Maddiston Primary School in Scotland received Froebel Trust funding to develop their whole school approach to outdoor play.
Project Summary
The educators at this primary school in Falkirk aimed to develop children's outdoor play experiences in their setting by providing staff with additional training on outdoor play.
The main aspect of Froebelian practice which the school hoped to develop was the quality of the children's outdoor play experiences.
Prior to the project, the children had (on average) 4 experiences throughout the year to be outdoors, learning in the community. Within the school day, the doors were sometimes open for free flow play (mainly during the spring and summer terms).
The school's teachers were aware of the benefits of outdoor play opportunities, but were not sure how they could offer increased time and space for children to play and explore outside.
The school identified that teachers lacked the confidence needed to provide children with more play opportunities outdoors. The school staff felt they would be empowered if they received high quality training.
The school were keen to include regular wooded walks in their provision - and bought clothing resources for classes to do this. However, these were not being used to maximise outdoor learning opportunities - as staff feel they don't yet have the necessary qualifications and skills.
A Froebel Trust grant enabled the staff to be trained and to develop a whole school approach to outdoor play at Maddiston Primary School.
Read the final report from this project published in September 2024.
FT Final Report Developing outdoor opportunities as part of continuous provision
Children and nature
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