Learning Outside the Classroom
Intent
At Great Kimble School, we recognise the powerful impact that learning outside the classroom can have on children’s wellbeing, behaviour and engagement. Our outdoor learning curriculum is designed to nurture big hearts and bold futures by providing meaningful opportunities for children to connect with nature, develop confidence and build a strong sense of community.
We are incredibly fortunate to have access to our outdoor classroom at Smokey Row, which offers a safe and inspiring environment where children can immerse themselves in nature, take part in a wide range of outdoor and nature-based activities, and develop a love for the world they are living in. Learning outside the classroom supports children’s physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, while promoting curiosity, resilience and independence.
Our outdoor learning ethos places nature at the heart of learning. Children are encouraged to spend time outdoors in a variety of settings and weather conditions, fostering adaptability and respect for the natural environment. Sessions are inclusive and non-competitive, enabling all pupils to take part fully and experience success. Safety is prioritised through careful risk assessment, while children are supported to take increasing responsibility for their own personal safety.
Through collaborative activities, children build big hearts by strengthening relationships, developing empathy and learning to care for one another and the natural world. A weekly nature-based curriculum encourages compassion, environmental responsibility and sustainability, alongside the development of practical bushcraft skills such as fire-making, knot-tying, shelter-building and woodwork.
Through learning outside the classroom, we prepare children for bold futures by nurturing confident, resilient learners who value teamwork, wellbeing and their role in protecting the world around them.
Smokey Row
We are very proud of the outdoor learning opportunities we provide at Great Kimble and the children benefit from visiting our outdoor classroom (Smokey Row) regularly. Smokey Row is a piece of meadow land close to the school. We have designed an entirely new nature curriculum at Great Kimble and have been implementing it since September 2024, taking inspiration from Lynn Sneddon's 'Exploring Nature with Children' curriculum as well as closely following the seasons and learning about our natural surroundings each week through exploration, drawings and games.
Our children love these afternoons spent off the school site and work co-operatively together, problem solving and developing their awe and wonder for the world around them.
The walk to Smokey Row is used for discussion with teachers and volunteers about the week's theme, developing speaking and listening skills and also to support the children’s understanding of the Earth’s movement in space, observing changes across the four seasons, observing the apparent movement of the Sun during the day and also observing the weather associated with the seasons. At Smokey Row, the children look after the land, shape the willow tunnel and take care of the hedge that was professionally planted. We also have an amazing new mud kitchen that was donated to us by Deanfield Homes that will encourage the children to explore and get messy! Mud kitchens are an important part of play for all ages because they foster creativity, develop crucial physical skills and can provide rich, sensory experiences that you just don't get in a classroom. This kind of play also facilitates imaginative role playing, which in turn promotes language development as well as problem solving skills.
Our pupils learn valuable safety awareness skills too - to cross the railway line safely: they are aware of the importance of being quiet so you can hear the noise of the train, not only the whistle but also the rumbling in the tracks.
With our new nature curriculum in place and wonderful resources on the site we are truly blessed to have been gifted this wonderful piece of land.