Teaching beyond the school grounds: providing new experiences
Emma Holland, LOtC Lead, The Lantern Primary School
The Lantern Primary School is one of 14 primary schools within the Meridian Trust and is located in the Cambridgeshire city of Ely.
It is a two-form entry school with a varied catchment area. The school runs their own nursery provision and wraparound care facility.
The Lantern Primary School has a really strong foundation for learning beyond the classroom (LOtC) with our Forest school provision which I deliver as the school’s LOtC lead. Forest School is well established and has substantial impact on the children who benefit from these lessons.
Our school also has strength within its offer around the local learning area. With Ely Cathedral within walking distance there are countless opportunities for pupils to address a wide variety of learning opportunities across the curriculum.
We also make good use of local museums and other church buildings to cover the curriculum requirement.
With a new focus around what good LOtC looks like, teachers are focussing on what opportunities there are to extend the local learning offer even further. The opportunities extend to the possibility of performing at incredible venues such as the Cathedral and even the nursery are starting their LOtC journey with a visit to a local church where they can perform some of the songs they have been learning in school.
I am a great believer in learning through play, hence the forest school opportunity which we are now extending further into the local area. Giving new experiences to children widens their opportunities. Children are incredible at absorbing new things and love the chance to go beyond the classroom. When they do they create questions to answer regardless of the visit focus. Our teachers are also great at building on learning and looking at how the children develop language and learning from the experiences they are having.
