As many schools offer outdoor learning within the schedules, Karen Kilkenny, Head of Chapter House School and Queen’s Kindergarten at Queen Ethelburga’s Collegiate, reveals the benefits.
Hi Karen! Tell us about the benefits of taking learning outdoors?
A happy childhood begins in the great outdoors where children are free to explore through hands-on learning and where they can take risks within a safe environment such as climbing trees and roasting marshmallows on a campfire. Spending time outdoors develops a deeper connection to nature and the world around us. The fresh air, beautiful surroundings and freedom to move are great for the mental and physical wellbeing of children and adults alike.
Outdoor learning also fosters physical, cognitive, and emotional development as children learn through play. It enables children to express themselves in an infinite number of ways through exploration and to become independent learners who can also work well as part of a team. Above all, it enriches the curriculum through creating real-world context for classroom learning such as counting found materials or watching insects in their natural habitat.
Why is forest schooling so important at Chapter House School?
Forests are the perfect playground for children to develop collaborative and social skills as they spend their time searching for minibeasts, learning about flora and fauna, and hiding from the Gruffalo. Children can use their imaginations and the natural environment to build dens or vehicles, create nature-based arts and crafts or play music and rhythms with found objects like sticks.
Outdoor learning is also inclusive as it involves different senses, caters to different learning styles and allows children to set the pace at which they learn.
What happens when the lovely Yorkshire weather takes a turn for the worse?
We take the children outside no matter the weather. The younger children have access to all-weather clothing for outdoor play and Forest School sessions. If it rains, we splash in puddles, if it snows, we play in the snow, and if there is ice, we learn about melting, smashing, and do loads of fun experiments.
Can you tell us more about the school’s specific facilities for any potential families looking at schools in the area?
We are lucky enough to be surrounded by wonderful countryside due to the location of the school and are fortunate to be within a campus of 220 acres which we can explore on our wellbeing walks. Our prep school has two all-weather areas just outside the school building that can be used for taking the learning outdoors, such as investigations in science and number trails in numeracy. Within this setting we have round bench seating for lessons, a library where we can share books both inside and outside and plenty of space to develop motor skills through ball games.
Chapter House also gets to share the superb facilities of the campus including the QE Kitchen Garden where our little gardeners help grow produce that is then cooked and served on-site and a dedicated woodland area for forest school and wellbeing sessions.
We also have visits from groups such as Nuzzlets who bring a variety of animals onsite for the children to learn about, pet, and feed.
Finally, can you engage children with nature off-campus also?
All age groups regularly go on local educational visits such as to Piglets Farm and the Yorkshire Wildfire Park. In addition, Year 5 students participate in a residential visit each year to High Adventure where they undertake adventurous and team building activities such as climbing, archery, and kayaking.
To find out more about outdoor learning at Chapter House, visit Qe.org/chapter-house, come along to our 28th September Open Morning or email admissions@qe.org to book a private tour.
