TS-9.3

T aking learning beyond the classroom is a quick and easy way to make learning active and increase engagement. However, one-off experiences at the end of the school year will only have limited benefits. To be truly impactful, out-of-classroom learning should be frequent and progressive. What’s nearby? ‘Little and often’ ought to be the mantra. Alongside educational visits to museums, historic buildings, wildlife sanctuaries and the theatre, a meaningful programme will involve making the most of what’s on your doorstep. School grounds Even the most urban and built-up spaces will offer some opportunities for inspiring sessions, such as surveys and data collation from around the school grounds and buildings, or the undertaking of large-scale experiments. Staging a play outdoors will lend a new dimension to your students’ performances; outdoor environments can also provide opportunities for involving all the senses when writing poetry. Local green/blue space Often a short walk away from schools, these easily accessible spaces can support a range of subjects from science and technology, to art, geography and history. Local high street Most High Streets are home to a host of different building styles and ages. Examining local architecture and neighbourhood environments can really bring history, geography and D&T lessons to life, enabling students to develop a rich understanding of their village, town or city’s origins, and how it’s developed over time. Barriers to frequent teaching in different spaces can often be rooted in concerns over paperwork, or a lack of confidence at the prospect of being able to successfully create meaningful learning sessions. But paperwork needn’t be burdensome. For example, it isn’t necessary to obtain parental consent for every ABOUT THE AUTHOR Justine Lee is communications managerat the SchoolTravel Forum (schooltravelforum.com )and the Council forLearning Outside the Classroom (lotc.org.uk ) Learning with local flavour 65 O U T D O O R L E A R N I N G lesson taking place outside the classroom. Providing the activities in questions are a standard part of the curriculum, take place as part of the normal school day and have been included in the school prospectus, additional parental consent won’t be necessary. Consent will, however, be required for non-routine, off-site activities that fall outside of standard school opening activities, as well as adventurous activities, farm visits, visits abroad, residential visits, remote supervision or more complex activities (such as tackling a climbing wall in the school grounds). Before and after Below is a simple checklist to consider when planning and preparing to take lessons outside the classroom: Before you go • Have a clear vision of what you want to achieve • Plan any experience carefully as part of an ongoing learning process • Check whether you’ll need the support of an external provider – use one that holds the LOtC Quality Badge, as recommended by the DfE. • Involve students in the planning – researching venues and locations, and taking part in risk assessments will help enhance their learning experience During the activity • Think about appropriate learning styles • Decide upon the most appropriate supervision style After the activity • Organise follow-up activities for when you’re back in the classroom • Assess whether the experience met your learning objectives • Consider how the learning and questions raised by the experience or visit can be shared with others The LOtC Mark can help schools develop a whole- school approach to taking learning outside the classroom. teachwire.net/secondary When it comes to learning outside the classroom, it’s best to adopt an approach of ‘little and often’, says J ustine Lee ... Editor’s note This piece was commissioned and produced prior to the measures adopted by the UK in response to the COVID-19 outbreak