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, Bonaly Country Park, Hermitage of Braid and Craiglockart Woods. Classes can regularly be found enthusiastically heading out the front door to find engaging and interesting contexts for their learning.
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.
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
I am learning to assess and manage risk, to protect myself and others, and to reduce the potential for harm when possible. HWB 1-16a
I can consider ways of looking after my school or community and can encourage others to care for their environment. SOC 1-08a
P2/3
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
P2A
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
