School Trips
Escape the classroom for enhanced learning
Written by the Land Trust
Taking classes outdoors The impact of outdoor learning on children’s behaviour and attitude towards learning has also been reported to change. This is something that has been praised by teachers who take their classes on outdoor learning sessions. Previous examples of the Trust’s work in education have proven successful. There is already a huge amount of educational activities going on at Land Trust sites across the country, with the number of school visits rising from 3,500 to 7,500 per annum over the last five years. The Land Trust has launched a three-year education Elba Park is a site playing a lead role strategy to encourage more children to get out of the in this work and was awarded Land Trust Educational Site of the Year after classroom and learn in an outdoor environment delivering activities to nearly 1,000 school children over the last 12 months. Based in Sunderland, the team at Elba The announcement of a new three-year The Land Trust will be working in have built excellent working relationships education strategy from national land partnerships with local schools and with local schools which have seen children management charity, the Land Trust, nurseries across their 63 sites in England to enjoying activities such as geocaching, is set to encourage more children to give young people an opportunity to learn pond dipping, meadow sweeps, crafts, learn in an outdoor environment. new skills, enhance their future prospects surveys and identification, bulb and tree There has never been a more important and make a difference in their communities. planting, and heritage activities. time to focus on educating children on the The time spent outdoors is also Students from Portland Academy, benefits of being outdoors. Studies have proven to have a positive a school for young people shown that childhood obesity levels and effect on the mental For with special educational mental health problems are on the rise and and physical health some needs and disability, attend levels of children and young people interacting and wellbeing of the children weekly sessions at the site with the natural environment are decreasing. people participating. ,a classroo with post-16 students undertaking the Duke isn’t alw m setting a of Edinburgh award. y s t h space t e b e Not only does outdoor s t oe learning give people the their in ncourage divi chance to learn about their learningdual surrounding environment and biodiversity, but it provides a setting which can encourage different behaviour in children. Forest schools The forest school programme is very popular among schools in the UK and gives children the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities in natural environment. This involves children and young people undertaking formal and informal learning on Land Trust sites, either facilitated by an educational establishment, home schooling, a charitable organisation or other structured activity. This may also take place in dedicated Woodland Learning Area/ Forest classrooms, which typically have a fire pit, logs for benches, perhaps with a tarpaulin and den building and cooking kit. Not only do these sessions teach children about nature and developing outdoor skills, but it often allows them to produce creative and academic work, similar to what would be taught in the classroom. A literacy coordinator and assistant head teacher whose school was involved in forest school sessions, said: “The work of the Land Trust has inspired many of our pupils to develop some amazingly creative ideas. Our pupil’s skills in literacy have developed during this week of being within a natural environment and using the Woodland Learning Area. It is also clear that for some pupils, working & learning in an outside environment has enabled them to E Volume 23.8 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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