Through all our outdoors learning, children learn to be resilient, confident and collaborative learners who are able to take positive risks within all environments. It is not simply a lesson, it is a community activity that enables children focus on care and kindness for each other as well as their environment.
Our outdoor learning curriculum has been tailor-made for us and is delivered by two fully qualified Forest School leaders. Reception children enjoy a weekly outdoor learning session while Year 1 and 2 have fortnightly opportunities to take their learning outside. Years 3 to 6 enjoy a designated outdoor learning day every term. These sessions, supported by staff across the School, provide specific experiences and challenges that learning indoors cannot achieve alone. Outside of the programme, our teachers take learning outside as much as possible, encouraging children to be physically active and giving them valuable time and space to deal with challenges and develop problem-solving skills.
There is so much to be learnt from our outside environment, both in terms of skills as well as the personal and emotional development of our pupils. The newly designed woodland garden with spaces such as a fire garden, art wall, dance garden and moonlight path, opens up innumerable opportunities for adventures and activities. It a magical place which feeds children’s curiosity for the natural environment and gives every child the freedom to explore and interact with the woodland in in his or her own way.
"Pupils enthusiastically described the fun they have in the woodland garden on outdoor learning days or on the many trips and activities that supplement the school curriculum."Independent Schools Inspectorate Report, June 2022
Through all our outdoors learning, children learn to be resilient, confident and collaborative learners who are able to take positive risks within all environments. It is not simply a lesson, it is a community activity that enables children focus on care and kindness for each other as well as their environment. Our very own LJS Wild Passport helps pupils track their own development of skills and competencies, culminating in a colourful and highly prized reminder of all the challenges they have undertaken and the achievements they can be proud of.
"In addition to weekly visits to the outdoor learning site, children enjoy trips to the beach, where their imaginations and creativity are stimulated by the landscape around them. Children come out of their shells and become more social as they feel less inhibited by all the space around them. We take great delight in watching them have fun making new friends and becoming more confident in taking part in games and activities."Mrs Emma Yiend, Outdoor Learning Lead
Walks, recognising and appreciating the changing seasons, making sensory sticks/ crowns/ bracelets depicting the changing season, building hedgehog homes, making nests for hibernating dormice/ observing birds, feeding the birds, Exploring colour through hapa zome printing and natural dying, making pictures and telling stories using natural objects found on the forest floor.
Making elder pencils, woodland jewellery, elder whistles, other instruments, Making music using natural objects.
Singing songs/ telling stories around a fire, building a fire, fire lighting, cooking pancakes and toasting marshmallows on a fire.
Building dens, build a wattle and daub wall, make mud bricks.
Children learn different knots and use them practically, using knot tying to make jewellery, flags, build dens.
