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Windermere School > Beyond the Classroom > Outdoor Learning
Windermere School > Beyond the Classroom > Outdoor Learning

Outdoor learning takes the curriculum outdoors and into our amazing local UNESCO environment, whether that is the school grounds of the wider area.

It is very easy to be a school based in beautiful place, but at Windermere, we choose to use our environment to enhance not only our pupils academic learning, but their entire development pathway, from our youngest children of three years old, to our Sixth Form, making choices about their future lives.

Pupils who experience an outdoor learning environment are more attentive, while consistent exposure to nature decreases stress and anxiety, elevates mood and helps with emotion regulation, which all contribute to a positive learning experience. Pupils find their personal route to achievement, discovering their own strengths and potential, learning is more memorable and they participate more actively in their own education.

At Windermere School Geography becomes real, and Science is linked to the preservation and conservation of the environment. English might involve a trip to Rydal Caves to strengthen the use of ‘spooky’ adjectives or taking a poetry lesson under the old oak trees. The Outdoor Classroom at the Senior School is in daily use (the science explosions can be bigger out there!), with children at the Junior School able to enjoy the newly renovated Forest School.

 

Adventure Programme

Our innovative Adventure programme sets Windermere School apart. It allows pupils to push their personal boundaries and develop the extra skills that are so vital for a successful life beyond the school gates.

JUNIOR OUTDOOR LEARNING

The Early Years at Elleray Campus are where the adventure begins, rooted in the belief that care, creativity, curiosity and courage develop motivated and successful learners, as well as confident and compassionate individuals.

Children can join us from their third birthday and will take part in a wide range of experiences in our Forest School and grounds.

All pupils take information in differently and outdoor learning allows those that need a practical education to fully reach their potential.

SENIOR OUTDOOR LEARNING

Outdoor learning and connection to nature is often lost in a world of revision and technology as children become older.

We believe there is never a more important time for children to understand their place in the world. Allowing our Senior School pupils to study outside, often within our purpose-built outdoor classroom space, enables them to physically grasp complex curriculums while benefitting from the mental health and physical wellbeing benefits.

Our pupils have enthusiasm for being outside, even those who have not previously found certain subjects motivating tend to be more engaged, and it has often allowed pupils to maintain enthusiasm and focus through to GCSE level and beyond.