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25 May 2021
The programme for the day, which involved the whole school from nursery through to year 6, included work on grid references, map reading, digital photography, distance calculation, programming robots to complete athletics challenges, using compass bearings to create shapes, investigating chemical reactions by making bottle rockets and designing a parachute for a hard-boiled egg.
Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to inspire and celebrate outdoor play and learning. Time outdoors makes children happier and healthier, improving their well-being and equipping them with essential life skills. Studies have shown that it also impacts positively on academic attainment. At St Swithun’s Prep School, learning outside the classroom is a regular part of the curriculum with Outdoor Learning and Forest School sessions appearing in the weekly timetable.
Head of outdoor programmes, Caroline Albin, said, “Children benefit from outdoor learning as it gives them an appreciation for the natural world and instils in them a responsibility to respect and care for their environment. They also learn important life skills such as risk management and team work. We took this opportunity to provide a full day of outdoor lessons to demonstrate our commitment to outdoor learning as part of everyday life at school. The day involved all teaching staff and the activities were curriculum linked, giving our teachers inspiration and ideas for future lessons. The children were completely undeterred by the wet and windy weather and had a wonderful and memorable learning experience. This is the fifth time we have run a day like this in celebration of this annual global event and due to its success, we plan to continue supporting Outdoor Classroom Day in the future.”
