The great outdoors is one big learning adventure for children at St Nicholas at Wade CE Primary.
As part of the school’s ongoing eco-awareness, Year 2 visited Monkton Nature Reserve to add a new insight to their Wriggle and Crawl topic where they delve into the fascinating world of mini-beasts.
They explored the lush surroundings, uncovering various insects and learning about their habitats.
Head Teacher Taralee Kennedy said: “The hands-on experience is a really effective way for the children to connect with nature and understand the importance of these tiny creatures in our ecosystem.
“Their smiles as they discovered slugs, spiders, worms and more were truly priceless. Once again, a big thank you goes to all the staff at Monkton for making our trip so memorable.”
St Nicholas has strong ties with the reserve and classes visit it throughout the year, helping with their conservation projects as well as enhancing their science learning.
This is part of a bigger school aim to address the nature deficit facing children today.
Mrs Kennedy explained: “We continue to drive outdoor learning across the school. For example, our gardening club members have a number of projects they are working on.
“This includes caring for our pond area with its insect homes and pond life, helping maintain the allotments, planting plants and shrubs around school as well as thinking about how to look after the wildlife.
“We were also proud to take part in the RSPB’s big bird watch – identifying birds and logging them so that the charity can monitor the population of rarer birds.”
St Nicholas also holds an Earth Afternoon where all year groups take part in a range of activities on the playing field that included planting seeds, making bug hotels, threading Cheerio cereal for bird feeders, mini-beast hunting, log slice drilling and decorating, and creating nature journey hats and bracelets.
Sustainability initiatives include developing ‘wild areas’ to help boost the bee population, while Recycling Week results in hundreds of items, such as batteries and soft plastics, being diverted from landfills.
The school’s ongoing sustainability and environmental responsibility led to a top eco honour when it received the silver Wilder Kent Award last autumn; and Outdoor Lead Abigail Hall recently delivered important staff training on how to use the outdoors to enhance learning across the curriculum.
Mrs Kennedy added: “The benefits of outdoor learning and engaging with nature are numerous both for gaining knowledge and well-being.
“Our aim is to encourage our children to develop a passion for the outdoors that will endure in to their adult lives.”
