Springfield Primary School has been on an exciting journey to develop outside learning to enhance learning, right across the curriculum. This has had a wide range of associated benefits, including promoting children’s well-being.
The development of the allotment area has enabled children to have a more hands on curriculum that includes horticulture and bio-diversity as an enhanced element. The journey began with the 2019 the pupil Eco Council evaluating the existing space and then de-signing an allotment area based upon feed-back from all classes across the school. The children wanted an area to include a green-house, planting beds for each year group and the inclusion of habitats to support a variety of wildlife. Through the autumn 2020 launch, the children across all classes began planting during the warmer afternoons. The area has provided opportunities for children’s sensory development along with opportunities to learn about responsibility, developing patience and social skills through horticulture.
The new Gardening Club have also been making great use of this space throughout the term and have turned their attention to developing habitats for an array of animals. As part of their involvement In the Green Trees Award Campaign, an initiative by the National Trust, they have been planting hedgerows, trees, installed bird boxes and created a bug hotels. This has given them the opportunity to discover, learn about and experience the natural world, improve wellbeing and will lead to further education opportunities across the school.
Recently the children across the school took part in an outdoor classroom day, where classes used the school grounds and its natural resources for a series of fun and engaging lessons. Children themselves mentioned several different enjoyable aspects to learning outside. The enjoyment of fresh air, new experiences and a practical context were all important to them. Teachers attributed this to the ability of outdoor learning to continually provide new experiences, a practical context for learning, the chance to learn in different ways and opportunities to succeed that may not be provided for some children in the classroom: ‘I enjoyed the giant collage making and an alphabet hunt, where I had to find things out-side to match a letter sound. It was a fun way of learning, we all had fun’. (Year 1 child)
The school is now building upon its successes and is looking to develop further the use of a woodland area within the school grounds. Through beginning the journey to achieve Forest School status, it will further be able to offer a unique educational experience using the outdoor environment of the forest as a classroom.