Merdon Junior School Taking learning outside…

Our aims To create an outdoor learning centre that complimented the curriculum To give the children hands on experiences Bring science and geography to life To fully utilise the grounds and environment in which the school is set Fully utilise skill sets of all our staff Develop a flexible timetable that supported quality and depth of learning

Where it all began… Pupil conferencing of subjects highlighted the need for more hands on learning and the need to spend longer than an hour on practical subjects such as science, art, DT and music. Through the landscape project children expressed views of the outside woodland ‘we go there once or twice a year if we are lucky’. Excessive workload and lesson preparation for teachers needed to be addressed.

Development of the classroom

How do we make the most of this resource? New timetable Investing time and training in the right staff Fully incorporating the resource into the new curriculum and developing a program that enables the children to learn about the environment and set up future learning opportunities for Spring and Summer

So what? Impact?

IMPACT: Quality of the learning and hands on experiences Enthusiasm and genuine motivation in their learning Fabulous feedback from parents Community resource- Brownies Motivation of teachers High quality cross curricular links and application of English and maths. Regeneration of the school grounds Greater sense of community