Outdoor Learning

Out and about – exploring the built environment with early years

scameron — Thu, 06 May 2010 17:21:14 +0100

Investigating the local environment provides many opportunities to:

Developing life skills using inside and outside environments

scameron — Thu, 14 May 2009 14:04:16 +0100

Why focus on life skills and the environment?

Improved play provision for SEN

scameron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:50:23 +0000

Pathfinder projects which will eventually see the government invest £235m in play spaces over the next three years are under way. Will the new facilities be fully inclusive? Early indications are positive, although projects are still at the planning and consultation stages.

Science lessons: the seaside

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:15:30 +0000

There are few things more quintessentially British, or more evocative of ‘summer’, than a day out at the seaside – and there are also few places in Britain which better lend themselves to scientific study than seaside resorts. Take a look at the picture on this page, for example.

Try showing your class this image or something similar, or get them to draw their own seaside pictures from suggestions made in a class discussion. You can then discuss what the pupils think they could study at the seaside that links to science. Just a few suggestions might be:

Becoming involved in Forest Schools

scameron — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:58:54 +0000

Making fires, toasting bread and boiling water over the flames; shelter building, climbing trees, cutting down trees, using saws and knives for carving – these are not activities in which children nowadays are generally encouraged to participate. Many observers would say that children have become too cosseted by a nanny mentality, preventing them from exploring and learning to cope with hazards. Teachers have become extremely wary of any activity involving potential health-and-safety hazards, as they do not want to become involved in possible litigation.

Traditional playground games

scameron — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:02:44 +0000

In the United Kingdom, young children can spend up to one and a half hours, 25% of their school day, in the playground.

These activities from 101 Playground Games are part of a toolkit of ideas to entertain children in what is often called their favourite part of the day. Aside from the enclosed traditional playrgound games, the book also offer 91 others under 9 other themes, including tag games, chasing and catching games, parachute games and singing and dancing games.

Written by Thérèse Hoyle

Enrichment Activities: The London Olympics and aerial pathways

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:42 +0100

Introduction
This week's primary enrichment activity looks at London's hosting of the Olympic Games in 2012 and asks pupils to think about what they would like the legacy of the event to be.

This week's secondary enrichment activity focuses on the opening of a treetop walkway at Kew Gardens and asks pupils to consider the potential benefits of creating aerial pathways for pedestrians.

***Primary Enrichment***

KS2: PHSE

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Enrichment Activities: Finding the centre and mapping the future

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:42 +0100
This week's primary enrichment activity asks pupils to consider why knowing the geographical centre of a place is considered to be so important and sets them the task of finding the centre of the school.

This week's secondary enrichment activity asks pupils to consider the rapidly changing world and sets them the task of mapping an aspect of human activity as it might be in 500 years' time.

***Primary Enrichment***

KS2: Mathematics
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Out-of-school activities: tips for SENCOs

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:41 +0100

The summer term is traditionally the time for adventure camps, field trips and visits to places of interest − enriching the curriculum for all children and often providing them with memorable experiences. How can we ensure that these activities are as enjoyable and positive as possible for pupils with SEN?
Out-of-school activities

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Supporting pupils with SEN in PE and sport

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:39 +0100

Support for SENCOs
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Primary Assembly: The Osprey story

sara — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:21:38 +0100
***Assembly Plan***

An elderly lady returns home

Each year, a pair of ospreys returns to breed at the Scottish Wildlife Trust's (SWT) centre at Loch of the Lowes. The female is probably twenty years old now and each visit is now a much welcomed event.

She and her partner returned at the end of March. They have mated and, if the elderly bird lays three eggs, which she has done in the past, it will bring her total at the centre to fifty.

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Planning and funding environmental improvements to your school grounds

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:53 +0100

There had been a growing interest in recent years in the role of environmental education and the importance of encouraging young people to be aware of their role in sustaining their local environment. Linked with this has been the need to encourage children to make the most of outdoor spaces for play and learning. Since 1990 the charity Learning Through Landscapes has been campaigning on behalf of children to improve school grounds.
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Making provision for how boys learn best

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:53 +0100

I was always in trouble at school; infants, juniors and secondary. How would I describe myself? Bright, but bored probably sums me up as a pupil! One of my former teachers said, when he heard that I had gone into teacher training, ‘Well, at least he knows all the tricks!’
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Creating an outdoor learning environment for the early years

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:50 +0100

‘A rich and varied environment supports children’s learning and development. It gives them the confidence to explore and learn in secure and safe, yet challenging, indoor and outdoor spaces’
(Statutory Framework for the EYFS commitment 3.3)
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Meeting the challenges of outdoor provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:49 +0100

‘A secure, safe and happy childhood is important in its own right, and it provides the foundation for children to make the most of their abilities and talents as they grow up.’
(Statutory Framework for the EYFS, 2007)
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Learning outside the classroom: examining the school grounds

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:45 +0100

In September 2004 the House of Commons Education and Skills Select Committee announced an enquiry into education outside the classroom.
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The benefits of skiing: at home and trips abroad

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:44 +0100
Even a year’s most reluctant of students will be wide eyed with wonder when faced with getting sporty in the snow (real or artificial) – so much so they probably won’t even notice just how many hours of intensive exercise they’re doing. Alongside the invaluable health and fitness benefits of skiing, the creation of brand new skills and friendships go hand-in-hand with this non-traditional sport.

