On Thursday 20th May, Holme Grange School joined ‘Outdoor Classroom Day’, a global movement where over 10 million students took time outdoors to learn or play.
The day involved students from all ages, right from Little Grange (2-4 years old) to the eldest in Eaton Grange (16 years old). Each pupil had one class outside which would normally take place inside. Pre-Prep pupils in their art class constructed a hedgehog using nearby forested materials, using their imagination and creativity whilst also learning about natural textiles. In their maths lesson, one Prep class found shapes in the green scenery and calculated dimensions. In Eaton Grange, Year 10 made use of one of the School’s outside classrooms for some fresh air in their English lesson.
One teacher’s comment on the day: “I wanted to say that it was a fantastic idea to have an outdoor learning day. I would like to do this every week with my Year 8 class. We had such a productive lesson, everyone was calm and happy. We got through all of the work and even got on to our extension work! I really feel it is worth pursuing as it was really beneficial for all of my children. I really feel that it helped their mental health and therefore helped them to learn. The evidence is apparent, as you will see, of them happily working and sharing ideas.”
A few Pre-Prep pupils also shared their admiration for Outdoor learning:
- ‘I enjoyed having the fresh air, it helped me concentrate’
- ‘Hearing the birds singing and being in nature worked better to calm me than the 4-6 breathing !’
- ‘I like being able to have more space to move’
If you would like to find out more about Outdoor Classroom Day and how to get involved, please click on the following link: https://outdoorclassroomday.org.uk/
