Unlocking the Potential of Outdoor Learning

Unlocking the potential of Outdoor Learning

The benefits of outdoor learning

Bringing the National Curriculum to life!

In the Ofsted Geography report published Feb 2011 an entire section focuses on the benefits of fieldwork for both primary and secondary students it highlights

‘…. good and regular fieldwork motivated pupils and enhanced their geography, although just over half the primary and secondary school visited did not use it enough.’

Full report available at http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Publications-and-research/Browse-all-by/Documents-by-type/Thematic-reports/Geography-Learning-to-make-a-world-of-difference

In January 2011 the Association for Science Education published its report ‘Outdoor Science’ which states

‘Compelling evidence from research points to the wide-ranging educational benefits of teaching and learning science through fieldwork in the natural and built environments.’

Full report available at http://www.ase.org.uk/documents/ases-oswg-report/

More recently the Ofsted (July 2015) Good Practice Guide: Using the physical environment as a tool for teaching: Netherfield Primary School states:

‘……. the headteacher is clear that ‘the environment is the best teaching tool we have.’

Reconnecting children with nature:

‘12% (around 1.3 million) [of England’s children] rarely, if ever, visited the natural environment.’

Natural England (January 2015) Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment: a pilot for an indicator of visits to the natural environment by children - interim findings from Year 1 (March 2013 to February 2014) (NECR166)

Further research is available from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom www.lotc.org.uk/Resources/Research. Here you can find the report from Kings College London (2010) ‘Beyond Barriers to Learning Outside the Classroom’ it highlights that…

‘Contact with the natural environment affords a wide range of benefits, from educational to health and from cultural to social. However, research has found that children are losing their connection with the natural environment and that children in urban environments are particularly disadvantaged. 10% of children play in the natural environment compared to 40%

of adults when they were young. This ‘extinction of experience’ has a detrimental long-term impact on environmental attitudes and behaviours.’

‘The evidence for the benefits of [Learning Outside the Classroom] locally and further afield is compelling and continues to accumulate.’

Why Outdoor learning matters?

• Outdoor Learning provides direct contact with the natural world.

• Outdoor Learning is a source of powerful learning experiences.

• Learners who usually struggle can excel in the outdoor classroom.

• Learners who already excel become more versatile learners.

• Personal development: "If I can do this, I can do anything!“

• Team development: "If we can do this, we can do anything!“

• Active citizenship results from a greater sense of connection and responsibility

Adapted from Institute of Outdoor Learning (2015) see http://www.outdoor-learning.org/

Other relevant reports:

· Sowing the Seeds, London Sustainable Development Forum, November 2011.

· Learning in the National Environment Review of the Social and Economic Barriers, Natural England, May 2012.

· Natural Childhood Enquiry, National Trust, 2012

Equipment ideas:

Bird watching

Water birds are easy to recognise and tend to stay still for longer than field and woodland birds.

· First Aid Kit and B-line (float on a rope) if working by water

· Pencils and clipboards (if using a tick sheet or worksheet)

· Binoculars (if possible)

· Bird ID Books (Collins Wild Guide – Birds ISBN:10:0007177925 may be helpful)

· The Field Studies Council also publishes a series of laminated fold out charts which are available to buy on line from www.field-studies-council.org/publications. Top 50 Garden Birds (code OP52) and Guide to Wetland Birds (code OP76).

· Bird seed or feeders if viewing field or garden birds

Pond dipping

· First Aid Kit and B-line

· Water-proof gloves or plasters (for those who have open cuts)

· Pencils and clipboards (if using a tick sheet or work sheet)

· Pond dipping nets - (children’s fishing nets can be purchased cheaply from various toy shops, but stronger more expensive fish keepers nets are available from garden centres and pet shops)

· White/ light coloured buckets or deep white/ light coloured trays or bowls to empty net before transferring creatures into separate containers for closer study

· Spoons to move animals from the tray to a magnifying pot or smaller container, to encourage gentler handling.

· Magnifying pots (available from some toy shops and educational supplies websites) or small containers such as empty margarine pots (white)/ take away pots and magnifying glasses

· Freshwater ID books (Freshwater Investigations (code OP36) available from the Field Studies Council may be useful)

· The Field Studies Council also publish a series of laminated fold out charts which are available to buy on line from www.field-studies-council.org/publications The Freshwater name trail (code OP39) is most helpful for pond dipping.

Minibeast Hunting/ Terrestrial invertebrates

· First Aid Kit

· Pencils and clipboards (if using a tick sheet or work sheet).

· Magnifying pots (available from some toy shops and educational supplies websites) or small plastic containers with a lid such as food containers and magnifying glasses

· White plastic trays (empty, clean plastic meat trays would be suitable) to allow easy transport of equipment and to transfer slimy creatures such as slugs, snails and worms into for closer study. This avoids the magnipots becoming filled with slime.

· Sweep nets to sweep through long grass to trap insects. These can be purchased from educational suppliers but are expensive so pupils could improvise with a white pillowcase if necessary

· White sheets (old pillowcases or sheets cut into squares), place these under tree branches then gently shake the branch so that insects fall onto the sheet.

· Spoons to move animals from the tray, white sheet or sweep net to a magnifying pot or smaller container

· Land invertebrate ID book (Collins Wild Guide Insects: ISBN: 0.00-717795X may be useful)

· The Field Studies Council also publish a series of laminated fold out charts which are available to buy on line from www.field-studies-council.org/publications

(These equipment ideas are designed as an aid for teachers they are not exhaustive risk assessments would need to be completed to determine the full equipment list for different sites, activities and client groups.)