At St Michael’s we aim to provide an environment that positively supports mental health and well-being. At St Michael’s we provide high quality outdoor learning through our Explore Curriculum. We do this by offering a range of positive outdoor learning experiences.   We are fortunate enough to have access to large outdoor grounds and we have areas of the grounds which have been developed into allotments for the growing of fruit and vegetables.   We offer a positive approach to outdoor learning, where children have access to regular learning time outdoors, within the natural environment.

Outdoor learning has been proven to have a positive impact within all age groups, promoting independence, confidence, and self-esteem. The approach to outdoor learning at St Michael’s aims to support our wider curriculum by taking many aspects of learning into the outdoor environment. When our pupils are outdoors, they are exposed to the natural environment around them, enabling them to have meaningful learning experiences. This exploration of the outdoor environment allows pupils to understand a wide range of concepts within the National Curriculum.  ‘Going outdoors’ allows children to understand and delve into concepts of the National Curriculum, for example: pupils can develop measuring skills outdoors in mathematics; learn about their local environment in geography; or learn about plants and animals in science.

Children at St Michael’s are explorers. Through high quality teaching, we aim to make meaningful links across the curriculum when taking teaching and learning outdoors. At St Michael’s we are committed to raising the profile of outdoor learning for all our learners. Children from Early Years to Y6 are encouraged to learn, play, and explore outdoors as often as possible. To raise the profile of outdoor learning, we have decided to give each year group designated time in our outdoor grounds, where staff can take teaching outdoors; this will be developed across the year and become part of our weekly routine. It is our aim that, from Early Years to Y6, children are accessing learning outdoors on a weekly basis and ultimately, the children at St Michael’s, are given the opportunity to develop vital life skills and a love of the outdoors.