Learning outside the classroom is an approach that has always been wholeheartedly embraced by Pinewood. From the introduction of the Pinewood Adventure, exploring the assault course or the garden, enjoying the different themes of the Pre-Prep WOW days, or visits to places like Windsor Castle, Pinewood pupils experience the world beyond the classroom on a regular basis.
We are delighted to have been short-listed for the upcoming national Learning Outside the Classroom Awards and have had to prepare a portfolio of evidence. Extracts from some of this are included below:
“LOtC is a regular teaching strategy which staff not only believe in but are excited about. It is a regular part of all pupils’ lives being embedded into the whole curriculum. Teachers use it as one of many daily teaching strategies. e.g. it would not be considered unusual to find pupils exploring the school and its grounds looking for 2D and 3D shapes, nor would exploring the local village and relating it to map work in geography or going on a walk as part of a listening comprehension be considered anything out of the ordinary. These are just a few examples of LOtC activities that staff, pupils and parents consider as normal, everyday teaching activities. They involve everyone!”
“Multisensory beds and a polytunnel extend the Science, English and Maths curriculum. Pupils’ measure the distance between seedlings and see what happens if they are planted too close or too far apart. They estimate the weight of tomato and potato crops. They measure the height of sweetcorn, using the information in data handling and ICT lessons. October’s pumpkins were used in fractions lessons before being turned into cakes and, along with onions and potatoes given to the local community at Harvest, and other produce given to the Swindon Food Bank charity. Much of the salad eaten at lunch was school grown! These are real life active ways of developing skills, fostering emotional and social understanding, giving real meaning to learning.”
