Learning Outside the Classroom
Using his own personal experience of creating adaptive, accessible, and progressive outdoor programmes, Ben consults both primary and secondary schools on their own implementation of learning outside the classroom encounters.
To maximise the positive impact that outdoor experiences have upon students, the Outdoor Education Advisor’s Panel have recommended that students in schools should have access to frequent, continual, and progressive experiences of outdoor learning.
Over the last few years, there has been a growing body of evidence that supports the value of the ‘outdoors’ in terms of a students’ development. In Ofsted’s 2008 report “Learning outside the classroom: How far should you go?” they recognised that: ‘When planned and implemented well, learning outside the classroom contributed significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and emotional development’.
Through Ben's current role at King Edward VI, King’s Norton School for Boys as Head of Outdoor Education and Educational Visit Co-ordinator (EVC), Ben has created and implemented a bespoke and progressive outdoor adventure programme designed to impart core life skills in the students by having fun outside of the classroom.
Ben's ever-growing portfolio of potential outdoor activities provide the students with opportunities to develop crucial skills that they will need now, perhaps more than ever, to survive and thrive once they leave school and go on to the next stage in their lives.
