Aim (Intent)

At Holy Family School, we work closely with the organisation, LOtC (Learning Outside of the Classroom and Beyond).  In the past, we held the Silver Quality Mark from the Council for Learning Outside of the Classroom.  This is because we are committed to helping all of our children to thrive in National Curriculum areas beyond the classroom walls.  This means that our children work out of the classroom to access wider learning in our school grounds, within our school building, with internal visits, by ,linking up online to external providers and through external visits and residentials.  Indeed, during the Covid lockdown in schools, we had a visit from the Braintree and Witham Times, to cover the way we had chosen to work safely with the children of key workers.  On the parent page of our website there are parental feedback messages received at this time and throughout the time their child has been educated at Holy Family School.

How do we do this?

The LOtC have gathered much research to suggest that children learn find learning inspiring and positive when it happens beyond their classroom.  For example, children can learn to use adjectives to describe a setting in their story writing, if they spend time in that setting.  Therefore, time spent in our woodland area can inspire writing.  Exploring the nature garden and discovering mini beasts will generate a greater understanding of habitats in science.  Learning to read Ordinance Survey map symbols will feed an enquiring geographer’s mind.  Setting up practical orienteering within our school grounds can be expanded off site.  We link up with the Essex Country Parks to facilitate this. 

We invite established visitors in to talk to the children so that the children connect with the wider community.  These visitors include religious visitors, CAFOD, Witham Foodbank, local authors, Witham Librarians, RSPB volunteers, and a local bee keeper to name but a few.  We also try to link up with specialists and experts in curricular areas who come in to teach or to provide a rich on site 'trip' experience.  These include Mrs Ruddock, our music specialist, Stephen from Victrix, a historical visitor and Adrian Hall, an outdoor learning expert and explorer.  In addition to this, we link virtually with many organisations, which enable our children to receive an enriched learning experience and an ability to connect with the wider community and wider world.  During Science Week for example, we linked up with Essex Farmers so that children could follow live events on the farm.  We are committed to educating children about sustainability and caring for our natural world and all of our virtual work connects to our commitment to Laudato Si, the message communicated to us from Pope Francis. 

We constantly review and refresh our approach to learning outside of the classroom and currently, we have been creating a Forest School and providing training for staff, to enable our children to have increased  enriching learning opportunities and to develop a  growing connection with nature.  The feedback from our children is very positive.

All learning requires a lot of work with children to support memory recall and deepening understanding in a subject area.  At Holy Family School, our current target modern foreign language is Spanish.  Using our vocabulary in active games to play ‘human bingo’ enables our children to hold onto their language acquisition and develop further.

Studying shadows in a real life setting outside and using measuring skills, embeds learning in science within the topic of Light.  Children nurture and harvest our own ‘home grown’ vegetables.  Sowing seeds and caring for plants, not only generates a greater understanding of germination but then meeting our visiting bee keeper, opens up a greater understanding of pollination. 

Our staff aim to take learning outside if the delivery of curricular areas can be as good or even better in the natural environment.  In addition, we move beyond the school grounds.  Our local area study involves a trip to Witham library, a talk about local history, field work to look at land use, an exploration of the water cycle and more.  We link our off-site trips to our curricular areas.  This could involve studying rocks with the RHS geology expert at Hyde Hall or making Saxon soup in Danbury Park.  It may also involve climbing the historic stairways at Layer Marney Tower.  Experiencing different periods through re-enactments supports our learners.  Taking part in District Sports to represent the school at a higher level in athletics is just one other way to excel outside at Holy Family School.

How does this help our children?

At Holy Family School, we are committed to the health and well-being of all children.  The natural environment enables children to experience learning at a different level.  This can have a very positive impact on a child.  Happiness and well-being are the essential ingredients to help a young mind thrive.  We continually re-visit what we are doing and are informed by our children.  They have told us that learning outside helps them to learn and feel more relaxed.  We know, as educators, that this promotes a positive growth mindset, integral to thriving during the primary years.

As a result of the positive feedback received from our staff and children, we are currently embarking on a journey to bring Forest School to Holy Family School.  This is evolving and we hope it will enable children to become happy, resilient individuals, open to learning a range of new skills in nature.

FOREST SCHOOL AT HOLY FAMILY SCHOOL

September 2025:  Welcome back everyone after the summer holidays.  Please look out for messages from your class teacher regarding your Forest School time.  As always, please come in prepared for all weathers; long sleeved tops, long bottoms, a warm layer such as a fleece, waterproof trousers if you have them, waterproof coat, Wellington boots, gloves and hat as required.  Remember we have a spare clothing and footwear store.  Please ask Mrs Buet and we can help out.

We are looking forward to the all the joys of the end of our wonderful summer and the beginning of autumn.

Learning Outside of the Classroom and Beyond

At Holy Family School, your class teacher may also take your curricular learning outside to enhance and nurture your understanding across a range of subjects.  For example, learning to write poetry is joyful when we can experience our senses at work outside.  Learning about living things comes alive to us when we can see and experience the habitats that God's creatures choose to live in.  This is called outdoor learning and the Council for Learning Outside of the Classroom have awarded us Silver and Gold certificates in the past to recognise our commitment in this area.