Learning in a real context can turn the abstract into the concrete. It inspires curiosity and investigation which inspire enquiring minds and enables them to achieve.
Intent – What does our Curriculum intend to do?
Outdoor Education
At North Tawton, we recognise the impact that outdoor learning opportunities have on embedding learning and engaging children with their environment and community. Through outdoor learning, children develop their understanding of Science, Mathematics, Geography and Physical education as well as gaining confidence and self esteem. High quality outdoor education can also provide a real life context for Writing and History and provide opportunities for children to develop field skills and an understanding of how we fit into the world and the impact humans have, both negative and positive, on the environment. Children will be encouraged to understand how their actions can effect the world around them and explore the outdoor world.
Our Aims
At North Tawton Community Primary School, our aim is to encourage and inspire children through positive outdoor experiences. Children will have the opportunity to learn about the natural environment, how to handle risks and most importantly to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others. The children use tools, play and explore, learn boundaries of behaviour; both physical and social, establish and grow in confidence, self-esteem and become self-motivated.
Through discrete and integrated learning and general daily practice, we aim to educate children about the environment and human impact upon it, both negative and positive. We encourage children to develop good Global Citizen skills and care for the environment at school, at home and in the community.
Outdoor Education aims:
- To provide opportunities for children to learn, develop and have fun.
- To provide a safe and stimulating environment where children feel comfortable to take risks, make choices and initiate their own learning.
- To help children understand, appreciate and care for their environment.
- To develop a safe, happy and welcoming environment which meets the needs of all learning styles.
- To develop self-esteem and confidence through engaging in small, achievable tasks which can be completed with success.
- To develop social and co-operative working skills.
- To provide and develop practical life skills in an outdoor environment
We aim to give all children a collective insight into caring for our environment. Outdoor learning builds on a child’s innate motivation and positive attitude to learning, offering them the opportunities to take risks, make choices and initiate learning for themselves.
A well established outdoor learning environment provides opportunities for children to develop self-esteem, self-confidence, to form positive relationships with others, to develop a growing awareness of their emotional needs and the needs of others, to learn to cooperate and work with their peers and adults and to develop strategies in order to take risks within the boundaries of safety.
Outdoor education is about exploring and experiencing the natural world through practical activities. The children go out in all weathers, all year round, exploring and learning from the seasons and environment changes. The children’s interests, along with the varied natural resources in our woodland, are used to stimulate creative thinking, problem solving and skill development.
The Ted Hughes Outdoor Learning Centre
In July 2023, we opened our Ted Hughes Outdoor Learning Centre. Ted Hughes was a very famous poet, translator and writer who lived right here in North Tawton! His literary works include poems for children and the science fiction novels The Iron Man and The Iron Woman, which are firm favourites on our bookshelves. He often visited our school and read his books and poems to the children, many of our local families will remember him fondly.
We have fantastic outdoor spaces here at the school, including a large playing field, orchard, and a forest area. As I have written about before in Roundabout, we value spending time outside and staff find ways to maximise outdoor learning opportunities in our curriculum. However, the weather is not always on our side! While the rain brings us beautiful North Devon scenery, it also makes children and their written work soggy! We now have a wonderful space to gather outside in the rain! At our official grand opening, Mrs Hughes told us that her husband loved to be outside, many of his poems are about animals and the natural world. When the weather was wet, he liked to sit in a shed and look out at the world for inspiration for his writing. She encouraged us to be out in all weathers and to notice the differences in the seasons and how this affects the natural world around us.
We are very grateful to Mrs Hughes for her kindness and generosity. The Ted Hughes Outdoor Learning Centre is going to be well used and loved for many years to come. We will utilise the centre for quiet reflection, writing, reading, observation, gathering for discussions, and of course a shelter from the rain! Who knows, maybe this space will inspire a future Poet Laureate!
Eco Committee - Wildlife Champions
The Eco-Committee is responsible for carrying out the initial and subsequent Environmental Reviews and for preparing an Action Plan for the whole school to engage in. Regular meetings, community projects, and wildlife visits are organised to promote discussion of environmental action for the school and local community.
