At Hamstel Infant School and Nursery, we believe all children have the right to experience the unique and special nature of being outdoors. It is important to enable all children to use the outside environment as a context for learning.  By allowing children regular access to the outside world regular opportunities for children to respect and care for the natural environment, take controlled risks and make connections with their learning and the real world outside the classroom are provided. We believe in providing all children with enhanced vocabulary and deepened knowledge to allow them to grow, learn and be encouraged to develop their self-worth and have a positive mindset.

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 All children from Nursery to Year 2 have access to a full day every 3 weeks in our exclusive Wildlife Area. To enhance the children’s experiences, we have devised our progressive long-term plan that outlines 50 key activities that we believe all children should experience before they leave KS1. This will enable the children to have more awareness of the wider environment as well as access to provision and activities they may not otherwise experience. The children are supported by experienced staff to ensure opportunities for deepening their learning through practical first-hand experiences. The unique experiences they encounter provide life long memories for the children.

Developing children’s oracy plays an important role in their Outdoor Learning experiences.  It provides opportunities to revise previously learnt vocabulary as well as build new vocabulary linked to the natural world putting it into a visual context for children. It also provides the children to pose their own questions in a relaxed environment whilst making observations and exploring their natural world.