Where and When?

Learning outside the classroom is about releasing teaching and learning from the constraints of the classroom walls. The ‘places’ where learning happens can have a significant effect on learning. Learning outside the classroom can happen at almost any time and almost anywhere – outdoors or indoors: in the school grounds, on the high street, in the local park, in museums and art galleries, on mountain tops and rivers, in Britain's remote places, or elsewhere in the world. As an essential way of learning it should not be restricted to the summer or as an ‘add-on’ after examinations. Learning outside the classroom should be built into planning for all learners, every week and all year round.
 

 Choosing where to go

 Choosing when to go

Choosing where to go

The choices are endless but need to be informed by what you want learners to achieve. The following are provided as initial ways of thinking about where learning could take place and not intended as concrete examples:

• Social and personal development might be suited to situations where problem solving, exploration, adventure activities and personal challenge are involved. For younger children, these might be provided in places closer to school/home. As young people develop and mature, so does their need for further challenges; visiting wilder places can provide this necessary adventure and be inspiring. Residential experiences often provide unique opportunities for social living and development for all ages. Often overlooked are the opportunities for young people in rural areas to explore urban environments.
• Scientific and mathematical understanding might be more suited to situations where fieldwork, investigation, practical skills and research are involved. For younger children these might be provided in the school grounds and the local urban or rural environment. These are also suitable for older learners, but activities undertaken further afield can have a marked impact on learning; examples are visits to a heritage venue, farm, museum, field study or environmental centre.
• The development of artistic and creative skills might be suited to situations where they can be practised in inspirational settings such as galleries, heritage sites or areas of natural beauty. School grounds can be a showcase for pupil artwork. The positive impacts on young people’s motivation, emotional and social well-being are well documented through visits to museums, for example.

Whereas in some circumstances observational or ‘look-see’ activities are appropriate, research has shown that young people enjoy subjects and activities where the curriculum involves participation and has practical application*. Therefore your choice of where to go will be influenced by the availability of active, ‘hands-on’ and practical learning opportunities.

Research also shows that children are losing their connection with the natural environment. This can lead to what has been termed ‘Nature-Deficit Disorder’**. Learning can be significantly enhanced by using all our senses. The choice of places for learning will therefore need to be influenced by the range of sensory experiences available.

Young people benefit substantially and in a variety of ways from learning outside the classroom. The diagram that follows shows the interaction between areas of development and the places where learning can take place (from Every Experience Matters).

Use the sidebar links to explore the places leaders can use as a venue or resource for learning outside the classroom, and the wide range of providers who can support or deliver the learning outside the classroom experience.

Choosing when to go

A powerful case has been presented for learning outside the classroom to be frequent, regular and progressive. Activities should not, and need not, be left to the summer months or be cancelled just because of inclement weather or an Ofsted inspection! However, deciding when to go outside the classroom should be informed by what you want learners to achieve.

Usually, going out into the school grounds or local environment can be done any day of the week and without little more planning than for classroom activities. A balance between indoor and outdoor activities can be achieved by planning a whole curriculum using the outdoor environment and indoor opportunities provided by local providers such as museums, libraries, theatres, art galleries and music venues.

Some activities, especially in the natural environment, are influenced by seasonal variations: for example examining life cycles in pond, meadow and woodland habitats, and winter activities such as skiing or ice climbing. Others, such as farm visits, are influenced by the cycles of crop and animal husbandry. Obviously, the magic of a walk in the dark of night can only be done outside the normal working day and probably during a residential stay!

Some questions to help you decide:

• Where are the best places for learning outside the classroom activities to deliver your intended learning outcomes?
• Have you considered the best combination of learning outcomes that can easily be delivered?
• Are there places to go to suitable for how you wish to organise learning? for example, look-see, hands-on, exploration, adventure, etc?
• Are the locations where it is planned to deliver the intended learning outcomes subject to seasonal variation?
• What is the best time of year or day to arrange learning outside the classroom?
• Are there places to go locally which will lessen the need to travel further afield?
• Have you considered the need for using external support/providers?
• Do the places you are planning to go to provide sufficient challenge or inspiration?

* Pupils’ experiences and perspectives of the National Curriculum and assessment: research review, NFER

** Richard Louv (2006) Last Child in the Woods, Algonquin Books