FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING Engaging children
Really when done regularly, learning outside can be a different experience for the teacher. The planning is done, you don’t need a huge amount of equipment and the class should be carrying out the work and on task. This leaves the teacher free to observe different learning styles, class dynamics and to support and prompt those who need it.
The freedom for children to move around, working either independently or in teams with a clear set of instructions will keep them focused. To keep children on task, you should limit the outdoor space that they work in and make sure they know their boundaries. For children who may struggle initially outside giving them a special task such as class photographer can provide the responsibility that they need. It is fine to allow children to work independently if this is how they perform best, without disrupting the class. Give them their own space and task to perform if appropriate.
Behaviour
One of the key things to understand about outdoor learning and children’s behaviour is that they learn and perform much better when it is carried out routinely. If children are not used to learning outside, then they become over excited or nervous when they are taken out. It is a novelty. This is not conducive to the best outcomes. If you build-in outdoor learning into weekly timetabling, then children start to expect it and in turn they learn more.
Regular learning outside means that students understand what is expected of them and that they are in a lesson. There is always the chance to deepen understanding of subjects and consolidate learning done in the classroom. Subjects that may have proved challenging inside can sometimes be more accessible outside. For example, we have done diagrams of plant cells outside. We go over key vocabulary together – saying it out loud to improve pronunciation and memory recall and then the teams go off and create diagrams together. Rather than looking for a stick or a leaf, children communicate with each other using the relevant vocabulary and say they are looking for a cell membrane or a nucleus. Teachers support in the improvement of these and then children are asked to label them.
How does a school begin outdoor learning? If schools aren’t sure about their commitment to outdoor learning, then we have found that creating a food growing programme is a good introduction for them to try it out. This works particularly well for primary schools. We have developed a year-round food growing package of support for schools that includes lesson plans that link to the science curriculum. It is easy to use and provides a month-by-month diary of activities. The lesson plans are developed around science topics that work well with activities in the garden.
Common fears are overcome with tried and tested techniques
One of the most effective and popular ways of getting started is to use the whistle game. This essentially teaches children how to listen. It is simple and suitable for all ages from early years to Year 6.
You split the class into around four groups and give them a base – marked by something like a hula hoop. Then you explain the whistle commands to them. One whistle means freeze; two whistles mean return to base; three whistles may mean do three star jumps and four whistles may be a round of applause. You can build up the whistle commands as the children get used to the game.
Ask the children to start moving – this could be walking, dancing, hopping and then you start blowing whistling instructions. You can even incorporate your topic into the game. For example, the base could be the cave, you could ask them to move like a stone age man. We find that this is a fantastic way to ensure pupils are listening and following instructions with the bonus of knowing 2 whistles means return to base or you, which can be beneficial at any time if needed.
May 2024
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The lessons encourage children to use natural materials found outside such as twigs, stones, leaves and petals. One, for example, asks them to create a café for a native animal of their choice. They can do this in any space, large or small and it is a great activity for researching local wildlife whilst deepening the understanding of habitats and the needs of different animals. Teachers can take pictures of their work as evidence.
Also, if a school doesn’t have much outdoor space, the food growing in the ‘garden’ can be adapted. It doesn’t have to be expensive. Builders’ sacks can be filled to grow vegetables and flowers, or using found containers as mini raised beds can be an inexpensive option. Typically, you can grow a mixture of lettuce, leeks, kale, cabbage, radishes, herbs, pumpkins and cucumbers alongside edible flowers such as nasturtiums and calendula. All of these can be harvested in school time, either before the summer holidays or in September when the class starts the new year.
Ashfield Valley Primary School in Rochdale took up the Growbag scheme two years ago. They have now set up 7 growing beds at the school and 240 pupils from Reception to Year 6 have six sessions per year with Grow to School. Elizabeth Ward, Year 1 Teacher at Ashfield Valley says: “It has been so beneficial on many levels. We’ve learnt a lot. We now understand the make-up of vegetable families and the best growing conditions and crop rotation. This in turn has consolidated learning in science about the life cycle of plants and the providence of the food we eat.
“We use the produce in class lessons to cook with and have also provided our school kitchen with produce such as beans for salads. ‘’The school has referenced the project as part of our successful application to be awarded our Eco School award for 2023-24. We have also used evidence from the project to feed into our successful application for Primary Science Quality Mark 2023-24.”
Costs
Costs of buying in resources may feel prohibitive, but the lesson bank developed by Grow to School can be bought using the PE and Sport Premium that schools are entitled to. The lessons are developed so that learning outdoors increases children’s activity and gets them out of their chairs and moving.
The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom supports Grow to School in its activity and has awarded us the Quality Badge. The award means as badge holders we have passed a robust assessment process and meet all schools’ learning and risk management needs.
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