Pilgrim Academy embraces Learning Outside the Classroom

At Pilgrim Academy, education is no longer confined to four walls.

Teachers across the school have been embracing “Learning Outside the Classroom” (LOtC) with a commitment to include at least one such experience each week, and the impact is already being felt.

LOtC is a dynamic approach to teaching that uses places and experiences outside the traditional classroom setting to enrich student learning. From exploring school grounds and local parks to visiting heritage sites and welcoming visitors into the school, students are being given countless opportunities to make meaningful connections with the world around them.

It is evident that LOtC enhances academic achievement, nurtures personal development, and supports students’ health, well-being, and spiritual, moral, social, and cultural growth. With a focus on hands-on, experiential learning, it helps children grasp abstract concepts in a fun and memorable way. It also fosters curiosity, motivation, teamwork, and positive behaviour.

Staff have already begun sharing some of the exciting ways they’ve brought learning to life this term. Blue Whales brought drama outdoors, re-enacting The Trolls Song, a poem linked to their English reading. They took full advantage of the Quad’s purpose-built stage before performing their final pieces in the hall. Cygnets stepped into the role of larks for their poetry writing session. Taking to the playground, they imagined soaring skies, which inspired vivid vocabulary and imaginative verses.

Through practical play, Frogs have had a fantastic time in the outdoor classroom, working on their addition skills while collecting Autumn treasures. More recently, they also enjoyed a walk around the local environment, which encouraged lots of conversations about what they could see, especially when they spotted the local post lady!

Kingfishers tackled their KIRF (Key Instant Recall Facts) targets by heading outside to bond pairs of numbers to make 100. Even the wind added to the fun, sending their domino cards dancing across the playground! They also took their PSHE lesson outdoors, discussing online gaming before sharing all the other activities they enjoy.

Sea Stars investigated light and shadows in science. By observing how shadows moved both in the classroom and outdoors, they deepened their understanding of how light behaves. Swans enjoyed an energetic English lesson in the hall, mimicking the movements of different animals and describing their actions through rich, descriptive sentences. Swans also spent their Computing lesson in the hall making mazes for the BeeBots, which they programmed to travel around the maze they had designed. This really got them practising their problem-solving skills and they had great fun in the process!

Turtles became poets on stage, performing their own written verses in the open air of the Quad, embracing both creativity and confidence.

These are just the first examples of how LOtC is shaping the learning journey at Pilgrim Academy. With more activities and trips planned next term, students can look forward to an even richer, more engaging curriculum that connects learning with real-world experience.

Reflecting on the school’s approach, Principal Janine King said: “Learning Outside the Classroom has truly transformed the way our pupils engage with their subjects. When children are given the chance to explore, discover, and connect their learning to real life, they grow not just academically, but personally too. It’s wonderful to see the joy and confidence these experiences bring.”