{"id":23283,"date":"2023-02-06T13:09:21","date_gmt":"2023-02-06T12:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=23283"},"modified":"2023-02-09T09:36:38","modified_gmt":"2023-02-09T08:36:38","slug":"shore-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/2023\/02\/06\/shore-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Shore start"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Students at Embleton Primary School lie in a circle around the sand artwork they created with Soul2Sand during their weekly beach-school outing<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Shore start<\/h2>\n\n

Once a week, all year round, a group of lucky children from Northumberland swap their classroom for a day on the beach. This natural setting provides a great way to learn, writes Caro Giles<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Photos: Jason Friend<\/p>\n\n

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The children are taught a wide range of subjects, including maths, literature and history, while engaging with the marine landscape. In the distance, at the southern end of Embleton Bay, lies 14th-century Dunstanburgh Castle, a striking example of coastal fortifications<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

For most of the year, Embleton Bay is almost deserted, a magical curve of sand on the edge of the world. When you approach from the dunes, the crunch of sea-scraping sand hits you first, and the marram grass slaps your legs. Pearly shells litter the path and oystercatchers erupt into the air as the skies unfold. <\/p>\n\n

The dunes drop away on to the beach and you are greeted with a clear stretch of glossy sand burning orange under the sun, licked by dancing waves that froth and churn. If you are lucky, a black head will be bobbing in the water, the whiskery face of a seal. Further out, beyond the ancient rocks below Dunstanburgh Castle, dolphins flick spray into the air, arching their gleaming bodies like rainbows. <\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

This is where the pupils of Embleton Primary School come every Friday \u2013 to learn. Pulling on waterproofs and wellies, 53 children, aged from three to 11 years, walk down the hill towards the sand dunes. \u201cIt\u2019s my favourite day of the week,\u201d seven-year-old Mia tells me. In all weathers, the children, along with seven teachers and learning support assistants, cover topics as diverse as electricity and fractions, as the beach is dotted with high-vis jackets and squeals of excitement float over the rocks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

FRESH-AIR APPROACH <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The beach school is part of an outdoor learning movement that has grown in popularity since the 1990s, when forest school provision became more widely available. The Institute for Outdoor Education describes the importance of outdoor learning in enabling children and young people to form sustainable self-led relationships with the natural environment, and engage more effectively with education to benefit from better health and wellbeing. Beach schools are a relatively new initiative; international training organisation Forest Schools Education developed the first accredited beach school training for teachers over 10 years ago. <\/p>\n\n

Staff employ a range of teaching methods, from more traditional written work to creating number sentences in the sand with sticks. Embleton Primary School headteacher Nicola Threlfall says the first thing she looks at when planning a unit of work is which learning objectives could be better suited to delivery outdoors. The children are less inhibited outside, she explains, so teachers consider how they can use the beach and its surroundings, offering outdoor learning linked to the curriculum.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Classes are held in the marram-grass dunes and on the sand, as the children observe the natural world <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Five-year-old Arthur tells me he loved making porridge on the beach, part of a series of activities linked to the story Goldilocks <\/em>and <\/em>the <\/em>Three <\/em>Bears. <\/em>Marley, aged six, says: \u201cI love writing at the beach because we have to look and listen to everything around us and describe it.\u201d It is this exposure to the outside world that seems to inspire the children\u2019s imagination, whether that be re-enacting the Viking landings or exploring <\/span>Beowulf.<\/em><\/p>\n\n

Sometimes the environment itself does the teaching \u2013 Nicola explains there are huge benefits to giving children the opportunity to just \u2018be\u2019, especially for those children who struggle with sensory processing or have additional social and emotional needs. Watching the waves, lying on the sand feeling the wind and sun on their faces, rolling down sand dunes or listening to the sounds are all an essential part of the beachschool experience, enabling children to explore, test their own limits and understand their place in their environment. <\/p>\n\n

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Pupils come to care for the species that rely on this coastal habitat <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Initially supported by Mudlarks, a local beach-school provider, the staff are now confident in their own delivery of outdoor sessions and it has become an integral part of the curriculum offered by the school. The children\u2019s understanding around safety on the beach is crucial, and rules are reinforced at each session.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Bridie Melkerts, beach school leader at Mudlarks, tells me the beach strengthens the children\u2019s connection with nature. She loves to share her enthusiasm and enjoyment of the natural world with them, pointing out the first swallows or discussing what might have happened to a dead guillemot. <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

