Natural Thinkers

 
Natural Thinkers has ten commitments:

1. Children have access to a range of natural areas and materials outside.

2. Children have opportunities to grow, pick and taste produce.

3. Children have access to gardening and digging.

4. Children care for their natural environment.

5. Children engage with the weather and seasons.

6. Children have opportunities to engage with wildlife.

7. Children have daily access to the outside.

8. Settings ensure no child is excluded from outdoor activities.

9. Settings ensure parents have opportunities to get involved with Natural Thinkers activities.

10. At least 1 member of staff must have attended Natural Thinkers training.

This year, we will be embedding these ten commitments into our weekly learning, bringing our broad and exciting curriculum to the natural environment.

To this end, we will be developing our outdoor learning environments, most especially in the EYFS and Key Stage One.

The children in Reception will be getting dirty in the mud kitchen, enjoying Muddy Mondays with their adults from home and learning in the Nature Garden each week.

Each class will be developing and looking after a raised bed, while year 6 will be supporting our endeavours to bring more wildlife to the school through their Bug Hotel and bird feeders.

The children will be visiting local areas, such as Brockwell Greenhouses, to foster their appreciation of the natural environment and learn more about different plants and how to look after them.

Mud Club will be starting in the warmer months as an extra-curricular activity and will enable the children to explore the natural resources and environment.

We are all excited about the launch of our Natural Thinkers programme and we are looking forward to seeing the children’s learning blossom even more as we move our learning outside.