As part of the holistic education we offer at Bicker, time spent outdoors is very important. Right from entry into the Nursery School adventures out of doors in our own Environmental Area are a key part of learning. Nursery children have their own wellingtons which they keep in school so that they are always ready for a country walk, splashing in puddles, running through leaves, jumping in the snow. As the children move from the Foundation stage through KS1 and into KS2, the Environmental Area is a place where their knowledge and understanding of the world and of science can be tried out and developed. We are able to use the Environmental Area throughout the year to observe the changing seasons. These experiences enable the children to create their own poetry, music and art, based on their own discoveries of the world around them.
- Spring Time:
In spring we see a wide variety of wild flowers emerging in the woodland area. It is not unusual to see children lying in the long grass among the silver birches looking at the cowslips. They soon discover that they are not like other flowers. They are able to discover for themselves that some of the cowslips are female, with just a stigma, and others are male with only anthers inside the flower. The children are amazed at their new findings and then can use flower identification books to find out more. - Summer Time:
In summer, the children love to smell the fragrance of the climbing roses and admire the camellias in the garden areas. Children enjoy measuring the bracket fungus week by week. The fungi grow as large as dinner plates on the tree trunks lying in the grass. The children begin to realise that fungi grows where it is damp and where the log is decaying. KS2 pupils have woven willow branches to make a seat in amongst the trees. A few years on, this is a living structure and a lovely place in which to sit and consolidate their learning.- Autumn Time:
In autumn, the horse chestnut trees yield their harvest of conkers for the children to collect. The leaves change colour and autumn walks help us to appreciate the beauty around us. The younger children enjoy treasure trails, hunts for the teddy bear, climbing, finding out about fruit and vegetables and undertaking various craft activities outside. - Winter Time:
In winter, the trees provide interesting shapes to draw. The children begin to identify the different trees from their skeletal shape. We can wonder together as to where the squirrels, hedgehogs, birds and insects are hiding in the garden. Then, there is the magic of the snow with the hush it brings to the village. Our children all have happy memories of building gigantic snowmen, staff and children working together in the snow. All areas of the curriculum are enhanced by lessons outdoors. Our chidren appreciate nature all around them and watch the seasons bringing changes to the landscape.
