Spennymoor School Pupils Enjoying More Outdoor Learning Time Thanks To New Forest School Funding

Pupils at a County Durham school for young people with learning disabilities are spending more time learning in the open air thanks to a four-figure grant from a regional employer.

The Oaks Secondary School in Spennymoor has included a Forest School initiative in its curriculum for the last five years, with pupils spending classroom time learning a range of new skills outdoors and building their connection with the natural environment. 

The positive learning outcomes, impacts on pupils’ behaviour and feedback from families has led the school to look at ways in which it could extend the Forest School option to include more of its pupils. 

And now, the Friends Of The Oaks School, a registered charity which provides social activities for pupils at the school and their families, has secured a £2,000 grant from the Banks Group which will pay for the new equipment and resources needed to expand its outdoor learning programme.

The new equipment includes boots, hats, gloves, stoves and outdoor suits, while the grant will also cover the additional teacher time required to run the extended project.

Celebrating its 20^th anniversary this year, The Oaks Secondary School offers a diverse and enriched curriculum for over 340 pupils and has been rated as outstanding in each of its last four OFSTED assessments.

The school provides a number of different class models which ensure that individual pupils’ learning needs are met with respect to their different physical and learning disabilities.

Anna Nixon, who leads the Forest School project at the Oaks School, says: “Our Forest School includes a wide range of different activities, from creating shelters, foraging and making food through to tree identification, campfire safety and making bird feeders. 

"Pupils get a real sense of pride from the skills they learn and the tasks they complete through their outdoor learning offering and we often find that those who sometimes exhibit the most challenging behaviours in the classroom can be the most engaged when working outdoors.

“Our aim is to promote physical wellbeing and good social interactions while developing pupils’ life skills and giving them the chance to gain a bit more independence in a supportive environment, and the feedback we get from both pupils and their families shows just how valuable outdoor learning is to everyone.

“We’ve been keen to expand what we offer outdoors for some time, but with educational budgets remaining very stretched, it’s not something we’ve been able to afford to do until now.

“The funding that the Banks Group has provided will make a huge impact on the Forest School opportunities we’re able to provide and we’re really grateful that they’ve chosen to support us.”

Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: "The Oaks School team provides a wonderful learning environment in which its students have the very best opportunities to build their skills, knowledge and self-esteem.

“The educational and personal benefits of outdoor learning are well recognised and we’re very pleased to be able to help the Oaks School further enhance the opportunities it can provide for its pupils.”

The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).

Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project who is interested in applying for funding from the Banks Community Fund should contact the company via its website enquiry form (www.banksgroup.co.uk/contact-us/) to find out if their group or project is eligible.