Key benefits of skiing for pupils are:

physical skills and knowledge

personal and social development

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Old style 'school trips'

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:43 +0100
It sometimes seems that prospective headteachers should be tested for courage. It’s what you need when the coaches leave the playground off on an expedition and malevolent whispers of doubt drift into your mind. One coach driver used his phone to send text messages as he drove last week. His firm were horrified when the school rang in, from a land phone, to complain.
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Supporting young children to engage with risk and challenge

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:28 +0100

Can you remember the things you used to do as a child? If you are like most other adults you will probably remember:
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Teaching pupils life skills through climbing

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:25 +0100

Bristol Climbing is recognised as a centre for sporting excellence producing past and current members of the British climbing team and is the driving force behind many initiatives such as the Association of British Climbing Walls and the National Climbing Wall Award Scheme. This has extended to providing a range of courses run from after-school clubs through to GCSE PE assessments, weekend residentials, Duke of Edinburgh award schemes and providing G&T courses from year 6 to years 12 and 13.
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High-quality environments for learning

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:23 +0100

‘Education must come to be recognised as the product of complex interactions, many of which can be realised when the environment is a fully participating element.’
(Malaguzzi, 1998)
In this article we look in detail at some of the practical aspects of creating a high-quality learning environment which encourages exploration and discovery.
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School visits abroad: invaluable to pupils and staff

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:15 +0100

In 2004 the DfES produced a document entitled Putting the World into World-Class Education, which is aimed at developing an international strategy for our nation’s children. In the foreword to this policy it states that ‘One cannot truly educate young people in this country without the international dimension being a very significant and real part of their learning experience’.
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How safe are your school trips abroad?

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:09 +0100

After consulting on a draft of the standard, it is now working on a final version which should be ready for publication in March or April of 2007. The draft version contains a section on the protection of children and vulnerable adults.

The BSI surveyed parents across Britain and found that they had many concerns about their children participating in school trips abroad and that they wanted a national safety standard to be established. It found that:
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Outdoor learning through nature

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:20:02 +0100

Making fires, toasting bread over the flames, building shelters, climbing trees – these are not woodland activities that you would normally associate with children under five today. Yet for increasing numbers of children, this is a reality. Within the ambit of a ‘forest school’, even very young children are learning all kinds of outdoor activities, appreciating how to care for and respond to the environment, whilst looking after themselves and others.
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Security advice for nurseries with outdoor play equipment

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:58 +0100

Security and vandalism are concerns to all sections of the community in some shape or form. The operators of nursery and playgroups are no different to other groups. The advice I am about to give is generic and each location would have to be assessed on an individual basis, to identify the correct measures to use.
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Floundering over fossils: protecting our geological heritage

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:55 +0100

At about this time of year, many schools will be taking students on field trips, some of which may involve collecting fossils. In this article we discuss the relationship between fossil collection and environmental concerns. We go on to explore how wider issues of long-term heritage protection and shorter-term factors can work together to promote a sustainable future.

Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site
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Safeguarding children and young people on school trips

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:50 +0100

The governing body, or in some cases the LA, holds responsibility for the health and safety of staff and pupils going on a school trip and is required to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment for all activities. The task of carrying out a risk assessment is, however, usually delegated to the headteacher.
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Using school grounds for gardening

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:35 +0100

Through hands-on gardening pupils can gain knowledge of plant science, wildlife, environmental management and the process of change. A wide range of national curriculun subjects can also be included. But to take up the objectives of the Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom, schools will be challenged to find local sites and make time for active participation.
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Bringing history to life

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:14 +0100

Within the Foundation Stage guidance and in the National Curriculum programme of study for history at Key Stage 1 there are many challenges. How do we teach young children to understand the passage of time and identify the way in which things have changed over the years? How do we help young children to interpret what happened in the past and why? What are the best ways of studying the people who lived in their area in the past?
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Risks, dangers and hazards

admin — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:19:14 +0100

You will automatically organise an annual health and safety inspection within your setting, to meet legal requirements. You will assess the risks in the workplace, in the outside spaces, when carrying out certain activities and when taking children on visits. This is vital if children are to be kept safe. Yet how many settings help the children to understand what risk actually is and the part they can play in minimising risk and doing things safely?
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