At Hall Meadow, we believe learning outside and beyond the classroom is an essential component of holistic education, providing children with opportunities to engage in real-world experiences and practical experiences to add to their substantive and disciplinary knowledge. Experiences include:

1. Educational Visits

Educational visits offer children hands-on experiences in various settings, such as museums, historical sites, religious buildings nature reserves, and science centres. These trips can enhance learning by providing context and concrete examples of classroom concepts.

Examples:

• Visiting a museum or historical site to explore exhibits on important historical events or periods.
• Exploring a nature reserve to study ecosystems and biodiversity.
• Visiting a religious building to see how religions worship, utilise their buildings and recognise the similarities and differences between different religious buildings.

2. Outdoor Education

Outdoor education involves structured activities in natural settings, promoting physical health, teamwork, and environmental awareness. It can include hiking, forest school and outdoor sports.

Examples:

• Conducting a nature walk to identify local flora and fauna.
• Participating in team-building activities like orienteering and den building.
• Residential visits ( Year 4 and Year 6) to participate in a range of outdoor activities .

3. Visitors to school

Visitors are chosen to enrich the educational experience by providing children with fresh perspectives, expert knowledge, and inspiring stories. At Hall Meadow we invite a range of visitors to school including (but not limited to):

• Authors and Artists: Writers, musicians, and visual artists lead workshops and/or discuss their creative processes, encouraging children to explore their own creativity.
• Local Government Officials: Mayors and council members who support areas of learning in the school discuss civic responsibilities and how local government works.
• Police and Firefighters: These visitors can teach children about safety, the importance of their roles, and offer practical safety tips.
• Visitors of different faiths: These visitors share their beliefs, acts of worship and stories with the children through assemblies and bespoke workshops.
• Specialist educators: These are specialists in their field who deliver assemblies and workshops to children to supplement their class learning.