Alfred Sutton
Primary School
We want our pupils to be motivated to live every day to the fullest; we take our responsibility to provide a wide range of enrichment opportunities very seriously. Our combined mission is to support pupils to:
We believe that our very wide range of opportunities, clubs and trips offer something for everyone.
Outdoor Learning
Intent:
At Alfred Sutton Primary School, we believe that learning does not need to always take place within the classroom, we recognise the value of fresh air and sunshine, both for physical and mental health, as well as the importance of our pupils experiencing a varied and progressive curriculum. We believe that it is important for our students to become more familiar with their immediate surroundings, to observe their local environment and to understand changes and why they happen.
We ensure that our pupils are given regular opportunities to experience high quality teaching across a variety of subject areas outdoors. They learn about their local environment and document their observations over time. They are taught to be respectful of the outdoor spaces and to look for inspiration in their surroundings. Outdoor Learning also gives us the opportunity to foster a collaborative and supportive learning environment and has been shown to raise self-esteem among pupils.
During their time at Alfred Sutton Primary School, our pupils are encouraged to find the learning opportunities in everything we do. Outdoor Learning helps create more real-life experiences for the students and increases those learning experiences.
Our aims:
• To take learning outside of the classroom and into the world around us
• To enable children to connect with and take pride in their local environment
• To promote physical and mental well-being
• To provide alternative ways of learning to the traditional classroom environment
• To increase collaborative working for all pupils and foster a supportive environment for all.
Eco education
We believe that learning about the environment, how we impact it and how we can help to preserve it is essential to enable our pupils to be the global citizens and leaders of tomorrow that we hope they will be. Our eco-learning curriculum encourages the children to connect with their environment, to ask questions about the world and to be both reflective about their own behaviours as well as exploring ways to help others.
We ensure that our pupils gain a thorough understanding and knowledge of both their local environment and the global environment. Pupils learn about the ways in which environments change and are altered, with particular emphasis on the rapid and dramatic changes that can be caused by humanity. They learn about the causes and challenges of global warming and how they can play a part in slowing and even reversing climate change.
During their time at Alfred Sutton Primary School, our pupils are equipped with the skills to make objective and reasoned decisions, individually and collaboratively. They are taught about their place in the world and understand how they contribute to the wider environment.
Our goals:
• To understand humanity’s place in the global eco-system
• To know how humanity’s actions and ways of life influence the environment
• To understand the threats, natural and man-made, to the health of the earth as we know it
• To know what can be done to help to maintain and improve the health of the environment
Sustainability
Sustainability can mean different things to different people and different organisations. Sustainable schooling is an important focus area for us. It encompasses all of the knowledge and skills our pupils need to grow, keep healthy and maintain and improve the environment.
We want to be a school that is actively involved in looking after both our school environment and the local area it serves. We want to set a green example.
Everyone has a part to play in making a difference…
We are proud to unveil our sustainability logo and slogan designed using original ideas from our pupils.
• A life-long acquisition of skills and knowledge that enables a person to make academic, personal and social progress, preparing pupils for the variety of challenges and obstacles they will encounter in their futures.
• The understanding and overcoming of societal problems, becoming a better global citizen and considering how our actions and inactions impact on the health and future of the world around us.
• Learning how to keep ourselves and others around us safe and nourished. It enables us to make positive, healthy choices and to consider the long-term effects of these decisions.
There are three distinct strands of learning under our umbrella of sustainable schooling: eco learning, outdoor learning and nutritional learning.