The value of Learning Outside the Classroom, and the positive impacts it can have on teaching and learning, is supported by an enormous body of evidence. But as experience is just as important to theory, our experiential INSETs always provide staff with opportunities to recall and reflect on their own outdoor memories.
Combining expert thinking and a real sense of how we all feel and behave differently in the open air, these programmes support staff in harnessing the outdoor spaces at your school and considering three main ways that they can be utilised:
- refreshing perspectives by "taking the indoors outdoors" - and ensuring you have appropriate resources;
- as fantastic resources in themselves, which can be used as inspiration for planning for any number of curriculum learning areas;
- and as the perfect settings for our learning trails, which stir a real sense of adventure in pupils and can be endlessly adapted.
Staff will step into the outdoor shoes of the pupils they teach for the day and take part in the activities as the children would before taking some time for some facilitated reflection, planning and sharing. By the end of the day all participants will have a shared ‘bank’ of brilliant outdoor activities, ready to deliver to their pupils the very next day.
Our most popular Learning Outside the Classroom INSET include; Outdoor Maths and Storytelling Scenes.
“Very interactive and mixing teams for each activity kept everyone on track. The team were really motivated and this will provide a great springboard for the start of term.” (Headteacher, Oaklands Primary)
“Very enjoyable as it was relevant to the direction of our school. Great knowledge and enthusiasm show by the coach.” (Headteacher, Homerswood Primary)
Learning Outside the Classroom Twilight
If you don’t want a whole day focusing on Learning Outside the Classroom, why not opt for an Outdoors Twilight. Beginning with a look at the real benefits to teaching and learning of getting out into the fresh air, you can then choose to focus on Outdoor Maths, Outdoor Literacy or a combination of both.
Lasting around two hours, these sessions see staff venture outside themselves to experience first hand some of our tried and tested Outdoor Learning activities. They will then follow a structure to identify the ways that these could be adapted to work with their own pupils and to target other areas of the curriculum. Finally, and perhaps most usefully, we will look specifically at your outdoor space, and support staff in coming up with ways that this brilliant, free resource can be used to enhance teaching and learning in your school.
"An absolutely superb INSET – thank you for your professionalism, knowledge and excellent interpersonal skills" (Sudley Junior School)