To read the latest from the Natural Connections team, just click here.
This is the summary of their 3-year project funded by Natural England:
“Children from 125 schools across the South West on England are happier, healthier and more motivated to learn thanks to a new project commissioned by Natural England that has turned the outdoors into a classroom and helped schools transform ways of teaching. The findings have been released today by the Natural Connections Demonstration project, a four-year initiative to help school children – particularly those from disadvantaged areas – experience the benefits of the natural environment by empowering teachers to use the outdoors to support everyday learning. The project, which is funded by Natural England, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Historic England and delivered by Plymouth University, is the largest project of its kind in England and has already helped more than 40,000 primary and secondary school pupils get out of their classrooms and into the outdoors – whether that’s a maths lesson in a local park or drama out on the school field.”
A full copy of the report of the findings can be downloaded here, and an 11-minute film has been produced about the project and includes contributions from teachers and pupils talking about their experience.