This episode is a first for The Teachers’ Podcast, as Claire is interviewing not one, but two guests: Jenny Wood and Hollie Hindle from Alfresco Learning, a company focused on helping teachers to find ways in which to use their outdoor environments to deliver lessons across the curriculum. Having both been teachers themselves, Jenny and Hollie give useful advice for teachers still in the classroom.
Jenny and Hollie had quite differing views on their futures before teaching at the same primary school: Hollie always wanted to be a teacher and even used to teach her teddies, whereas Jenny wanted to be a zookeeper, or at least something to do with animals! Holly did her degree in Primary Education, going straight into teaching from there, whereas Jenny completed a Chemistry degree, and was inspired to go into schools by another student on her course. Jenny found that she loved the environment of being in primary schools and so finished her degree, became a TA and then completed a PGCE.
While Hollie was taking a break from teaching, she worked as a learning mentor at Jenny’s 3-form entry school. After her break, she took up a role teaching at the school and worked closely with Jenny in leadership roles in Key Stage 1. They soon discovered they were very similar in their teaching styles and beliefs, and after building up their own repertoire of outdoor lessons, they decided to take the leap and start their own business.
In the podcast, Jenny and Hollie discuss what teachers can do to introduce more outdoor lessons into their planning and how they can find the confidence to overcome worries about behaviour and having to justify why they are going outside. They offer examples of lessons that can be done outside and ideas of how to embed outdoor learning into your school’s curriculum.
KEY TAKEAWAYS

Taking children outside can change behaviour.Children who find learning and sitting still in a classroom challenging can become observant, inquisitive, curious and will talk to others about what they have found and observed if they are taken outside to learn.


Don’t be afraid to get creative!Use social media for starting points then develop your own ideas for taking children outside. Start off small and slow; play boundary games with the children so that they (and you!) are getting used to them moving around so much.


The amount of outdoor learning will depend on what you have planned (and the weather!).Aim to get outside in all weathers but if it’s a particularly wet week, it doesn’t need to be every day!


Have an objective so children are still doing what they need to do.It should be about developing and deepening their learning, not just being an add on. By meeting curriculum objectives when you go outside, it is also easier to justify to SLT why you are doing it and to demonstrate the benefits.


Have a class ‘floor book’ for use outside.Instead of taking their actual books outside, have a class ‘floor book’ that can be taken out where post-its, photos and other evidence can be gathered.


You don’t always have to have lots of resources – just get outside!If you are in an area where natural resources are sparse, task the children with collecting natural resources on a weekend and bringing them in; have a designated space for the children to put them so that it becomes part of normal classroom practice.


Leave chalk markings on the playground.If you’ve used chalk, and you leave the markings that the children have made, the children will usually revisit the learning at lunch and break time.


Learning outside creates experiences.It also consolidates and deepens the learning that has happened in the classroom.


In Key Stage 2, if you are struggling for ideas, start with Science.This is a subject that naturally lends itself. Explore friction with a shoe on different things that are found outdoors: tarmac, wet leaves, dry leaves, dry grass etc.


In Key Stage 1, try a journey stick.Select a story and make the main character out of the s