Learning Outside the Classroom

Every pupil across school will experience learning outside the classroom throughout the year, in a variety of natural environments including school grounds, local parks and residential trips. This will develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of nature and their impact on it.

Pupils will develop self-esteem, confidence, creative thinking, resilience and a sense of community by accessing activities at appropriate levels in order to overcome barriers to learning, thus arousing their curiosity and stimulating learning.

Learning is generally pupil-led, with pupils exploring and investigating, and actively learning new skills while consolidating and mastering those already acquired. It is typically play-based, particularly in Lower School and through Years 7 and 8. Pupils will become notably more independent over time, both outside and inside the classroom.

All areas of Outdoor Learning; Environmental Learning, Outdoor Adventurous Activities and Forest School, have strong links across the curriculum and most subjects can be taught outdoors using nature as a stimulus. Alternatively, natural objects can be brought into the classroom to support learning. Assessment is ongoing to track and measure progress and, through summative observations, the pupils’ practical skills, theoretical knowledge, creative thinking skills, resilience, social skills and communication skills are recorded against Learning Behaviours assessment in Lower School and against Skills Builder assessment in Upper School.

Please click the link below to download our Outdoor Learning Curriculum map

Curriculum map

Long term plans available on request

Please click here for more information about our forest schools.