Focusing on Outdoor Learning

Anyone involved with Forest School knows that it isn't just aimed at EYFS. The Early Years which works best as a hands on investigative process does compliment the pedagogy of Forest School, but children of all ages benefit from exploration and experimentation.

To me, Forest School is an educational philosophy, a WAY of teaching and learning rather than a 'subject'. Although there are definitive skills that are linked to Outdoor Learning, it basically encourages 'learning' of all kinds, at all paces, and in all areas, while allowing for a fluid and diverse outcome specific to the child. There are skills that will be learned along the way, and when attached to a Primary School it's easy to make these compliment the Indoor learning and fill in the gaps that that curriculum leaves.

This week all year groups have had the opportunity to join in a Forest School session. Well, Year 1 through to Year 6. Reception Year are settling and will be included in the next round. We hope this will continue until school breaks up for a week in October. It's strange times to make 'plans' as we never know what will happen regarding Covid. Our Risk Assessment covers what is within our control... but plenty isn't - National Lockdown, Local Lockdown, School closure, Class/Year Group/Bubble/Staff/Individual quarantine... Anything can interrupt whatever we think we have planned! 

Meanwhile we just keep going on the assumption that everything will be fine and that the intention of introducing the pupils to 3 separate Basecamps over 7 weeks. Each area shares some of the same rules, but every one also has different, site specific rules for staying safe. We want to embed a general code for staying safe and learning outdoors.

Scientific exploration puts it simply; Do No Harm. 

The slightly more poetic: Leave nothing but footprints, take nothing but pictures, kill nothing but time is popular with all. 

But although both continue to be true, reciting very basic but essential rules for staying safe requires statements that are a little more specific yet easy to remember!

For us it remains - Look After Forest School:

1. Leave everything as you found it 
2. No lick, no pick, it will make you sick (do not pick anything that is growing. Do not put anything, including your fingers, in or near your mouth)
3. Stay within the given boundary
4. Respect basecamp

Different Forest Schools have different variations of these rules, again they need to be site specific, and frequently they will be adjusted in wording depending on the age group being focused on. All Forest School stick to the same basic ethos.

With this in mind last Tuesday's Staff Meeting was at basecamp, and Teaching staff from across the school got a tiny taster session of what their classes do outside, and how that can translate into all Outdoor Learning. 

Not that our staff are new to it.

On return to school after lockdown, all Chartham staff had collectively organised and created a Return to School Learning plan that had the children's wellbeing at the heart of it. As a school working hard provide a rich, broad and creative curriculum indoors and out, and needing to work within government guidelines of adequate ventilation where possible, we immediately increased the use of our expansive outdoor provision. 

The Forest School Leader, along with our Assistant Headteacher, ensured the daily use of our outdoor environment by the class bubbles with their teacher, as well as weekly Forest School 'bubbles' sessions. This allowed the children extra freedom of exploration and immersion in nature. An opportunity to self-assess (some) risks, to challenge themselves and to learn new skills that could transfer back into the classroom: bubbles in Early Years imagined stories and developed a fascination of the wind (making the tarpaulin billow). 

Over a few short weeks in Forest School:

Year 1 discovered 'shield bugs' and that the blackberries were moving on in their life cycle. 

Year 2 investigated many different insects and their habitats. 

Year 3 created 2D art on the forest floor - a house that eventually developed into a 3D steeple. 

Year 4 mastered whittling skills. 

Year 5 built a quiet space for reflection, and finally, 

Year 6 designed 'a village' of dens and created their own community, complete with a shop which trades pine cones, for the children to enjoy next year. 

They even left a note for them with instruction of care and use, asking teachers to let them discover ‘the village’ themselves and not give it away! 

Such is the extent of our outdoor space, it could take a while. 

It was tricky whilst still maintaining social distance measures across our bubbles, but actually worked tremendously well (click for how we did it). Our children were able to make good use of our large field, the Wildlife Garden, the Poly tunnel and vegetable beds. Along with the Mud Kitchen, and the wooded areas, in addition to our playground! Each of our unique spaces is a different environment that lends itself to all different kinds of learning and activities. 

Their final session for the School Year was based around one of our camp fire sites, which our children helped build (all the while learning about survival skills and keeping themselves, and each other, safe). Hot chocolate, toasted marshmallows and biscuits (combined to make smores by many) were enjoyed while they reflected upon the last few months and their year ahead.

Term 6 required curiosity and imagination; resilience and determination; dexterity

and muscle control; collaboration, along with negotiation; mindfulness (and so much more), from all of our returned learners - they did not disappoint! 

Amongst everything else, it has created a firm foundation for moving forward into the new academic year: more of the curriculum outdoors! Teachers have even started to think about how they can make their classrooms more natural – bringing the outdoors in, to reflect a calm peaceful environment. 

Something we reflect on as a school in more detail here.

Starting back this month meant that over half of our pupils were in the place that those children starting back in June were in: nervous after over 5 months with no school. We decided that we needed to merge the timetables we had followed in the Summer with the new school year and focus as much as possible on being outside.

Long may it continue!

NQTs who visit and take placements at our school lament that 'Outdoor Learning' isn't a feature of their training. Taking lessons outside can be tricky for schools with little or no space, but even more difficult if it is seen by staff as an 'extra' thing to plan each week - or each day. Integrating the curriculum indoors and out isn't as hard as it seems, and the results can be amazing:

'Our Year 6 children relished cooking up dishes to serve in our mud kitchen. The class engaged with their childhood tendencies, serving 'cookie dough cakes' and a variety of ‘curries‘, sprinkled elegantly with ‘spices’ (dried earth). Turns out we are never too old for a mud kitchen!  Without realising, they were building upon their fractions learning, amongst so many other skills.'

'We discovered a lot about newts and tadpoles in our pond area: the children worked as a team (normal friendship groups merged) to ensure our wildlife was safe and cared for. One of our girls , at first claiming that she did not like getting dirty and was afraid of newts, became so intrigued and engaged to the point that, by the final two weeks of term, she was able to handle a newt without a second thought. When doing so, pure delight and wonder lit her face – and mud lightly coated her hands.'

'Building upon our weekly eco club, children were able to continue planting and growing fruit and vegetables in our raised planting bed areas - often used by our in house kitchen and cooking clubs.'

'The wooded areas, including the fairy garden and 'the view' (as nicknamed by some of our children given the landscape that can be seen from the bottom of our field), facilitated opportunities for our students to plan, build and create as a team. In addition, the areas allowed for observing and exploring; the array of flora growing in our wild grass areas, for example, is not only beautiful to look at, but has attracted a range of butterflies that we were able to admire, all the while listening to the calming sound of the wind rustle through the trees that border our field. Those children who needed space and peace had it in abundance.'

'Who needs the Olympics! Our sunken tyres became a circuit that children raced along (trying to beat their own best time), and climbing trees is something that the whole school loved. We carved out tunnels in the bushes, heaved teepees into place, planted around the pond, and watered the 280 baby trees we planted before lockdown (as part of our work towards our Woodland Trust Award).'

From June the children led their own learning outside, and the curriculum they created was very familiar: exploring art, shape, life cycles, weather, forces, PE, time, nature, texture, measure, storytelling...

So here's to keeping it going. 

To learning outside the building and thinking outside the box.

Ideas are being collected, many on Pinterest, shared and expanded upon.

It will be an ongoing process but we are determined to make it a success.