Fr Simon Everson, Headmaster at Farleigh School talks to us about the wonders of outdoor learning and how spending time in a natural setting is not just for fun when it comes to education.

---

Outdoor learning is an opportunity to rediscover the magnificence of the outside world; learning to identify the different trees, understanding the sights and sounds of the birds, of wildlife and wild flowers and encouraging children to have a sense of wonder about the great outdoors.

A bonus, too, that it has been shown to demonstrably improve children’s working memory and is invaluable to enhancing their ability to engage with academic work in the classroom.

Forest School, in Year 3, allows the children time to reconnect with the outdoor environment and learn about their natural heritage. They love to see who can find the biggest conker, or make the most powerful bow and arrow and who doesn’t enjoy a self-made pizza cooked over an open fire? Teachers witness improved social interaction, stronger relationships between peers and teachers and more resilience in problem solving. Later, in Year 7, Bushcraft puts that early risk taking and independence to good use. Pupils have tried dead hedging races, flint and steel fire challenges and an outdoor cooking Come Dine with Me competition. One of the most popular activities is knife work and whittling, shaping a freshly cut branch into a butter knife or a set of skittles, which requires exceptional patience and determination.

More time outside – and particularly outdoor learning – also leads to better health and wellbeing. We naturally get fitter running around, and having the freedom to explore and invent our own worlds aids creativity. For the young children in Pre-Prep (aged four to seven), the outdoor world stimulates their imaginations. For them, the Farleigh woods are a jungle; if you look carefully you might see the lions and tigers in the bushes! The teachers may not see these extraordinary creatures, but the children will spend their playtimes comparing notes on what they have found. Taking them into an environment with different sounds, smells and sights automatically triggers them to ask questions. All our Pre-Prep classes use the woods regularly for a variety of activities, developing their outdoor learning by extending the classroom outside. All of Pre-Prep took part in a Wild Maths Day, spending an entire day in the woods learning mathematical concepts in the most memorable way possible. Year 2 have used tree stumps as props to recreate dramatic scenes as part of their Titanic topic; Year 1 love climbing the logs and finding secret tunnels in the bushes; and Reception classes and Kindergarten use the woods every week for activities, from Phonics to a Scarecrow Wedding.

As Farleigh parent, Abi Latham, says, “My children love the forest school activities. In their view, there is nothing better than coming home covered in mud having spent the afternoon crawling through the woods playing ‘commando’ and climbing trees. It is a true release from the hard work of their academic lessons, which are a big step up in Year 3 and leaves them recharged for the following day.”

---