Outdoor Learning
As part of our continuing commitment to educational excellence Foundation 1 will be taking part in weekly outdoor learning sessions starting from Term 2, following the ethos of the forest school movement in the UK and many leading international schools.
What is Outdoor Learning?
'Nature offers us a sanctuary, a place where we can find peace and wonder. It is not limited by time or confined by walls, and even today we cannot control it completely. It is much larger and older than we are, and its rhythms resonate deep within us. Nature is where we are from and where we belong, and our survival is intricately linked to its existence. For children it is the greatest playground of all, with all its diverse structures, smells, textures, its creatures of all shapes and sizes, its abundant plants, some edible, others toxic. Nature offers a myriad of opportunities for risk taking, for a wealth of learning and amazement, and for freedom, separate from the adult world.' (Houghton and Worroll 2016)
At it's heart, outdoor learning is a desire to foster children's love for and experience of the outdoor world. Through this we are able to still cover many of the essential skills within the curriculum as well as our learner skills. The aim is that through regular and well planned interaction with an outdoor space, children will become more confident learners, better team players and also learn about the world around them.
How will outdoor learning work in F1 at TBS?
Foundation 1 plan to use our outdoor space in Chobar every week on a Friday. Children will arrive at school as normal and return in time for lunch. During sessions there is a good chance children will get wet or muddy and so children should come to school in clothing that takes both this and the weather into account.
During these sessions children will get time to freely explore the world around them. They will be provided with tools such as small spades, string, buckets and cloth in order to further enhance their learning opportunities. Carefully supervised and restricted use to some more complex pieces of equipment such as mallets and saws will also be available, once we are more familiar with the area.
There will usually be a single teacher lead activity as well free play and this will explore nature based art and craft/science or teaching new skills such as using the mallet safely.