Written by: Sarah Burton, Head of Nursery & Pre-Prep
It has been an incredibly exciting start to the new academic year for the youngest children at Claremont, following the introduction of Beach School to the Pre-Prep curriculum. Claremont already delivers an established and dynamic Forest School programme for Nursery age children all the way to those in Year 6, so the decision to add a new coastal dimension to the outdoor programme has made total sense – the seaside is just five miles down the road from the school after all!
Regular contact with the natural world brings a multitude of educational and emotional benefits to the learning experience. A multitude of research has been conducted across the world in relation to the benefits of Outdoor Learning. Research from T. Gill has shown that outdoor learning boosts confidence, social skills, communication, motivation, physical skills, knowledge and understanding, while research from O’Brien and Murray has found an increase in children’s self-esteem, self-confidence, ability to work cooperatively and positive attitude to learning following Outdoor Learning sessions. As the coastal cousin to Forest School, Beach School helps deliver a curriculum that builds all of the core skills children need to thrive inside and outside the classroom including resilience, communication and teamwork. It also aids physical development as children build their knowledge and understanding of the world around them.
Outdoor learning forms a fundamental part of Claremont pupils’ educational experience; and the benefits are limitless. The Claremont Outdoor Learning experience begins in Nursery. Children as young as 2 years old are taken to Forest School sessions a minimum of three times a week in our vast woodland. These early experiences set the foundations for children to develop confidence, social skills, communication, motivation, physical skills, knowledge and understanding, as well as developing a positive attitude to learning. As the nursery children move to Pre-Prep, Beach School is introduced as a regular feature of the curriculum and, while Beach School offers many of the same benefits as Forest School, the added benefits include a different environment in which the children can learn, offering them a broader learning experience.
Outdoor Learning doesn’t just begin and end in the Early Years at Claremont, it is a highly valued part of the curriculum and the Prep School is set in an extraordinarily beautiful setting with expansive woodlands. It is in this wonderful outdoor space that children up to Year 6, experience magical and enriching Forest School sessions every week. Activities range from sliding down the mudslide on rainy days, learning about wildlife conservation, planting orchards and wild flower gardens, conducting research for science projects under the canopy, building secret hideaways and cooking on an open fire to name but a few.
As a school, Claremont understands that the classroom isn’t for everyone. Some children who don’t feel as confident in the classroom will always get the opportunity to shine in our outdoor learning environment; this helps develop self belief and levels of resilience, which in turn, transfer back inside the classroom. Our incredible location on the South East coastline, coupled with the success of our Forest School has made the decision to introduce Beach School and develop an Outdoor Learning curriculum a very easy one!