1 Year 6 at
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2
Beach School
2 Recep ti on and Year 1
girls enjoying Forest Day
3 Year 5
exploring the coastline at West Kirby beach
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Where Learning Knows No Boundaries At Queen’s, we believe in the transforma ti ve power of outdoor learning. Our approach goes beyond tradi ti onal classroom boundaries, o ff ering opportuni ti es for our pupils to engage with the natural world. By immersing our girls in outdoor ac ti vi ti es, where they ac ti vely par ti cipate and take ownership, we cul ti vate a profound connec ti on to the world around them. OUTDOOR LEARNING
At the Lower School, our Beach School and Forest Days are an extremely popular part of our outdoor learning programme as the dynamic coastal and woodland environments encourage explora ti on, curiosity, and a deep connec ti on to nature. Through hands ‐ on ac ti vi ti es like scavenger hunts, ti de ‐ pooling, and beach clean ‐ ups, pupils develop not only academic skills, but also a heightened awareness and responsibility towards our planet, preparing them to become compassionate and environmentally ‐ conscious global ci ti zens. These programmes inspire a lifelong love for learning, nature, and the world around us, increasing the girls' knowledge and understanding, whilst importantly having lots of fun. Recep ti on had a wonderful ti me on their fi rst beach trip this year, as they searched the sand for interes ti ng treasures and were extremely excited to fi nd sea glass, sea po tt ery, pre tt y shells, and a mermaid’s purse. They returned to the beach with Year 1 and were tasked with working collabora ti vely to bring a story to life using resources provided by nature, showcasing their crea ti vity and teamwork. Year 1 also enjoying making use of metal detectors to see if they could fi nd any metals under the sand and using their scien ti fi c knowledge to discuss the materials. Year 2 took up the role of palaeontologists, digging for fossils and signs of dinosaur life. They also recreated 1666 London out of sand, using pebbles, shells, and other materials at their disposal. Year 3 imagined being transported back to the Stone Age, searching the beach for resources that might provide them food, water, warmth, or shelter, before crea ti ng imagina ti ve cave ‐ pain ti ngs in the sand. Year 4 applied their new knowledge of river features to iden ti fy streams, tributaries, meanders, the main channel, and the mouth of the River Dee on their trip; Year 5 took an alterna ti ve approach, as they walked from West Kirby beach to Hilbre Island and took part in a workshop on how to accurately use compasses. Finally, Year 6 enjoyed showing their apprecia ti on for the environment, including all it has taught them throughout their ti me at Lower School, by
carrying out a thor ‐ ough beach clean. They then fi nished o ff the day by showing o ff their understanding of the Ancient Mayans by designing and building ci ti es from natural resources. The end of spring term sees the start of our popular Forest Days. Recep ti on par ti cularly enjoyed making use of the woodland environment in their maths lessons; collec ti ng a variety of resources and sor ti ng them into categories, while keeping count of how many they had. They were joined by Year 1, where they delighted in playing a variety of circle games that fostered teamwork, before venturing into some explora ti on and free play, learning amidst the natural surroundings that the forest provides. Year 2 u ti lised their crea ti ve skills as they made tree trunk sprites out of clay, using fl owers and foliage to bring their sprites to life. Year 3 and 5 enjoyed taking advantage of the woodland environment during their Forest Days, as they worked in teams to build their own free ‐ standing shelters, demonstra ti ng some great teamwork and crea ti vity skills throughout. S’mores around the camp fi re are always a highlight for the girls, fun ac ti vi ti es that boost their con fi dence and self ‐ esteem without them even realising.
Year 2 pupils crea ti ng images in the sand
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