Learning outside the classroom

Trips to the Antarctic Centre, Canterbury Museum, Beach Education Days, swimming and gymnastics lessons, and visits from Life Education Trust are some of the exciting activities Middle Syndicate students have been enjoying as part of a packed Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) programme.

Head of Middle Syndicate, Megan Feller, says after the disruptions caused by COVID-19, it has been wonderful to get the EOTC programme up and running again. “Accessing resources and people off campus enriches our students’ classroom learning, gives them new experiences, and helps them to develop a diverse range of skills. Being out in public is great for them too and we’ve had some lovely feedback about their behaviour. We talk a lot about StACUp, and the students taking pride in where they are from.”

A visit to the Antarctic Centre by Year 4 students to explore how animals adapt to the environment, and the impact of climate change on Antarctic animals, was a great example of how real-world learning can help students to engage more deeply with the topics they are studying, says Megan. “Miranda, the educator at the Antarctic Centre, has been to Antarctica three times, and really engaged the children with her stories. They also loved being in a simulated Antarctic storm in the snow room, and the 4D theatre, which gave them the experience of being in a ship in a storm, complete with water spraying up at them. We just can’t deliver those kinds of encounters in the classroom.”

All year groups in the Middle Syndicate have attended one day practical water skills Beach Education courses, as well as five-week gymnastics and swimming programmes, which are run offsite. Year 6 students have also taken part in a Cycle Safety course. “These initiatives give us access to experts and equipment we don’t have at school, and help students to develop fundamental physical, and in some cases, life-saving skills. Our Principal, Jonathan Bierwirth, is really big on all Preparatory School children being able to swim, and it’s great to see a swimming programme re-introduced for the Middle Syndicate.”

All Year 4–6 students attend camps each year, which is another valuable way for them to connect to the outdoor environment and build confidence, leadership, resilience, and self-awareness, says Megan. “There is no doubt that the authentic learning experiences we can provide through accessing experts and resources off campus, and taking students into our wonderful natural environment, helps to build their essential life skills, and develop key competencies, while having an enormous amount of fun along the way.”