Children Learning Outside the Classroom

Sue Waite is Associate Professor (Reader) in Outdoor Learning in Plymouth Institute of Education at Plymouth University, investigating how place, people and pedagogies interact to support positive societal outcomes in play, learning, health and wellbeing through the great outdoors. A qualified primary school teacher, over the last 20 years, Sue has published widely in academic and practitioner journals and edited books. Her research projects have included a sequence on Forest School practices and principles, a series looking at youth benefits from living and engaging with activities within National Parks, Economic and Social Science Research Council grants looking at ‘Opportunities afforded by the outdoors for alternative pedagogies in children’s transition from Foundation Stage to Year 1’ and ‘Understanding educational and wellbeing implications of learning outside the classroom through cross-national collaboration’. She also conducted a study about the effect of camping on children’s educational outcomes for the Camping and Caravanning Club. A BIG Lottery Research Programme award, Good from Woods, developed research capacity in third sector organisations to investigate ‘Social cohesion and well-being deriving from woodland activities’ and more recently the Natural Connections Demonstration Project, the largest outdoor learning project in the UK commissioned by Natural England, DEFRA and Historic England, provided strong evidence for multiple positive outcomes of curricular learning in local natural environments. She sits on Editorial Boards of several international journals:  Pastoral Care in Education, Education 3-13, Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning, the Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education and the Journal of Experiential Learning. Sue Waite will be discussing key ideas from Children Learning Outside the Classroom: From Birth to Eleven in the SAGE Early Years Masterclass, a free professional development experience hosted by Kathy Brodie. To sign up, or for more information, click here.

A good book with a combination of theory, case studies and practical ideas to keep you reflecting on practice.

• Introduction - Sue WaiteSection 1: THINKING ACROSS THE WHOLE1. Theoretical Perspectives on Learning Outside the Classroom – Relationships Between Learning and Place - Sue Waite and Nick Pratt2. Methods of Assessment and Evaluation for Learning Outside the Classroom - Sue Waite, Orlando Rutter and Adrian Fowle3. What is the change? Evaluating the Moorland Classroom’s Effect on Children - David Gurnett and David Weatherly4. A Global View of Learning Outside the Classroom - Peter Bensten, Susanno Ho, Tonia Gray and Sue WaiteSection 2: OUTDOOR PRACTICE ACROSS EARLY YEARS AND PRIMARY5. Very Young Children Learning Outdoors: Its Place in the Schooling System - Valerie Huggins and Karen Wickett6. Developing Whole School Approaches to Integrated Indoor / Outdoor Teaching - Simon Beames, Beth Christie and Ian Blackwell7. Outdoor Pedagogies in Support of Transition from Foundation Stage to Year 1 - Sue Rogers, Sue Waite and Julie Evans8. Technology and its Role Outside the Classroom - Miles Opie, Keith Ansell and Emma Goto9. Special Educational Needs and Disability and Learning Outside the Classroom - Roger HooperSection 3: CURRICULUM AREAS10. English, Communication and Language and Language Outside the Classroom - Howard Cotton11. Understanding Mathematics Outside the Classroom - Nick Pratt12. Science and Technology Outside the Classroom: Embedding Learning Outside the Classroom into the Science National Curriculum - Beth Gompertz and Kelly Davis13. Understanding Places and People Through History and Geography Outside the Classroom - James Bettany, Roger Cutting and Orla Kelly14. The Arts - Lesley Cusworth15. Physical Development, Health and Well-Being: the role of Physical Education - Michelle Roberts and Debbie LambertSection 4: PARTNERS AND PROGRESSION16. The Renaissance of Residential Experiences: their Contribution to Outdoor Learning - Chris Loynes17. Forest School: Core Principles in Changing Times - Mel McCree and Jon Cree18. School Gardens and the School Food Plan: Contributing to a Culture of Healthy Living - Abigail Page, Myles Bremner and Rowena Passy19. How the Outdoor Environmental Sector can Support Schools - Beth Brook20. Making a Difference: Learning on a Grand Scale - Sue Waite