Outdoor Learning and the Creative Curriculum at Yealmpstone Farm Primary School
Yealmpstone Farm Primary School wanted to balance the creative curriculum and high learning standards through change school work that focuses on improving the school's grounds.
By looking at outdoor learning and its role within the creative curriculum, Yealmpstone will be addressing it's three-core teaching and learning priorities: to develop and embed improved personalised marking, targets and children’s self-evaluation, to continue to improve writing standards across the school with a focus on underachieving boys through further cross-curricular opportunities and to develop a rich, skills based curriculum.
Aim
Children and staff at the school want to realise the potential of their outdoor spaces and to achieve 10% curriculum time dedicated to outdoors. As part of the project, the outdoor area will be redesigned to include an orchard, amphitheatre, huts, garden area and farming area.
Process
Located in Plympton, Plymouth, and serving the Longbrook Farm Estate, Yealmpstone Farm Primary is surrounded by woodland, with a stream that runs along the back of the school boundary. The outdoor spaces are vast with large grass areas, trees, a pond and an area for growing plants.The school wants to make the most of this area for its pupils and school community, using it as both a learning resource and recreational area.
Working with garden designer Beth Munro the staff and children have discussed, considered and designed their new outdoor learning space. As part of the project pupils have created small sculptures, one of which has been chosen to be made into a life size model by Flameworks that will stand at the school's entrance. The project will also see staff and pupils working with arts consultant Penny Angel alongside other designer-makers to help build and develop different areas of the school grounds.
The project involves Pupil Voice and the Curriculum Development Group. Staff, parents and the local community are also getting involved as much as possible in developing the outdoor space.
"We have really enjoyed our work with Creative Partnerships. Through the project we have developed a European garden and tranquil zone which is used by the whole school community and is linked to our Comenius project with seven European countries. We have also worked on an anti-bullying project where the whole school decorated a small elephant and discussed anti-bullying messages that would be put onto him.
We have also been learning about how forest schools work and are developing this very popular facility. The children have been intrinsically involved with all the ideas in each element of the project and we have put together the beginnings of a children's charter with our Creative consultant. We are all really excited about our new curriculum and how the outdoor environment will support our learning."
Heidi Price,Head Teacher, Yealmpstone Farm Primary.
Yealmpstone outdoor learning, new sculptures
