Bruntsfield Primary School Outdoor Learning Activities
At Bruntsfield Primary we are very lucky that our location allows our teachers and pupils to easily access excellent outdoor spaces such as Bruntsfield Links, Hermitage of Braid and Craiglockart Woods. Classes regularly head out the front door to find engaging and interesting contexts for their learning as well as annual trips to Bonaly Country Park (P5 day trip and P6 overnight) and Lagganlia Outdoor Centre (P7 4 nights).
The Scottish Government provides the following rationale for taking learning outdoors:
Smarter – Outdoor learning encourages learners to understand the interplay and relationship between curriculum areas. This awareness promotes lifelong learning and develops critical thinking skills.
Healthier – Learning outdoors can lead to lifelong recreation. Activities such as walking and cycling which are ideal for physical and emotional wellbeing contribute to a healthier Scotland. Scots have a reputation for adventure activities such as mountaineering and have achieved international sporting success in canoeing, sailing and skiing.
Learning outdoors can lead to lifelong recreation. Activities such as walking and cycling which are ideal for physical and emotional wellbeing contribute to a healthier Scotland. Scots have a reputation for adventure activities such as mountaineering and have achieved international sporting success in canoeing, sailing and skiing.
Safer and stronger – Outdoor learning activities span social divisions and can help build stronger communities. Some organisations have therapeutic programmes where outdoor learning plays a central role. Children and young people have opportunities to develop skills to assess and manage risk when making decisions.
Greener – Frequent and regular outdoor learning encourages children and young people to engage with the natural and built heritage. Scotland’s countryside and urban areas provide ideal settings for children and young people to understand the global significance of sustainability issues and inform personal decisions that contribute towards a greener Scotland.
Wealthier and fairer – The outdoors provides excellent opportunities to use a wide range of skills and abilities not always visible in the classroom. Becoming aware of such skills can fundamentally change personal, peer and staff perceptions and lead to profound changes in life expectations and success.
We feel strongly that this rationale echoes our school ethos of encouraging, supporting and challenging pupils to become Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors.
Craiglockhart Woods
We put slugs on our faces because slugs make your skin look younger. One of our instructors, Laura is actually 102 years old but she looks 22 because she puts slug slime on her face.
Adam
We learnt about how if we didn’t have any bugs the world would be bad because we need bugs to live. If we had no bugs we would all die because the world would die because we would have nothing to eat.
Jack
On Wednesday 2nd September I went to the woods. I saw interesting plants. I made a minibeast home. My favourite thing was when I found spotty leaves. I felt very good.
Roxana
Bonaly Country Park
Updates incoming…
Every year, P7’s take on a residential week at Lagganlia Outdoor Centre in the Cairngorms. Please click on the link above for more information.