TITLE OF DEVELOPING PRACTICE EXAMPLE
Whole School Approach to Outdoor Learning at Laurieston Primary School
built BY
Digitize Pathways in partnership with Tablet academy Scotland and Co.Lab Hub
- Good Practice Example
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CONTEXT / BACKGROUND
Over the course of the academic year 19-20, we worked collaboratively with Falkirk Community Trust to deliver an Outdoor Learning Nurture programme for a targeted group of our pupils. Although the year was disrupted, it was clear the huge impact that the outdoor environment had on our pupils who accessed this group. Additionally, when returning to school in August 2020 we were aware of the important role that outdoor learning could play in providing learning opportunities in a safe environment for pupils and staff. This led to us deciding to develop a whole school approach to outdoor learning, building staff confidence and ensuring everyone felt equipped to access the outdoor environment.
WHAT WE DID
In order to ensure our vision was successful we bought a range of resources to support staff, pupils and families. A selection of waterproof jackets, waterproof trousers and wellies have been the most important resource that we have bought as this has allowed all pupils to access the outdoors when they come to school unprepared or when families aren't necessarily able to provide. We developed a system for quarantining items to ensure that all classes could access them as needed.
Staff were then required to select an outdoor learning time and add it to our whole school timetable. This allowed SLT to allocate Support for Learning Assistant's to classes to support them to go off-site for outdoor learning. Having an additional member of staff with the class supported teachers, building their confidence to engage in outdoor learning. This has evolved over the year and currently works by classes having SfLA support on a bi-weekly basis, classes splitting their sessions between the school ground and going off-site.
We are incredibly lucky at Laurieston to have two local green spaces within walking distance for our pupils. As well as the parks in Laurieston, we are able to access Westquarter Glen and Callendar Park woods. SLT accompanied classes on their initial visit to these green spaces to support them to identify a suitable area for them to use for their session as well as modelling expectations and defining boundaries outside of the classroom.
IMPACT / OUTCOMES
There has been a complete culture shift in school as a result of our approach to outdoor learning. Rather it being some classes going outdoor learning sometimes, all classes throughout the school now engage in outdoor learning on a regular basis. Staff confidence in this area has increased hugely resulting in them providing engaging contexts for outdoor learning and identifying ways to effectively take the learning from the classroom, outdoors.
For our pupils, this has given them the opportunity to engage in group learning safely at a time when they were not able to do this in the classroom. It has allowed them to develop their resilience when challenging themselves outdoors whether it be in adverse weather or climbing trees and exploring the environment around them. They have also persevered with tasks and have been encouraged to engage in the process of assessing risks when outdoors.
Now we have established outdoor learning as a key part of the ethos at Laurieston Primary, we plan to build on this next year by looking at the learning opportunities that are delivered outdoors and broadening the curriculum areas that staff feel confident to take outdoors.
FEEDBACK
Staff Feedback
- Broadened the pupils’ willingness to take risks.
- There has been a fluid transfer of skills from the classroom to the outdoor environment and from the outdoor environment to the classroom.
- Increased knowledge and awareness of the local area
- Developed knowledge of skills required to stay safe and opportunities to practise these in a real life context.
- This year staff have been 'given permission' and encouraged to make it a priority rather than feeling like there are barriers to taking the class outdoors.
- Opportunities for staff collaboration as we have shared ideas and best practice with one another.
- It has increased pupils confidence, encouraging them to take more risks and be braver.
- Increased confidence to take the learning outdoors.
- Developed skills to transfer lessons to the outdoor environment.
- Great for mental health and wellbeing to be out in a different environment.
- Children who do not always thrive in a class environment get the opportunity to ‘shine’.
- Children thoroughly enjoy the outdoors and this has supported HWB after lockdown.
- Promotes opportunities for risk taking.
- Opportunity to really see each child’s personality.
- Allow us to take learning outdoors and indeed bring learning indoors too!
- Great to see pupils in a different environment, for some, one in which they thrive.
- Children don’t always choose same learning partners so allows them the opportunity to develop their communication skills.
- Pupils always look forward to outdoor learning and enjoy it being a routine part of their learning each week.
Categories
Stage focus
LA
Falkirk
Where?
Laurieston Primary School, School Road, Laurieston, Falkirk, UK
CONTACT PERSON
Ailidh Hutt
CONTACT EMAIL
ailidh.hutt@falkirk.gov.uk
