Learning Outside the Classroom Training Courses
Are you a teacher or a member of your school support staff wanting to do more teaching outside the classroom both in school and further afield. Are you looking for ways of improving your school grounds for learning and play? Are you a student teacher wanting to learn as much as you can about different ways of teaching? We can help! The Forestry Commission in partnership with Greenstone Design UK offers practical and informative courses for teachers, support staff and students on exactly these subjects.
Course dates are listed below and more courses will be available in the autumn and in 2011. Dates can be arranged well in advance to coincide with school INSET days.
EARLY YEARS
Courses are available for Early Years Practitioners working in nurseries and pre-schools. These are for whole staff groups from individual settings or for a group of practitioners from more than one setting. They can be run at Alice Holt or at a chosen setting.
Dates and course details will be arranged to suit.
PRIMARY
We've run a number of these courses and have had really positive responses from everyone who's attended. Here are some genuine comments made by delegates on our courses:
"It has been a super day....many ideas for inspiring children to use, enjoy and care for their environment" ." It has really inspired me to move forward with developing the outdoor space".
" One of the best things was being reminded that YOU CAN do things and they aren't too risky"
"I'm now much more confident about making links between activities outdoors and learning objectives"
" Thank you for a great day - very stimulating. Finding useful ideas and websites for improving the grounds was very helpful.
The course programme includes:
- a look at the reasons for learning outside the classroom in lesson time and through play
- reasons for improving school grounds, including the impact of climate change 
- links between everyday behaviour, climate change and the local environment
- ideas for simple improvements with a big impact
- hands-on experience of educational activities in the outdoors
- the role of off-site visits to woodland and other outdoor locations
- creative, cross-curricular, outdoor learning
Two 3 session twilight training courses are planned for:
Tuesday 15th, 22nd and 29th June and
Thursday 24th June, 1st and 8th July
Both courses take place from 4.30 to 6.30pm and delegates are advised to attend all three sessions to complete the course.
INSET days and twilight sessions for whole school staff can be arranged on dates to suit
SECONDARY GEOGRAPHY AND CITIZENSHIP
These courses are suitable for all geography teachers and will be especially valuable for non-specialist teachers of the subject. They will highlight the opportunities for study offered by local woodlands and other outdoor locations, including school grounds. There will 
also be advice on how to make simple improvements to school grounds to increase their educational value. Courses will take place over 2 days. One day will focus on subject study work and the other on school grounds so delegates will be able to choose to attend either one or both of the sessions. Geography specific aspects of the course will be led by Forestry Commission staff who are also qualified geography teachers.
INSET days and twilight sessions can be arranged on dates to suit
SPECIAL NEEDS
These courses are for teachers and support staff working with children who have special educational needs and physical disabilities in mainstream and special schools. They will consider how children with special needs can benefit from outdoor learning, particularly regular visits to woodland or other open space, and provide examples of activities to suit a wide range of abilities and special needs. Time will be spent in the woods taking part in some activities and learning about others. The development of school grounds to maximise their educational value and make them more accessible to pupils with disabilities will also be discussed.
INSET days and twilight sessions for whole school staff can be arranged on dates to suit
If you are interested in attending a training course at Alice Holt (as an individual or a whole school staff) or would like us to come to your school to run an INSET day please contact the Education Manager, Helen Wallace, on 01420 23666.
Student Teacher Placements
We're aware that many students are required to spend some of their time in alternative educational settings, away from mainstream schools. Alice Holt is an ideal location for your placement if you're interested in teaching outdoors, whether your focus is learning about the environment e.g. habitats or on learning in the outdoors e.g. orienteering and map work. We can offer an interesting and rewarding experience and are keen to develop this aspect of our work further. Please contact Helen Wallace on 01420 23666 if you or your students would be interested in a placement here.
