Description
This award gives beginners or more experienced falconers a real qualification in their chosen pastime or profession. Raptor Awards is the only accrediting body specifically for the bird of prey industry.
Currently, the Award is both for non-professional falconers, and for anyone wishing to make a career or volunteering to work with raptors, such as in centres, zoos and for bird control operatives. It is often a mandatory requirement for candidates for such positions. However, Raptor Awards is currently developing new courses for professionals in the falconry world, such as breeders, bird control operatives, display givers etc.
A nationally-recognised falconry/raptor management qualification!
Many existing “raptor keepers” are, in truth, a bit scared of the Award. For those for whom falconry is their passion, the Falconry Award shows the world that they have a level of competency in the art of falconry.
The Falconry School is an approved for teaching and assessing the Beginning Falconry Award, and we can give you all the help you need to complete it, along with an independent assessment leading to the achievement of the certificate. It’s fun as well!
The Award currently consists of 9 modules which have to be completed to achieve the certificate in Beginning Falconry.
- Module 1 Housing
- Module 2 Feeding and Nutrition
- Module 3 Monitoring and maintaining health
- Module 4 Catching, restraining and moving the bird of prey
- Module 5 Legal aspects
- Module 6 Bird of prey species
- Module 7 Furniture and equipment
- Module 8 Training, manning and weight management
- Module 9 Flying free
To complete the course, beginners will usually require 5 days of tuition.
Existing falconers should need fewer days, and we can ascertain what you may need when you give us a call.
Tuition days do not have to be consecutive, and may be split into blocks or separate days. In fact, it may be beneficial to have breaks in tuition days so that the student can write up or assimilate information ready for the assessment.
Costs
For a total beginner to achieve the Raptor Awards “Beginning Falconry” award, the training and assessment will usually* take five days, although these days don’t necessarily have to be taken together. Splitting the tuition days, with the opportunity for the candidate to study in between, can often be beneficial. If you prefer to take the five days together we can try to do that, although it’s not always possible.
If you come along on one of our scheduled beginner courses, the first three days will cost £250.00 (instead of £330.00), reducing the overall cost.
The further two days (one-to-one generally) of £200 (making £450.00 in total) also includes the assessment fee. The candidate registration/issue of the certificate from Raptor Awards is a one-off cost which must be paid in advance directly to Raptor Awards, which is an independent organisation.
*It should be noted that the time taken to attain enough knowledge and skill to pass the assessment is dependent on:
- the candidate’s prior knowledge, and/or
- their willingness to work to attain the knowledge and skills during or between the days of tuition
Equipment
The Falconry School is also able to provide top-quality equipment (falconry “furniture”) for these hawks if required.
As always, we provide unlimited advice, for an unlimited time, to anyone who has attended a course at The Falconry School.
Accommodation
If you have to travel some distance to us, there are several hotels, inns etc. close by. We can give you further information as required.
If you have a caravan or motorhome, we have some (limited) space where you can park and stay, and we can provide mains electric, water and toilet facilities, all free of charge.
Make a holiday of it!
We are close to Gloucester and Cheltenham, and on our doorstep is the beautiful Cotswolds, with its pretty villages and historic towns. We have Berkeley Castle, Slimbridge Wildlife and Wetlands Trust, Roman Cirencester, the river Severn, the Royal Forest of Dean and much, much more.
While you are having fun playing with falcons, the family can go off and explore!
Funding your Falconry Award course
As the Falconry Award is a recognised qualification, you may find you are eligible for funding from an independent body, and we have students funded from a separate source from time to time. For instance, if you are unemployed, you may be able to claim part or all of the cost of a course from a government agency as part of a return-to-work scheme. You may also be able to fund training through other organisations, such as the Prince’s Trust, or a family trust, perhaps. It’s worth checking out the possibilities.
The Falconry School can liaise with funding bodies, submit forms etc., as required.
Don’t forget-we provide unlimited advice, for an unlimited time, to anyone who has attended a course at The Falconry School
