Sharing Good Practice

BY : ANITA FOSTER

However outdoor education is at its most potent when its strands are interwoven with the formal school curriculum rather than being undertaken as isolated windows within a child ’ s education . School day trips and overnight residentials have wideranging and significant benefits . Such benefits can only be enhanced by ensuring they are planned and integrated into the whole school curriculum .

There are many organisations who support off-site and residential trips for schools . However , staff and student involvement in the planning and delivery of these will maximise their benefits and learning opportunities . Brilliant Residentials , an action research project from Learning Away , worked with 60 schools over 5 years to collect and explore a wide range of residential experiences . Gathering evidence supporting multiple benefits , such as improvements to attainment , engagement , confidence and relationships , the project also identifies a range of factors that contribute to a brilliant residential , including :

• Planning for specific learning goals

• Curriculum integration

• Staff and student involvement and inclusion

• Progressive programmes

• Wide range of new and memorable experiences

• Senior leadership and governor support

Further information on each can be found at www . learningaway . org . uk .

Developing a whole school approach can take time , but small changes can have a big impact . At Maximising Learning ( www . maximisinglearning . com ) we work with schools to build the confidence and capacity of staff to develop an Outdoor Learning Curriculum . Working with Oasis International School , Cairo we created a bespoke programme of support to :

• understand the philosophy and benefits of outdoor learning ;

• explore opportunities for outdoor learning within the formal and informal curricula , both on- and offsite ;

• integrate outdoor learning across the curriculum and throughout the school ;

• support school staff in developing their outdoor learning practice ;

including working with :

• Kindergarten staff to through a programme of practical activities and case studies , exploring potential barriers to outdoor learning and focussing on achievable solutions ;

• Primary ( PYP ) staff within the school grounds and beyond to experience outdoor learning activities and explore the practicalities of managing groups on and off-site .

• Senior staff to explore the philosophy , benefits and practicalities of outdoor and adventure learning through facilitated workshops .

Site visits were also undertaken to scope potential off-site opportunities for pupils , to complement and enhance the school ’ s approach .

Follow up training allowed staff to evaluate and build on good practice :

• Kindergarten , with limited outdoor space , turned their end of term ‘ Carnival Day ’ into an outdoor camping event , with each class creating their own camp and taking part in outdoor and seasonal activities ;

• PYP teachers took over 400 children to the Al Azhar Park in Cairo . Activities linked to Language , Maths , Science and Art were introduced to representative teachers on a previsit training day and shared with the rest of the staff , encouraging peer training and support , and considering logistical aspects ;

• MYP teachers faced a range of challenges when planning an outdoor learning day at a nearby Wadi , which were overcome by imaginative teaching and careful logistical planning . Such ‘ on-thejob ’ training , allowed teachers to explore how to deliver their own curriculum outdoors and find ways of overcoming potential barriers . They also saw the benefits of experiential learning , in terms of understanding curriculum content and broader enquiry and group skills ;

• Diploma staff and students spent 3 days camping further up Wadi Degla , with students taking responsibility to organise the camp , while staff developed subject specific activities . The trip was fully evaluated , with specific thought being given to how to extend this type of provision using all the readily available resources – human , physical and environmental .

The benefits of these outdoor learning experiences are clear , and are fundamental in helping to create happy , balanced people . Such programmes also demonstrate how progression through the years is possible – from making a den or camp in the school playground for Nursery children to 3 days of desert camping at Diploma level , thus supporting the aim of schools to integrate outdoor learning into the whole curriculum throughout a child ’ s lifetime at the school .

Remember , “ Outdoor Learning isn ’ t a subject or topic ; it ’ s a powerful way of teaching ”. So let ’ s get outside and see the difference it makes .