damp wood and why it matters (linked to FF1.3).

Teacher Question Prompts:

• What made your stick good for fire?
• Why can’t we use wet wood?

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Independent Practice 2 (15 minutes)

Activity: Small supervised fires – each student builds their own fire lay and lights it under teacher’s close supervision, practising:

• Fire lighting techniques (BFL3).
• Maintaining and controlling the fire safely.
• Demonstrating fire circle etiquette.

Teacher uses supportive language and frequent positive reinforcement, adapting instructions and pace for SEND/SEMH students.

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Plenary (5 minutes)

• Teacher leads joint fire extinguishing – soak, stir, and check for embers.
• Group discussion on why extinguishing fully is vital (FF1.2).
• Recap the fire triangle and fire etiquette points.

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Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Each student verbally answers or writes (dyslexia-friendly format) one question before leaving:

• “What are the three parts of the fire triangle?”
• “Name one rule of fire circle etiquette.”
• “Why do we need to put fires out completely?”

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Differentiation and Support

Ability Level	Strategies
Lower Ability	Clear step-by-step instructions with visual prompts; paired work with teacher; additional sensory supports (texture, smell); more frequent breaks if needed.
Higher Ability	Challenge to explain fire triangle scientifically; varied wood selection; teach peer safety tips during practice; attempt building more complex fire structures.

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Extension Activities

• Investigate the history/uses of fire in human survival and culture (link to History or English).
• Write a short safety guide or create a fire safety poster.
• Explore the environmental impact of fire and wildfires (Science cross-curricular).
• Practice fire lighting completely independently in a future session once ready.

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Cross Curricular Links

• Science: Combustion and chemical reactions (fire triangle).
• PSHE: Personal responsibility, safety awareness, and teamwork.
• Geography: Understanding forest ecosystems and fire’s environmental impact.
• English: Vocabulary building and communication of safety rules.

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This plan combines practical forest education with therapeutic, sensory, and personalised learning approaches, designed to engage and empower all learners within the National Curriculum framework.