INTENT 

Our aim is to empower children to take ownership of their learning and be resilient and reflective learners who allow their minds and bodies to thrive by providing a challenging, safe and secure environment within which children can take and manage risks. We are inspired to raise the profile of outdoor learning by ensuring outdoor learning is embedded across all areas of our curriculum. We will train all staff so that they understand the importance of outdoor learning and have the tools needed to create effective lessons plans. Staff are motivated to develop outdoor learning spaces so that they can be used effectively at break/lunch times and for lessons. We aim to take part in an outdoor learning project to encourage children to take care of the environment and to continue our mission to raise awareness of the importance of outdoor learning. 

 

IMPLEMENTATION 

At Corpus Christi, we promote the use and enjoyment of the outdoor area on a daily basis through break times and extra-curricular clubs. Early Years have their own outdoor area, which caters for the needs of the children through the continuous provision provided in their environment on a daily basis. We plan themed curriculum days, such as sports day, Science day and Number days where activities are planned and delivered outside.  
Educational visits provide an additional need to learn in an outdoor environment. This is now an area that we need to embed within our own setting.
We are reviewing and adapting the curriculum in all year groups to ensure that the learning is purposeful, relatable and progressive for our pupils and to ensure at least 1 lesson per subject each half term is delivered outside. We plan to use our big books to evidence outdoor learning with photographs and pupil voice once our curriculum has been developed. The subject leader will monitor and showcase the outdoor learning that has taken place in every class. 
Children are encouraged to think about our Curriculum drivers, ‘responsibility’ and ‘service’ when participating in outdoor learning lessons. We are developing an ‘eco warriors’ team who will lead the children in their class on a rota to look after our outdoor environment by recycling, picking up litter, takin care of out gardens, planting foods and plants. We are instilling a culture that ensure the children know our planet is everyone’s responsibility and we must all work together to preserve Gods wonderful world. 

 

IMPACT 

The success of our aims will be measure by the increased use of the outdoors and the teachers’ confidence in teaching as a result of the CPD they receive. The children will be excited and confident when using the outdoor areas and will have a sense of pride over the new spaces they have created. Pupil voice will document a love of learning outdoors and will highlight the increased number of lessons planned and conducted outside. Evidence in our class curriculum books will highlight the improved knowledge and understanding by all pupils across all curriculum areas.

 

Main responsibilities include:

  • Collating ideas from each of the classes
  • Recycling
  • Planting
  • Promoting Energy Efficiency (switching off lights, switches, changing to LED lights, turning the heating off in Summer)
  • Organising Eco-friendly activities
  • Working towards the Eco Award
  • Helping Mrs Battrick to make decisions about Eco related issues
  • Improving our outdoor learning spaces
  • Meeting with Governors of our school to update them on the progress of our school in becoming an Eco-friendly School.

Documents