POEMS BY PUPILS <\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

What Is The Beach To Me? <\/strong><\/em>
As time flies by, the sun shines brighter
Every step of the way the waves ring in my ears as they crash to the shore
The cold sea sings to the beating waves of the people walking past
Dogs run their mighty paws over the soft sand
Roaring their songs to their owners, hearts pounding
The rocks stand eroded by the salty sea, a habitat for wondrous creatures
Birds catching their prey, ripping them and feasting on their guts and bones
That\u2019s what the beach is to me.
Summer-Rose (year 5) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Question Poem, inspired by Man On The Beach by Joshua Siegel <\/strong><\/em>
Boat on the sea
Where is it sailing?
How long will it take to get there?
Why is it moving so slowly?
Has it come from far away?
Where has it been?
Is it sinking?
Why has it got smoke come out?
Flo (year 2) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandy, Rocky, Busy <\/strong><\/em>
The waves crash into the smooth sand
The people strut along the beach like fancy cats
But still she smiles. Arthur (year 5) <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deadly, Loud, Waves <\/strong><\/em>
As the water crashes on the rocks and leaves prints in the sand <\/span>
As the breeze shivers my bones and cold shoulders inside me <\/span>
The mist comes off the waves and into the air <\/span>
But it\u2019s still blissful. <\/span>
Thomas (year 5)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

BUILDING STAMINA <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

There\u2019s no denying the privileged position Embleton School is in \u2013 the beach is within walking distance of the school gates. It\u2019s one kilometre down the hill and another one back up that can prove challenging for little legs. Older students are paired with younger ones and it\u2019s clear that the children do become more resilient outdoors, with Lexi, aged nine exclaiming: \u201cI\u2019m not scared of the wind or the rain, we are outside in the elements!\u201d Nicola confirms that the noticeable improvement in the children\u2019s stamina and fitness levels is one of the main advantages of the beach school.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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The children are attentive and focused while listening to stories and learning about tidal erosion and local geography<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

During the winter months in Northumberland, the weather can be challenging. Sand blows in ripples across the beach and gulls are tossed about on snarling waves. I wonder how the children cope with the biting north winds, but Nicola says they like to get the kids out on the beach in all weather. If it\u2019s raining, they head to the bird hide; when it\u2019s cold, the kids warm up by doing more physical activities. The staff take hand-warmers and hot drinks to share and a stock of warm clothing. On warmer days, they sit on picnic tables outside to enjoy their lunch. <\/p>\n\n

For students living in urban locations, access to nature can prove more of a problem. Although these pupils are more likely to walk to school, local authority budgets have been slashed in recent years, having a direct impact on parks that are vital in terms of accessible outdoor space. I spoke to Harriet Menter, education manager at Scotswood Garden, a charity in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, who explains that many children do not have gardens, green spaces at school, or access to welcoming green spaces nearby, and their parents lack the means to access spaces further afield. Some schools run forest schools in their own grounds, but few urban schools have a space that is suitable. Many make use of community gardens, local parks and nature reserves. With charities like these playing such a valuable role in offering education outside, there\u2019s no doubt that an increase in beach schools around Britain\u2019s coastline would benefit schools and families.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

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Wearing high-vis jackets for identification and safety, the students brave the beach in all weathers, moving around to stay warm on cold and windy days<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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Young students run under a colourful parachute as the teachers lift it high to let it bluster in the wind. The beach offers a vast playground for the children, who relish the freedom of being outdoors and benefit from fresh sea air and exercise, in the form of fun educational games <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
NATURAL EDUCATION <\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

There is value to be found in online resources, too, in terms of engaging children and fostering an interest in our beaches. During lockdown, the students at Embleton enjoyed a virtual session with the Rock Pool Project, a social enterprise based in Cornwall that encourages people of all ages to discover marine life found around the UK coast. It was a huge hit with the children, who excitedly called out \u201cBingo!\u201d as they spotted hermit crabs and starfish crawling out from the seaweed. The concept of the rock pool as a microcosm of the ocean, an alien world, is irresistible. <\/p>\n\n

Embleton Primary School is demonstrating how successful outdoor learning can be. With support, investment and confidence, can more schools mould the curriculum to include regular time outside for their students? Whether it\u2019s building ponds, planting seeds, watching birds or investigating the weather, time in the natural world needs to be accessible for children wherever they live. The pandemic has taught us that nature is everywhere and it is our responsibility to care for it. One of the students tells me that \u201cnature helps us learn in new ways\u201d \u2013 and perhaps that is precisely the point. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n
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<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Caro Giles, as Caro Fentiman, won BBC Countryfile Magazine<\/em>\u2019s New Nature Writer of the Year in 2021. Her book Twelve Moons: A Year Under a Shared Sky<\/em> is out now (Harper North, \u00a314.99).

<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

OUTDOOR SCHOOLS NEAR YOU <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Visit the Forest School Association website to find a local provider. forestschoolassociation.org<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>
\u2022 Forest Schools Education offers a Beach School Training course. forestschools.com<\/a> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are beach-school providers around the UK. Some are listed below: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Lancashire lancswt.org.uk\/beach-school<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>
\u2022 Mudlarks, Northumberland mudlarksoutdoors.com<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>
\u2022 The Rock Pool Project, Cornwall therockpoolproject.co.uk<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>
\u2022 Northern Ireland beachschoolsni.com<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>
\u2022 Wales beachacademywales.com\/education<\/a> <\/strong><\/span>
\u2022 Scotland littlegreenexplorers.com\/outdoornurseries-in-scotland\/<\/a> <\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

Photos: Claire Eason<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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