At Lockers Park, Outdoor Learning is key to a creative and inclusive curriculum. From Little Lockers through to Year 8 our 23 acres of woodland, and numerous outdoor areas, are used year-round to enhance learning across all subject areas.
Break times are an opportunity for our boys to explore ‘The Shrubs’, using the extensive wooded areas to build dens, engage in outdoor play, and learn to interact positively with their peers.
Down at Little Lockers we have our allotment, pond, Outdoor Classroom, adventure playgrounds and our mud kitchen. Boys of all ages are encouraged to take time out in our sensory garden, and we even have our own Chicken Monitors to help keep our feathered friends safe and well.
Of course, a large part of our Outdoor Learning is our Forest School provision; with all pupils from Reception to Year 6 being timetabled weekly Forest School lessons delivered by Level 3 Forest School trained teachers.
We encourage all subject areas to take their learning beyond the classroom, with activities from River Studies trips in Science, to Geography field trips, through to reading Harry Potter in the woods – to really bring the Forbidden Forest to life!
We understand that Outdoor Learning goes beyond the school gates and into the local community. We are currently working alongside the Boxmoor Trust to build swift boxes, and we have welcomed local schools to join us for Science and Nature days.
Awards
Our boys have really engaged with their Outdoor Learning sessions, the proof of which is clear to see through awards they have received for their efforts:
Woodland Trust Green Trees Platinum Award
Eco-Schools Green Flag with Distinction
Green Apple Environment Award
We are also working towards our Plastic-Free Schools Award and our Fairtrade Schools Awards, learning about these important issues through a cross-curricular approach including PSHE and English.
By getting our boys out of the classroom, and giving them opportunities to appreciate the natural world across subject areas, we aim to further nurture their enthusiasm for life.
