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Learning Outside and Eco School

Outdoor Learning at Knightwood Primary School combines learning outdoors, eco-schools and forest school principles to foster a love for nature and help children appreciate their role in the environment. Our beautiful grounds provide memorable experiences and diverse activities, empowering children to make a positive impact both within the school and on the wider community. Outdoor learning  is an integral part of our curriculum, promoting learning from and in the outdoors, and ensuring children leave us as healthy, environmentally aware citizens.

Intent:

At Knightwood, our children will develop a passion for the outdoors, in which they will learn to appreciate and develop a life-long love of nature. Through our carefully created curriculum, we will develop children's skills, knowledge and understanding, to enable them to become healthy and environmentally aware citizens.

Our intent for outdoor learning is to create a dynamic environment that fosters a love for nature and promotes environmental stewardship through the principles of eco-schools and forest school. We aim to empower children with the skills and knowledge to be responsible caretakers of the planet. By integrating outdoor experiences into our curriculum, we encourage curiosity, resilience, and kindness, enabling children to explore, problem-solve, and collaborate in natural settings. Our goal is to provide memorable, hands-on learning opportunities that enhance our children's health and well-being while instilling a lifelong commitment to sustainability and active participation in their communities.

Outdoor Learning will equip our children with transferable skills which are key to their development as healthy, environmentally aware citizens and have a wider positive impact on their lives both inside and outside of school, e.g. team-working, leadership, creative thinking, decision-making and performance skills.

Implementation: 

 Outdoor learning will be taught progressively so that it begins in the Early Years, where the children are outside in the natural environment and enjoying it. This early love for nature is then developed throughout school, whereupon, children are encouraged to connect, observe and experience nature whilst developing their knowledge of the natural environment and its benefits. In KS2, children can then deepen their role in the environment by understanding their own impact on nature, why sustainable management is needed and influencing society as active, responsible and ethical citizens. 

We are working alongside Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust as part of our WILDER School journey. We are also working alongside Climate 180 and National Education Nature Park as part of our eco-schools and sustainability plans.  Hosting a LEAF Day and Eco-Fayre has allowed our children to consolidate and show the impact of their knowledge of how to care for our planet. 

Through the following implementation strategies, we aim to create a vibrant outdoor learning culture that enriches the educational experience and fosters a strong sense of environmental responsibility in our students:

Diverse Curriculum Integration: Teachers will design lesson plans that incorporate outdoor activities across subjects, using the natural environment as a classroom for hands-on learning experiences. Our curriculum will offer a wide range of activities, including environmental projects, nature walks, gardening, and bushcraft skills, fostering both individual growth and collaborative learning.

Scheduled Outdoor Sessions: Forest School sessions with EYFS and Year 1 allow regular time each week for outdoor learning, ensuring all children engage with nature through structured activities that promote exploration, creativity, and teamwork. We also ensure that on our annual Outdoor Classroom day all classes have at least 2 scheduled lessons of outdoor learning. 

Community Engagement: We aim to connect with local organizations and community members to enhance our outdoor learning experiences and encourage students to participate in community conservation efforts. External companies come into our school on LEAF Day and Eco-Fayre to enhance children’s connections with the outdoor world further. 

Training and Development:  Staff will receive ongoing training from the LEAF Team and external agencies in outdoor education techniques and eco-friendly practices to effectively facilitate outdoor learning and inspire students.

Reflection and Assessment: The LEAF team will regularly assess the impact of outdoor learning on children's academic progress, health, and environmental awareness through feedback, observations, and children's reflections.

Impact:

The outdoor learning curriculum at Knightwood Primary School aims to have a transformative impact on our children, enhancing their educational experience and fostering a deep connection to the environment. Through hands-on, experiential learning, they will develop critical skills such as problem-solving, teamwork, and resilience, which contribute to their overall growth and development.

As children engage with nature, they will gain a greater appreciation for the environment and their role as responsible stewards. This connection fosters a sense of curiosity and a lifelong commitment to sustainability, empowering them to make positive contributions to their communities and the wider world.

Additionally, outdoor learning promotes physical health and well-being by encouraging active participation and exploration in a natural setting. We will observe improvements in children's curiosity, resilience and kindness as they thrive in collaborative outdoor activities.

We are proud to be a part of the following:

Our achievements:

  • Trailblazer school award
  • Eco-Schools Green Flag 
  • Learning Through Landscapes £500 grant
  • Our eco-warriors have featured in Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Magazine
  • Miss Kennard ran a workshop at the Hampshire Outdoor Learning conference on behalf of Knightwood

 

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