Outdoor Learning
Outdoor Learning
Many schools still exhibit the learning environment from a past age. Not only have the demands of the curriculum (National and Required Curriculums as well as the curriculum created by Academies) changed - but also the expected outcomes including:
-personal success
-being prepared for the next steps in life
-being healthy
-developing the values of citizenship.
Technology and expectations have now extended the learning way beyond the classroom and many schools are now looking to the 'outdoors' to support personal and character development.
The Forest School movement has gained increasing credibility in this regard - but not all schools are 'blessed' with a local forest to explore and enjoy.
What is Outdoor Learning?
Outdoor Learning is a purposeful and planned experience in the outdoors. It's a broad term that includes discovery, experimentation, learning about and connecting to the natural world.
Outdoor learning is used for academic, social, mental health, well-being, inter, and intra-personal development.
(The above is defined by the Institute for Outdoor Learning)
At Dragonfire Outdoor Learning we have developed the values, principles and opportunities so as to be applied in any schools as they move out of the 'learning room' and discover new room for learning. Such space and opportunity can powerfully support pupils who have 'barriers' to their learning arising from confidence, independence, self-esteem and motivation.
However, evidencing the success and impact of such investment and ensuring staff are confident in creating such room for learning can remain a problem.
Dragonfire Outdoor Learning has extended the principle of the Forest School so as to better meet the needs of schools through not only providing resources and expertise to set up outdoor learning but also in better planning for, and evaluating, the impact on pupils achievements and well being. This has been achieved by developing pupil tracking systems that not only identify the true barriers to pupils learning but also evidence the success the school
has had in overcoming these. Accountability, as well as responsibility, can then be clearly demonstrated to organisations such as Ofsted along with how the professional capacity and confidence for staff is secured.
Key to this has been the targeted training of teaching and non-teaching staff- especially through an Accredited Level 2 Outdoor Learning Practitioners Course.