How a Batley school has boosted pupils' social skills by taking lessons outdoors

The school, on Highcliffe Road, began working with outdoor learning practitioners, Grow To School, led by Zana Wood, one of the founding directors, in 2017 before the Covid pandemic started.

Zana has more than 25 years' experience of working as an external facilitator in schools and has extensive knowledge of the current curriculum.

Grow to School began by working with staff to teach outdoor learning to all the children in key stage two.

Grow to School has specifically developed lesson plans and materials as a curriculum-based resource, enabling all subjects to be taught outdoors using simple techniques.

The children use a variety of materials to produce their work from natural materials found in the school grounds such as sticks, to sports and science equipment from the classrooms.

Head teacher Matthew Leach recognises the role regular outdoor learning plays in supporting and enhancing the school curriculum.

He said: “Outdoor learning helps us to fulfil our school’s vision and aims, by offering every child at least one lesson outside a week, in either the forest, pond, garden or other areas of the school grounds.

"All lessons correspond directly with the work being done in class and extends the children’s knowledge of taught subjects.”

The school has now successfully embedded the practice of teaching outside, seeing huge benefits not only in children’s learning and attainment but also in the development of social skills and the professional development of teachers.

Mr Leach added: “It provides the opportunity for all children to shine.

"Often less academic children display leadership skills and new found confidence as they are more comfortable with hands-on learning and will step forward.

"The sessions help to solidify knowledge. They give children another way to take in information and this practical doing approach while learning really means that they retain things.”

In the beginning, Hyrstmount worked with Grow to School to plan the lessons to make sure that they dovetailed with the curriculum and that the lessons complemented and consolidated children’s learning each term, helping them to make progress. They worked together to develop this over the course of a year.

If the children needed extra support with a subject or skill, such as comprehension, Grow to School would work with the teachers to remodel the lessons to assist with this. Other modifications were also made around specific topics where pupils had maybe struggled.

In year three, some pupils were having difficulty learning the mountains of the UK. A lesson was devised combining myths and legends of the mountains and countries of the UK.

The children had to build or draw one of the four mountains using natural materials. Each team then created an advert to sell their mountain to a giant who was looking for a new home.

This popular lesson has since been developed as part of the key stage two geography scheme on Teach it Outside, Grow to School’s sister site for lesson plans.

Zana said: “Outdoor learning is hugely beneficial for children’s health and well-being and it has even more benefits during the times we are living in.

"Children not only improve social skills and often retain information better, but they also benefit from being outside, taking in fresh air and extra movement.

"As well as these benefits, the lessons are perfectly matched to the curriculum. It’s a win-win situation.”