OUTDOOR EDUCATION
LET’S GO OUTSIDE
From animal care on the farm to counting shells on the seashore, outdoor learning inspires confidence, instils engagement and supports mental health
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ndependent schools offer a well-rounded education that includes learning in and out of the classroom. Beach, farm and forest school are just a few examples of types of outdoor learning provision, and are held mostly on a weekly basis for pre-prep pupils. As we’ve all learned through the past two years of the pandemic, being outside reaps rewards for our mental health and engaging young children with it when they’re as young as possible establishes a relationship for the rest of their lives. Regular activities in the local environment encourage a child’s desire to be active and makes them confident and engaged, developing communication skills when sharing their new discoveries with others.
Beach school at Prebendal, West Sussex
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independentschoolparent.com | SPRING 2022
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The air is crisp, and the sound of the waves gently creeping up the vast expanse of sand can just about be detected under the contrapuntal chatter of seabirds and pre-prep children. At Prebendal, Beach School is a prominent feature of the school timetable and loved in equal measure by staff and pupils. Through what seems like their clumsy exploration of their local environment, children acquire an enormous
amount of knowledge about the social and physical world around them, and through play they practise skills that promote their intellectual, physical, social and emotional development. They do all this long before anyone attempts to teach them anything. This amazing drive and capacity to learn doesn’t turn itself off when children start at nursery or school, but it can certainly show itself in different ways once in a classroom environment if those opportunities for learning through play are not put to good use. Increasingly, outdoor play is such a valued ingredient in those first few years of school. At this age, it’s crucial for children to view their education as an opportunity to continue to explore their world so they continue to be inquisitive and enthusiastic. The best learning environments make the most of a child’s natural curiosity, ensuring their gusto for learning can persist all the way through childhood, the teenage years, and even all the way into adulthood. Beach school, for these pupils, is the perfect opportunity to make links between theory they’ve learned inside a classroom and connecting it to a real-life experience in nature. Whether they’re counting shells, making maps out of seaweed, or witnessing the litter that has washed up
