Outdoor Learning
We LOVE to learn outside!
At Menston Primary School we recognise the valuable role that learning outdoors has on developing happy, healthy children. We love taking our learning outside and all children access weekly Learning Outside the Classroom and Outdoor Learning opportunities.
Every child in school has an entitlement to high quality outdoor learning throughout the whole year. Our pond area, woodland area, minibeast area and two polytunnels are put to great use in all seasons so that children develop a deep appreciation for the natural world. As well as learning about the outdoor environment, our children are given opportunities to develop their wider curriculum skills in a wide range of subjects and knowledge in our beautiful grounds.
All of our 14 classes are named after different trees from the school site. Can you find all 14?
We use our vast outdoor environment to deliver high quality learning outside the classroom. We have achieved the Woodland Trust – Green Tree Bronze Award following our Christmas card recycling project and by planting 300 saplings in our woodland area. We have recently achieved the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Mark Silver Award for our school. For more information about the LOtC and the work they do, please visit their website by clicking here.
We are very proud of the facilities we have to offer. These include:
- Two large fields complete with learning posts and an adventure playground.
- Two running tracks (around both the small and large field and used for the Daily Mile)
- Forest area and woodland pod (used for den building)
- Pond used seasonally for pond dipping
- Stone story-telling circle
- Mini-beasting area
- Poly-tunnel (used as a sheltered outdoor space)
- 2 Outdoor whole class seating areas
We have recently developed our pond area so as children can study pond wildlife, habitats and Eco-systems.
Staff and children pond dipping, den building and studying minibeasts.
