Outdoor Learning: Happy children make happy learners! Erasmus Project

Project Title

Outdoor Learning: Happy children make happy learners!

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Access for disadvantaged; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

The priority of this project was to support schools to maximise the potential of non-formal teaching methods, ensure the inclusion of all children to access the curriculum and improve children’s well-being through outdoor education. We strive for children to be Healthy confident individuals and Ethical informed citizens, in line with Welsh Governments curriculum, Successful Futures. We have been successful in the development of high-quality skills/competencies amongst teachers to teach outdoors, through the regular exchange of good practice, resulting in all children benefitting from high-quality outdoor education.

Outdoor learning has enabled all children to access the curriculum, particularly those who do not thrive in traditional classrooms or from disadvantaged backgrounds. In line with the EU policy to tackle Early School Leavers(ESL) all children must have ‘an equal chance to access, participate and benefit from high quality and inclusive education’. An engaging and relevant curriculum is the most effective way to prevent ESL/social exclusion. All partner schools fully embraced outdoor learning as part of daily routines, providing a rich and stimulating environment and enabling success for all children.

6 partner schools participated in the project; Wales(1), Wales(2), Ireland, Finland, Sweden and Italy. Around 1,500 children (ranging from 1-14 years old), regularly experienced outdoor learning as planned by teachers. Each countries curriculum encourages children to discover/explore the world through self-directed and hands on learning(Montessori/Reggio Emilio) and equipping children with skills and confidence to be more inclined to change the world(Ashoka changemaker schools).

Aims & objectives for children:
• To develop children’s well-being/self-esteem through regular activities outdoors.
• To ensure that children are confident and fully engaged in the outdoor environment.
• To develop children’s desire to be active outdoors.
• To develop children’s knowledge/understanding of ecology and sustainability within the context of their local area.
• To develop communication skills by sharing knowledge.
• To develop digital competencies in communicating with others.
• To motivate children who do not thrive in the traditional classroom environment.
• To motivate and give new input to children with disabilities.
• Intercultural dialogue with learners across Europe developing their sense of being ethical and informed global citizens
• Develop a love of other languages (alongside their bilingual skills).
•To develop Key skills of Thinking, Communication, Numeracy & ICT through practical, real life problem solving activities in the outdoor environment.

Aims & objectives for teachers:
• To strengthen the capacity of teachers to develop non-formal methodologies of learning to teach, support and enhance curriculum.
• To learn about outdoor pedagogy in a cross-cultural perspective and share knowledge/experiences with others.
• To gain an increased awareness of sustainability and ecology in their local area.
• To learn how the outdoor environment could help to motivate and re-motivate children who do not thrive in the traditional classroom environment, such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds and likely to become early school leavers.
• To develop digital competencies in communicating with others.
• To work with teachers across Europe and develop their communication and foreign language skills with educational professionals.

Regular assessments were implemented throughout to monitor and assess aims/objectives, which we successfully achieved.

Our project focused on 7 joint topics:
• Games in nature
• Observing & monitoring changes in nature
• Environmental protection
• Entrepreneurship
• Visits
• Collecting natural resources
• Information & Communication Technology(ICT)

All schools designed and shared activities for each topic, creating a collaborative booklet of outdoor activities. Through sharing knowledge, children gained further experiences in the outdoors. Children developed knowledge of ecology and sustainability of their local area, whilst developing as global citizens working with EU partners. Furthermore, partners reported an improvement in children’s happiness, well-being, self-esteem and motivation towards learning. This increased awareness has allowed schools to develop innovated approaches and non-formal methodologies of outdoor learning.

Each topic was evaluated by all project partners and results disseminated. Results of the project will be disseminated at Primary, Local, National and European level. We will use dissemination of results to continue to promote and support outdoor learning on a Local, National and European scale as an effective method of teaching and learning. Longer term, it will enable us to support and encourage other schools/practitioners to teach outdoors, enabling a wider range of children to benefit from project activities.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 89924 Eur

Project Coordinator

Crwys Primary School & Country: UK

Project Partners

• Stretereds förskola
• Gowerton Primary School
• ISTITUTO COMPRENSIVO GIOVANNI XXIII TERRASINI
• Jokilaakson koulu
• SN na hEaglaise