Mr Costello
Outdoor learning lead
Miss Pedley
Outdoor learning assistant
Outdoor Learning.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better” – Albert Einstein
At Connor Downs Academy we have been reconnecting our children with nature, encouraging them to interact with the natural world through progressive, exciting and creative outdoor learning experiences. These experiences are clearly linked to the National Curriculum and also form part of our exciting wider curriculum.
Intentions
All children will, be immersed in nature, gain a deeper understanding of the world they live in and improve their knowledge, skills and understanding in gardening skills. They will understand and articulate the importance of plants in our diet, be creative and develop care and compassion with animals.
Our supervised outdoor learning sessions, whether in our grounds or in the local environment allow the children to learn and take risks. Pond dipping, den building, learning how to use garden tools safely, growing their own food, fire lighting, identifying wildlife, beach, dunes and forest days are all experiences that will proof them against danger they could encounter when exploring in the future. Encounters with chickens, rabbits, African Clawed frogs, hedgehogs, Stick Insects, pond and soil invertebrates and birds all reconnect our children with nature. Taking part in the RSPCA’s Big Schools’ Bird Watch, RSPCA’s compassionate class, WWF Green Ambassadors programme and What’s Under Your Feet also engage our children with the natural world.
Being outdoors in nature is certainly good for mental health, reduces stress hormones and increases wellbeing. At Connor Downs Academy, we will continue to offer a wide range of planned activities that change each week to activate the imagination, stimulate the senses and teach the skills needed to be resilient learners
“Academic research shows that active play is the natural and primary way that children learn.”
Sir Ken Robinson (1950), expert in education, creativity and human development
