Oakwood Primary School services the families in the beautiful beach-side suburbs of Madora Bay and San Remo, as well as parts of Meadow Springs, and is located just north of Mandurah, WA. Our foundation year in 2018 catered for 119 Kindergarten and Pre-Primary students in demountable classrooms on the school site, and we had the privilege of watching our school emerge throughout the construction phase, ready for students up to Year 6 to commence this year.

Currently we have more than 450 students; a number which grows every week. Our vision ‘Children are the heart of our school’ will always guide every decision we make and as we continue to establish our pedagogical identity through the structures, processes, and approaches to be implemented and embedded, we routinely ask the question of ‘Why?’ and ‘Is there a better way?’ Research and evidence took us in the direction of a blended approach in Early Childhood Education that effectively mixes intentional play with the explicit instruction of early literacy and numeracy concepts and understandings.

Inspired by the Walker Learning Approach, and with the appointment of highly motivated and outstanding practitioners, who align with the vision, our teachers and education assistants create, and continue to grow, a school environment that sparks joy, interest, and instils a love of learning. The importance of play is echoed throughout the primary years with the promotion of inquiry learning through hands-on approaches and rich, relevant learning experiences that value child agency and voice. Establishing a positive school culture remains a priority and utilising the vehicle of the FISH! Philosophy, Oakwood Primary School has quickly become the hub of the community.

The importance of outdoor learning and play spaces that engage students is evident throughout the school. In our ECE areas all K-2 classrooms make maximum use of verandah, grassed and garden areas as investigation stations that allow the students explore and learn through play. Outdoor learning provides a unique environment for learning that appeals to many students and in turn increases their engagement with the curriculum content.

The school grounds are inviting and engaging during lunch and recess times, with a wide variety of play options available to all students (K-6); from tinkering to dramatic play, block construction to collage, sporting games to reading areas, and beyond. We promote care and respect for the outdoor learning environment through visual displays of expectations and pictures of how spaces should look when reset at the conclusion of the play. An abundance of resources allows all students the chance to access areas of interest and engage in play with peers who share these interests, regardless of age. As we grow we are looking to establish an edible garden that will provide another dimension of outside learning opportunity and enjoyment.

Outdoor Classroom Day celebrates the importance and benefits of learning in the outside environment, a concept that is highly valued at Oakwood Primary School. The outdoor learning environment supports student learning in curriculum areas as well as their social and emotional development as they practise problem-solving, discovery, team-work, creative thinking and resilience.

The interactions and discussions between students has been one aspect that we as a school have found significant value in as feedback for curriculum learning, with students sharing their understandings with each other, challenging misconceptions, justifying their own understandings and critically thinking about concepts. Additionally, the language development that naturally comes from play is outstanding and providing space for students to do this by effectively utilising outside spaces adds significant value to our learning programs.

One of our teachers, Mrs Jo Hanson presented the proposal of Oakwood Primary School’s participation in Outdoor Classroom Day 2018 early in the school year. Overwhelmingly our staff were in full support of this day and collaboratively planned the events, experiences and learning that would form the ‘menu’ of the day. That very afternoon the staff were in full agreeance that this was to be a permanent fixture on our yearly calendar and we are eagerly looking forward to our Outdoor Classroom Day in 2019.

Outdoor Classroom Day 2018 at Oakwood PS saw our kindergarten and pre-primary students engage with learning experiences of:

• Fresh flower and calico art
• Citric scents
• Nature bracelets
• Mud painting
• Playdough and plants
• Leaf rubbing
• Loose parts play
• Bugs and slime
• Nature spray art
• Sun catchers
• Planting and gardening
• The ‘Wonder of worms’
•  Sky gazing meditation

 

In 2019 we are looking to expand on the opportunities for our students from kindergarten to Year 6 to engage in a day of outdoor learning on November 7.

The vast majority of our classrooms use outdoor spaces everyday as part of the learning environment. From investigation areas in ECE through to reading under a tree in the upper classes the importance and positive impact of learning outside is evident. Immersing students in the outdoors not only at play times, but also during learning blocks, not only increases engagement, but also promotes a love for being outside, which is crucial for this generation of technology-driven children.

In our experience we have found that learning in the outside areas promotes exploration and engagement by learning through play. The outside areas are an extension of the classroom learning environments in terms of structure, but add a unique experience that is highly valued. The size of the areas allows for a maximum of four students at a time and this ensures that students can access the resources and fully engage in the play without needing to ‘spectate’ or become disengaged. Small groups promote teamwork, creative thinking and problem solving skills and students love nothing more than to share their ‘discoveries’ and leaning with the rest of the class.

Oakwood Primary School will continue to grow the opportunities for play and learning in the outside environment as part of our priority focus. We are strategically planning, resourcing and funding this, both in ECE and primary, to ensure we are providing the range of experiences that continue to engage all our students and cater for a wide variety of interests. The natural environment within the school grounds is establishing and as this grows so too will our interaction with it.

We are advocates for outside learning and absolutely love being involved with Outdoor Classroom Day through Nature Play WA.

The Outdoor Classroom Day Team would like to thank Oakwood Primary School for sharing their story with us.  The teachers even made their very own Outdoor Classroom Day shirts!  You can download a high resolution version of our logo to make your own!

 

WANT TO SHARE YOUR OUTDOOR CLASSROOM DAY STORY WITH THE WORLD?

If you’ve previously taken part in Outdoor Classroom Day, you’ve probably got some great stories to share – and we’d love to hear them!
To be featured in our Outdoor Classroom Story section on our website, please tell us a bit more about your school, and your participation in previous Outdoor Classroom Day campaigns.

SHARE YOUR STORY

 

Is your school or early learning centre signed up?  Register today to show your commitment to outdoor play and learning!