LOtC

Learning Outside the Classroom

We want our young people to be successful learners, confident individuals, effective contributors and responsible citizens. High quality education and fabulous opportunities for our children underpin what goes on at school. Learning at Clare Mount does not take place solely within the classroom. Our outdoor environment has massive potential for learning. We are fortunate to be situated in a rich urban and rural environment where young people’s learning experiences can be enhanced by maximising the potential of the outdoors.

• Overseas
  • France 2023
  • Kenya 2024
  • Greece 2024
• School grounds
  • Horticulture
  • Forest School
  • Orienteering
• Local area
  • Leasowe lighthouse
  • Liverpool museum
  • Nanny Sharon's Alpaca Farm
• Residentials
  • LFC & MCFC Football Tour 2024
  • ​​​​​​​Barnstondale
  • Conway Centre -Tattenhall
  • Boreatton Park
  • Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expedition Chirk
• Day experiences
  • ​​​​​​​Conway Centres Tattenhall Cheshire
  • Shrek at the Liverpool Empire
  • Albert Dock GCSE coursework

What is the DofE?

The DofE is a life-changing adventure for young people aged 14-24. It helps young people develop skills for their future life and work. At Clare Mount all pupils will access the DofE curriculum during KS4, with the chance of gaining the full accreditation or sectional certificates for the areas they do complete.

Volunteering section - Helping others and making a difference to the causes they care about.

 Physical section - Improving their health and fitness and having fun along the way!

Skills section - Developing existing skills or discovering new things to love.

Expedition - Spending time in the great outdoors and creating lifelong memories.

Clare Mount DofE Programme

Clare Mount Forest School

Pupils will access a variety of outdoor activities as part of the forest school programme. Forest school aims to be innovative and promotes a self-led learning approach in a woodland setting. The ethos of forest school at Clare Mount is to provide pupils with the freedom to learn and discover nature through our woodland environment. Our aim is to put pupils' individual needs and unique learning styles first, through a programme of semi-structured activities, initiated and led by the pupils.

KS3 are introduced to forest school in year 9 on a carousel with other activities. In KS4 pupils who are finding it hard to engage in school are given the opportunity to learn through our woodland environment. Within our school setting children will have the opportunity to access a regular double or triple lesson, over the course of a half-term. Activities will include building shelters, building dens, setting fires, cooking over fire, knot-tying and art with natural materials, as an example. Our intent is to bring children closer to the natural world as their freedoms are greatly reduced in the modern world and the increased fear of risk in today’s society.

All classes are taught outdoors in our forest area, to help pupils to build their confidence, improve team work, cooperation and practical skills, whilst being outdoors. Forest school is flexible and adaptive and therefore suitable for teaching to either key stage and levels of ability.

Clare Mount Forest School Lesson - every lesson at Clare Mount will be structured to establish pupil knowledge and understanding of our forest school ethos (Freedom & Discovery)

• Introduction - in lineups/classroom. What are we learning today? BIG IDEA!
• Journey out - collect equipment from the container and journey as a class to the forest. Discuss the weather, changes in the environment, new outdoor experiences.
• Main activity - deliver substantive (new information) knowledge and teach relevant disciplinary knowledge (how to do the activity), allow for self/guided-discovery
• Reflection (evaluation/talk-time) - share achievements, evaluate what has been learnt and highlight misconceptions.
• Journey back - reinforce learning and celebrate highlights on the walk back to school.