We aim to promote environmental awareness and encourage sustainability. The children are taught about respect and responsibility for the world around them. Both the children and adults are encouraged to respect their environment and to be aware of conservation issues of the wild area around them. Through working with organisations such as the Devon Wildlife Trust, our school aims to create a deeper connection with nature that will lead to a change in behaviours and therefore develop a greater care for the environment. This begins with our children. Our outdoor learning provision provides opportunity to:
EYFS
As part of the regular learning within the EYFS, children in Nursery and Reception will have daily access to outdoor learning opportunities within their continuous provision which enables them to develop skills and confidence in the outdoor area. This will lead to progress in many areas of the Early Years Curriculum including Understanding the World, Physical Development and Person, Social and Emotional Development.
Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
Outdoor learning opportunities offer a unique experience that fit well within the school timetable. Class teachers will identify outdoor learning opportunities that can help support and embed learning within the classroom and support learning themes. “The classroom of the future should not be limited to a classroom at all– an ‘excellent’ curriculum would go beyond the traditional boundaries and offer real-world learning experiences outdoors.” Taking Learning Outdoors – LTS 2007.
Enrichment Activities
Enrichment activities are provide throughout the school year for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 as both part of our curriculum and are also provided in after school clubs such as:
Outdoor/Gardening/Eco Club
STEM Club
In the Future
Eco School Mark
At North Tawton we are hoping to become an Eco School. We will do this by following a seven-step framework that guides, empowers and motivates pupils to drive change and improve environmental awareness in their school, local community and beyond.
After completing the seven step process we hope to apply for Green Flag accreditation, which recognises, rewards and celebrates the environmental achievements of young people.
Primary - Eco Schools (eco-schools.org.uk)
RSPB Wild Challenge
Throughout this year, we are going to be working towards achieving the RSPB Wild Challenge Award Mark.
“The Wild Challenge award is a specially developed suite of activities for schools to engage children with nature and provide practical learning opportunities.
This award scheme is all about supporting school-based learning. It enables pupils to apply curriculum knowledge and skills, as well to develop their resilience and sense of agency through outdoor learning.
There are 24 activities to choose from, each helping children to connect with and learn about nature. There are bronze, silver and gold awards to achieve depending on how many activities you do.” – Taken from the RSPB Website
https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/schools-wild-challenge/
Impact – What progress do the children make?
Successful outdoor education allows children to:
In July 2023, we opened our Ted Hughes Outdoor Learning Centre. Ted Hughes was a very famous poet, translator and writer who lived right here in North Tawton! His literary works include poems for children and the science fiction novels The Iron Man and The Iron Woman, which are firm favourites on our bookshelves. He often visited our school and read his books and poems to the children, many of our local families will remember him fondly.
We have fantastic outdoor spaces here at the school, including a large playing field, orchard, and a forest area. As I have written about before in Roundabout, we value spending time outside and staff find ways to maximise outdoor learning opportunities in our curriculum. However, the weather is not always on our side! While the rain brings us beautiful North Devon scenery, it also makes children and their written work soggy! We now have a wonderful space to gather outside in the rain! At our official grand opening, Mrs Hughes told us that her husband loved to be outside, many of his poems are about animals and the natural world. When the weather was wet, he liked to sit in a shed and look out at the world for inspiration for his writing. She encouraged us to be out in all weathers and to notice the differences in the seasons and how this affects the natural world around us.
We are very grateful to Mrs Hughes for her kindness and generosity. The Ted Hughes Outdoor Learning Centre is going to be well used and loved for many years to come. We will utilise the centre for quiet reflection, writing, reading, observation, gathering for discussions, and of course a shelter from the rain! Who knows, maybe this space will inspire a future Poet Laureate!
Eco Committee - Wildlife Champions
The Eco-Committee is responsible for carrying out the initial and subsequent Environmental Reviews and for preparing an Action Plan for the whole school to engage in. Regular meetings, community projects, and wildlife visits are organised to promote discussion of environmental action for the school and local community.
