At More House, we recognise the importance of equipping our students with the skills they need, not just in the classroom, but for life. Year 7 Park School is such an experience and allows each student to explore the wider world beyond the curriculum, in the outdoors, with a focus on developing relationships, building resilience and celebrating creativity.
Each year, Park School follows a theme and students have focused on activities centred around “Taking another Look” (June 2022) and “A Time to Grow” (October 2022). Through a series of carefully planned, pedagogically rich activities, each student had the opportunity to interpret this theme whilst learning in the outdoors.
I liked the fact that we used nature for art because it was really fun! I also enjoyed writing poems, hearing the ducks and really enjoyed the yoga.
Year 7 pupil
We keep these weeks of outdoor learning theme and activity based, rather than limited by subject names. Sessions have included:
- Reading under the Trees – a chance to read under the trees in Hyde Park
- Photo Scavenger Hunt – creative thinking activities involving phone photography skills
- Sounds of Nature – creating a soundtrack using natural sounds
- Growth in Nature – a series of growth mindset activities centred around natural themes and poetry
- A Picture is worth a Thousand Words – a series of activities encouraging the use of modern foreign languages to describe the park
- Walking and Talking – a walk to Speaker’s Corner ending with the opportunity to speak about the issues that are most important
- Hyde Park Naturally Growing – a range of activities including soil and water sampling
We cannot wait to see what next year’s Park School will involve!
