Program

Nature of Experience

Nature of Experience Chelsea Group of Children Special Needs Primary School London UK

Our school is a small, special needs primary school in South West London.

'The world is changing too quickly to use the past as our only model for the future. In every decision we make within the school we ask ourselves the questions: What is best for the child? What is needed to prepare for the future? It is a simple exercise, which provides clarity and directs our actions. The only true evaluation of a learning environment is the measure of academic and emotional growth experienced by each child within that environment.'

~Libby Hartman, School Director


By participating in this whole school project we aim to explore and reflect on:


Our beliefs about teaching and learning

Our identities as educators/therapists

The capabilities of our children and the learning environments we offer in relation to the opportunities working with nature, and natural objects afford.


The team recognise, through witnessing our children's interactions with nature, reading research and filming our lessons, the social, emotional and cognitive benefits that connecting with the natural world can bring to children. We are working towards integrating internal and external learning environments, anchored in nature studies, throughout our curriculum and therapeutic programmes. Within this website portal we share our developmental journey, our reflections on what we believe has worked and what has not (and why), and the tools, frameworks and activities that we have developed as educators/therapists.The experiences of the children at the school are a central focus of this process. All of our children have learning difficulties. A few have mobility challenges and several are on the autistic spectrum. Our children prefer visual learning to auditory cues and do not respond well to long auditory introductions to topics. Some of the children are non-verbal. They respond well to sensory stimuli particularly when they can focus on individual organisms.

And then there is the world of little things,seen all too seldom. Many children, perhaps because they themselves are small and closer to the ground than we, notice and delight in the small and inconspicuous. With this beginning, it is easy to share with them the beauties we usually miss because we look too hastily, seeing the whole and not its parts. Some of nature's most exquisite handiwork is on a miniature scale, as anyone knows who has applied a magnifying glass to a snowflake.'

Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder

Impacts on Our Children

When in the school garden children are looking under trees, under tables, in the grass. They are exploring for themselves, searching for living creatures and consolidating previous learning experiences.They are able to see first hand, and in their own processing time, what they have only briefly experienced in the classroom on a much smaller scale. This experiential process draws previously silent children towards speech, offers a framework for reflection and rewarding opportunities to apply their new knowledge.

We are keen to enter into dialogue with other educators and naturalists and provide a forum for the exchange of ideas to develop this work further. We are particularly interested in nature-based education with children on the autistic spectrum and would welcome discussion with parents, educators, researchers and therapists.

http://www.natureofexperience.com

Contact Information For This Listing

LeValley   .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Gatehouse Wandsworth Cemetery
London UK,  SW18 3NP
United Kindgom

To add to or update your listing log in to your member account.
If you need further assistance please send an email to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Children & Nature Movement Map listings have been contributed by network members. The Children & Nature Network reviews all submissions for relevancy but does not validate the accuracy of contributed content.