We aim to promote environmental awareness and encourage sustainability. The children are taught about respect and responsibility for the world around them. Both the children and adults are encouraged to respect their environment and to be aware of conservation issues of the wild area around them. Through working with organisations such as the Devon Wildlife Trust, our school aims to create a deeper connection with nature that will lead to a change in behaviours and therefore develop a greater care for the environment. This begins with our children. Our outdoor learning provision provides opportunity to:
- Instil a love and respect for nature and promote care for our environment.
- Raise awareness of where our food comes from and create a direct relationship between the food they grow to the food they eat. From growing our own fruits and vegetables, preparing, and cooking to eating them outdoors.
- Inspire through workshops such as those led by The Devon Wildlife Trust that create networks of ‘Wildlife Councils’ within schools where children are empowered to make changes in their school grounds and local communities.
- Foster links with our local community, creating nature days, using local providers and volunteers where possible and developing a space that will benefit the families and residents of North Tawton.
EYFS
As part of the regular learning within the EYFS, children in Nursery and Reception will have daily access to outdoor learning opportunities within their continuous provision which enables them to develop skills and confidence in the outdoor area. This will lead to progress in many areas of the Early Years Curriculum including Understanding the World, Physical Development and Person, Social and Emotional Development.
Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2
Outdoor learning opportunities offer a unique experience that fit well within the school timetable. Class teachers will identify outdoor learning opportunities that can help support and embed learning within the classroom and support learning themes. “The classroom of the future should not be limited to a classroom at all– an ‘excellent’ curriculum would go beyond the traditional boundaries and offer real-world learning experiences outdoors.” Taking Learning Outdoors – LTS 2007.
Enrichment Activities
Enrichment activities are provide throughout the school year for EYFS, KS1 and KS2 as both part of our curriculum and are also provided in after school clubs such as:
Outdoor/Gardening/Eco Club
STEM Club
In the Future
Eco School Mark
At North Tawton we are hoping to become an Eco School. We will do this by following a seven-step framework that guides, empowers and motivates pupils to drive change and improve environmental awareness in their school, local community and beyond.
After completing the seven step process we hope to apply for Green Flag accreditation, which recognises, rewards and celebrates the environmental achievements of young people.
Primary - Eco Schools (eco-schools.org.uk)
RSPB Wild Challenge
Throughout this year, we are going to be working towards achieving the RSPB Wild Challenge Award Mark.
“The Wild Challenge award is a specially developed suite of activities for schools to engage children with nature and provide practical learning opportunities.
This award scheme is all about supporting school-based learning. It enables pupils to apply curriculum knowledge and skills, as well to develop their resilience and sense of agency through outdoor learning.
There are 24 activities to choose from, each helping children to connect with and learn about nature. There are bronze, silver and gold awards to achieve depending on how many activities you do.” – Taken from the RSPB Website
https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/schools-wild-challenge/
Impact – What progress do the children make?
Successful outdoor education allows children to:
- Grow in confidence as a result of the freedom, time and space they are given in their learning. This allows them to demonstrate independence at each individual child’s rate.
- Develop a sense of teamwork and a stronger bond with their teachers and peers - activities such as sharing tools and participating in play help teach the children to work together as a group, which strengthens their bonds and social skills.
- Communicate – outdoor learning promotes language development through increased sensory experiences which in turn improves communication skills and has a positive effect on a child’s self-esteem and is a crucial part of their development.
- Increase concentration and attention - high levels of interest lead to high levels of attention. Spending time in the woodland is exciting for a child. It tends to fascinate them which develops a strong will to participate and concentrate over long periods of time.
- Develop physical skills - the increase in outdoor activity has a positive physical impact. Not only does the development of physical stamina improve but also gross and fine motor skills.
- Engage with the environment and wider world- children develop an interest in the great outdoors and respect for the environment. Encouraging children to develop a relationship with the natural world will help in protecting the environment for generations to come.
