Learning Outside the Classroom

At Stoneyholme Primary School, we want to provide our children with high quality learning opportunities beyond the classroom, to develop an understanding of the world around them and become well-rounded citizens.

As a Curious Learner:

* I am creative

* I solve problems

* I can work on my own or as part of a team

* I know how to take care of my mental and physical health and well-being

* I take manageable risks

* I know I have a responsibility for the environment around me

Curriculum Provision

lotc provision 2024 25.pdf

Situational Report

/i/Ann_Rycroft/LOTC_Situational_Report_23-24.mov

Policy

Vision

Intent

It is our aim to deliver and engage the children in a diverse, exciting and creative curriculum for all by:

Ensuring the effectiveness of learning, both inside and outside the classroom, through well organised, planned and evaluated LOtC opportunities. The children have appropriate learning experiences in appropriate and relevant learning spaces.
Using the local environment, people and business connections to enhance provision, as well as provisions further afield and residential visits.
Ensuring inclusivity through a deep understanding of the needs of individual children and developing good relationships.
Challenging and supporting children’s learning and behaviours for learning, this includes the ability to assess and manage all aspects of risk.

We aim for our children to:

develop knowledge and understanding of the world around them
build connections through exploration, increasing curiosity and inspiration
to know more and remember more
engage with and enjoy their learning through a variety of experiences
build social capital through improved vocabulary, confidence and resilience
foster pride, belonging and community involvement
understand their role of nature connectedness
increase rates of physical activity, build important life skills, have greater intrinsic motivation, good mental health and social-emotional development

Implementation

Our extensive school grounds and local area provide rich opportunities to stimulate learning and promote health and well-being amongst our pupils. We also believe that well-planned and facilitated outdoor experiences further afield give children the opportunity to explore their learning in a way that is difficult to reproduce indoors.

Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC) opportunities in EYFS are planned to reflect the requirements of the Statutory Educational Programme:

Children are guided to make sense of the world around them through practical activities, continuous provision and visits to local parks, shops and landmarks of the town
Visitors are also welcomed to enable children to meet important members of the community
Lessons are planned to reflect the whole-school STEMTERPRISE project, where children learn practical Science and Engineering skills closely tailored to their development stage.
Library and museum loan boxes are used to foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world.

LOTC opportunities in Key Stages 1 & 2 are planned to reflect the requirements of the National Curriculum:

Engaging lessons are planned for each subject every half term including using the school grounds, the local area, visits to museums, mills, places of worship and much more
Visits from subject-specific experts, charitable organisations, authors, community members and more are also planned to enhance the knowledge and understanding of pupils
Learning Outside the Classroom is planned to support health and well-being, spiritual, moral, social and cultural needs
Library and museum loan boxes are used to foster their understanding of our culturally, socially, technologically and ecologically diverse world.
Each year group plans a STEMterprise Project (NFU Education) which take children through each stage of setting up a farm shop business: considering seasonality when deciding which crop to grow, growing their own ingredients, considering nutrition when designing their recipes, using market research to test their ideas out with potential consumers, working within a budget when buying additional ingredients, learning knife skills when making their products, calculating expected profit, designing responsible packaging and much more.
Children and staff are all involved in the risk management of activities which take place outside the classroom
Children and staff are involved in the evaluation of activities, measuring the impact, reflecting success and informing future planning

Our extensive school grounds include:

STEAM Hub (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths)
Cross-curricular orienteering course
MUGA (Multi-use Games Area)
Outdoor gym equipment (on each playground)
Traverse Wall
Peace Garden
Sensory Alley
Biodomes
Allotment
Willow Dome and Orchard
Meadow
Library Bus and Reading Retreat
Radio Station and Green Screen Studio
Cooking Pot
Family Room and Lodge
Zen Den and Sensory Room
The Beehive, Superhero HQ and The Bat Cave

We also offer a daily Enrichment Programme and take part in local and national events including Beat The Street, Young Voices, School Linking, Burnley’s Gotta Sing and Dance, Inter-school competitions (including SEND competitions) amongst many others. Each year, our Year 6 children are also invited to take part in a residential visit. Community members and past pupils are also invited in to talk with our Year 6 children as part of a Careers Carousel to gain an understanding of employment and raise aspirations. Where possible, we work with local charities to provide meaningful opportunities for our children to develop a sense of fulfilment and make a real difference. We understand that learning outside the classroom provides opportunities for our children to develop communication and language skills so they can articulate ideas clearly and confidently with functional and disciplinary vocabulary, enabling them to use their 'voice' to act at a local, national and global level on matters that affect them.

Impact

Measuring the impact of Learning Outside the Classroom at our school is essential for understanding how it enhances academic attainment and personal development.

This is done by:

Key questioning on previous knowledge and current
Quizzes at the end of units and these are repeated throughout the year
Pupil discussions within class about their learning
Pupil interviews about their learning with subject leader
Monitoring of books, Knowledge Organisers, long term plans and the website
Assessment against National Curriculum weekly linked to key questions on Knowledge Organisers and an overall judgement at the end of a unit of work
Risk assessment and evaluation of activities
Fulfillment of criteria for the LOTC Mark Direct and RHS Campaign for School Gardening Awards

Pupil Voice

We are planting trees now that will be a huge forest when our children come to this school. Year 1 pupil.

We learned about sacrifice- how hard it is to make sacrifices, not wanting to give things up. Christians were telling us about Christianity. They used vocabulary that we heard of in class. Year 4 pupil.