The whole of St Joseph's Catholic Primary School is very committed to outdoor learning therefore every class in the school has at least one designated outdoor learning session per week as well as outdoor learning being incorporated, as much as possible, into our everyday lessons. Outdoor learning is planned to enrich and enhance the children’s in-school learning experiences. This gives every pupil in the school the opportunity to enjoy and learn from our wonderful natural world on a regular basis. Children have the opportunities to learn specific outdoor skills. For example, using flint and steel to light fires to teach them about fire safety; respect for the environment, themselves and others; working within safe boundaries which they learn to recognise and manage themselves. As well as these regular experiences of the outdoor world, the school conducts special outdoor learning days allowing the children to collaborate and work with different children from different age groups in the outdoor environment.

As a school, we provide our pupils with opportunities to extend their outdoor learning beyond the school grounds. Our Year 4 pupils visit Whitby, where they embrace the coastal environment and apply the skills and knowledge developed through our Outdoor Learning curriculum. This provides children with a rich learning and life experience, while also giving them an opportunity to explore the local landscape, heritage and history in a meaningful, real-world context.

Outdoor Learning also takes place regularly within our own school grounds, enabling children to develop their skills progressively throughout their time at St Joseph’s.