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NATURAL Resources Wales (NRW) is working with Flintshire County Council to increase outdoor learning opportunities for learners across the county.
This is part of a council initiative to provide training for teachers so that they can increase the time spent learning in, on and for the natural environment.
Outdoor learning is being advocated by the Welsh Government as a key approach for the implementation of the New Wales Agenda. It is also widely recognized for its significant health and wellness benefits.
Early research by the Flintshire County Council education team suggests that currently foundational students (ages 3-7) in the county spend around 30% of their time in outdoor spaces adjacent to their classrooms. , while Stage 2 learners (7-11 years) spend around 10% of their time in outdoor activities.
The council has partnered with NRW to help meet the goal of increasing the amount of outdoor learning provided by county schools, particularly among 7-11 year olds.
Jane Borthwick, Senior Learning Advisor at Flintshire County Council, said: “We have added a bespoke goal to our annual business plan to help our schools increase outdoor learning.
“We know that there are very good practices in implementing the forestry school approach in the county and that the schools are focusing on outdoor learning through targeted days and sessions.
“Our goal is to equip more practitioners in more schools so that we can offer outdoor learning as a natural part of the curriculum.”
The first session was held on Monday (November 8) and another is scheduled for Friday (November 12), involving 41 teachers from across the county.
Sue Williams, NRW Team Leader for Health, Education and Natural Resources, said: “We really commend Flintshire County Council for its county-wide approach to outdoor learning. .
“The Welsh Government’s guidelines for the new curriculum for Wales say there should be parity between learning inside and out. Using the evidence from their schools’ investigation, it is great to see the board taking proactive steps to increase the amount of learning done away from home to bring it closer to time spent in class.
“We have designed our sessions to be as interactive and practical as possible in a way that gives teachers the motivation and the tools to provide more learning experiences in an outside setting and help establish positive behaviors. environmental issues from an early age. . ”
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