Learning Opportunities Outside the Classroom

Extending the Boundaries of Learning & “Learning Outside the Classroom"

Meridian Trust’s Vision for Extending the Boundaries of Learning:

‘…Meridian Trust provide a breadth of experience through the curriculum and beyond, including an entitlement for all students to educational visits and other activities that enhance and extend the curriculum, including providing a range of opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural education that instils the values of the trust and society more widely…’(Meridian Trust Extending the Boundaries of learning )

Here at Sharnbrook we fully embrace Meridian Trust vision of ‘Extending the Boundaries of Learning’ and ‘Learning outside the classroom’ and encourages, commits and promotes these values through participating in local, national and international trips and visits through bringing in speakers, visiting national museums and participating in many events.  We also encourage outdoor lessons in many subject areas and participate in competitions within the trust, locally and nationally. 

We are really excited that Sharnbrook Academy has recently gained the Silver Mark from the Learning Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.  This award recognises the work the school does to ensure that we extend the Boundaries of all learners. 

We continue to work with Council for Learning Outside the Classroom to ensure that we expand our offer to include many of the activities below:

Key Trust policies which identify Outdoor Learning are:

• Extending the Boundaries of learning (Click here for statement of Principles)
• Teaching and Learning (Click here for Teaching and Learning Policy)

What is Outdoor Learning and how does this Extend the Boundaries of Learning? 

‘…outdoor learning encourages children and young people to engage with their natural and built heritage and brings a host of benefits in terms of health and wellbeing. The outdoors also provides excellent opportunities to use a wide range of skills and abilities…’ (Curriculum for Excellence)

‘…Outdoor Learning is a broad term that includes discovery, experimentation, learning about and connecting to the natural world, and engaging in environmental and adventure activities. Outdoor Learning involves the transformation of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors through direct engagement with the outdoor environment for the personal and social benefit of individuals, families, society and the planet. Purposeful experiences in the outdoors can be a catalyst for powerful and memorable learning…’ (English Outdoor Council)

‘…Outdoor Learning can provide a dramatic contrast to the indoor classroom. Direct experience outdoors is more motivating and has more impact and credibility. Through skilled teaching, interpretation or facilitation, outdoor experiences readily become a stimulating source of fascination and personal growth…’ (Institute for Outdoor Learning).

From September 2022 Sharnbrook Academy have run a variety of off-site trips and visits to provide 2,153 experiences for Learning Outside the Classroom. An example of some of the experiences include: residential trips to Aberdovey, Blue Peris Mountain Centre, Exchange trips to Spain and Germany, Skiing in Austria, Business and Media conferences in Paris, Law trip to London, Biology fieldwork in Norfolk, Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh expeditions as well as day trips to Grafham Water Centre, Kempston Outdoor Centre and numerous theatre visits.

As a member of Meridian trust we also subscribe to the Trust wide PLEDGES programme and more information on this can be found here: Sharnbrook Pledges commitment or by clicking the page entitled PLEDGES.  Currently 49% of Year 8 students, 41% of Year 9 students, 42% of Year 1-0 students and 35% of Year 11 students have achieved their Bronze PLEDGES with a total of 27 students having already achieved their silver PLEDGES. Our target for 2023-24 is for: Year 7 = 50% Bronze, Year 8 = 75% Bronze, Year 9 = 100% Bronze and Year 10 = 100% Bronze.

We have a very comprehensive lunch time and after school extracurricular set of activities and a list of these can be found HERE or by visiting the page Extending the boundaries of learning.

We celebrate and publicise the trips visits and outdoor learning we do through social media and the newsletters.  

We also have a very comprehensive supportive system in place for all students who are in receipt of Pupil Premium Funding to ensure we close the experiential gap by: ensuring priority places, subsidised/free participation in school trips and one residential trip (offered on a case-by-case basis) and providing extended payment plans. This is in line with the Meridian trust PP charter: https://tinyurl.com/mu8m2frc

 See links for relevant links to this topic:

1. PLEDGES (Staff and Parents)
2. Extra-curricular activities and schedules
3. DofE (Bronze, Silver and Gold offer)

2023-24 Trips:

September 2023

Y11 English Trip Macbeth – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon – £27

Sixth Form Ready2 Lead Programme

October 2023

Y11 Visit to Cambridge University

Y7/Y8 Colworth STEM Event

DEI Student Conference

Y12/Y13 Law Trip to London – £320

Y8 Robotics Project – RAF STEM Youth Engagement Team

November 2023

Y7 Grafham Water Day Trips – £50

Philharmonia Orchestra Event – Bedford Girl’s School

Y7 Trust Maths Event

Y12/Y13 French BFI London

Y12/Y13 German BFI London

January 2024

Y12 University of Bedfordshire Taster Day

Sixth Form Theatre Studies Trip to “A Ghost Story” – The Derngate Theatre

Y8 Lego League Tournament – University of Cambridge

Y10 Fine Art Trip to Shuttleworth, Old Warden

Y11 Geography Field Trips to Hunstanton and Cambridge

Y10 History Trip to Berlin – £650

February 2024

Y8 English – A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon – £27

Y9 PP Residential Trip to Aberdovey

Y9/Y10 Ski Trip to Austria – £1500

Y9/Y10 German Exchange Trip to Berlin – £335

Y10/Y12 Spanish Exchange trip to Madrid – £475

Y12/Y13 Business Live Trip to Paris – £680

KS4/KS5 Geography trip to Sicily – £875

March 2024

Y8 Trip to Blue Peris

Y11/Y12 National Apprenticeship Fair, Milton Keynes

Y12/Y13 English Trip Othello, Wanamaker Theatre in London – £53

May 2024

Y9/Y10 French Trip to Cote d’Opale

July 2024

Y12 Biology Field Trip – Norfolk – £150