Outdoor Learning Curriculum Intent

At Smith’s Wood Primary, we are committed to Outdoor Learning. We have many outdoor areas around school that support our children’s learning including: the sensory garden, pond area, outdoor classroom and solar dome. Our Forest School provision provides all year groups with exciting and engaging opportunities, which are often used to enhance their learning within the classroom. Some of these activities include: making ratatouille using the mud kitchen as part of Year 2’s a whole new world topic and using feathers to create a quill linked to Year 3’s Tudor topic. 

Year 4 - Volcanoes and Earthquakes

- Worm Charming, creating an earthquake to observe worms in their natural habitat

- Mud volcanoes

Year 5 – Raging Rivers and Odious Oceans

-          Making twig rafts and testing on the school pond

-          Investigating plastic pollution and creating see animals from recycled materials

Year 6 – Amazing Americans

-          Creating miniature Teepees

-          Creating miniature Totem Poles

Outdoor Learning is also used to enrich other areas such as science and interventions. Examples of this include observing seeds grow during science lessons and enabling pupils to take a break from their usual learning environment to encourage mental wellbeing. Every year group has the opportunity throughout the year to maintain the areas used for outdoor provision.