Outdoors

Helping our students find their potential

Interaction with nature in a planned and structured manner provides our children with an opportunity to expel energy and frustration in a new and productive way. It enables them to learn about the environment around them with hands-on experience and an element of fun. New challenges can become exciting, rather than frustrating, and change isn’t seen as the problem it can be in the confines of a classroom.

With this in mind we aim to access the local environment as much as possible giving children the opportunities to learn about the world from meaningful ‘real’ experiences. This may take the form of Forest School activities, Outdoor Education trips, Nature and Listening walks and simply playing in a different and new location.

Learning in an outdoor space often provides pupils with a new and exciting environment that encourages sensory, visual and therapeutic stimulation. Working within natural surroundings has been proven to benefit children who may find it difficult to settle and concentrate in a normal school routine. The variety and natural inspiration improves focus and cooperation with staff and peers.

Helping our students find their potential
 

During the Spring and Summer Term some KS2 students from Sandgate take part in weekly RDA sessions, affectionately known as ‘Ponies’. This has been a long term relationship with The RDA, Holmscales Riding Centre and Sandgate School. Children are assessed for eligibility through their Sensory Profile, encouraging children with high vestibular seeking needs, and those with hypo -sensitivity to movement, to take part in a structured movement session.

These sessions are hugely popular, and students quickly build relationships with their special pony. Along with helping vestibular regulation, the sessions also help build communication skills, and tolerance of outside places