Learning Outside of the Classroom
Learning outside the classroom is the use of places other than the classroom for teaching and learning. It is about getting children and young people out and about, providing them with challenging, exciting and different experiences to help them learn.
Young people are intensely curious and will always take the opportunity to explore the world around them if it is offered. So, the potential for learning is maximised if we use the powerful combination of physical, visual and naturalistic ways of learning as well as our linguistic and mathematical intelligence.
For many young people, it is not sufficient to acquire knowledge without seeing its relevance to themselves and the world around them. So, they learn better though practical experience and acquire their knowledge and understanding through real-life tasks that stimulate their natural curiosity. On return from an activity off-site, there may be follow-on activities that can be carried out within the school grounds, thus extending the learning outside the classroom and making the most of the visit. In these ways, knowledge, skills and understanding take on a deeper meaning and help to raise achievement.
Children derive tremendous benefit from taking part in learning outside the classroom. The intellectual, social, cultural, spiritual and emotional development of the child can be enhanced and enriched by direct and active participation in experiences not available in the classroom.
We believe that ‘Learning outside the classroom’ is an entitlement for all children. Therefore, teachers will provide planned, purposeful out of classroom activities which build on, extend and enhance children’s learning through the termly topics. Learning outside the classroom is most successful when it is an integral element of long-term curriculum planning and closely linked to follow up classroom activities.