what is a beach school?
Beach School is a new development of the internationally acclaimed Forest Schools Programme which places an emphasis on outdoor learning and engagement for children of all ages. The aim of Beach Schools is to get children outdoors and to ignite the fun of exploration, discovery and learning within coastal environments. Beach Schools are springing up throughout the British Isles and our training was provided by Beach Schools N.I, the only beach schools centre in N.I. run by a professionally trained beach schools practitioner. Taking children to the local beach will create a wealth of learning opportunities, memories and experiences that will stay with them for life.
What are the benefits of learning outdoors at the beach?
By bringing the classroom outdoors, children will touch on so many aspects of the curriculum that they don't even realise they are learning. Research shows that connecting with nature:
1. Helps to improve concentration
2. Supports physical well being
3. Reduces anxiety and mental health issues
4. Helps to create life long memories.
1. Helps to improve concentration
2. Supports physical well being
3. Reduces anxiety and mental health issues
4. Helps to create life long memories.
beach school: treasure hunting part ii
Reception and Primary 1 children spent more time treasure hunting at the beach with their friends. In pairs, children hunted for treasure then spent time looking at what they had found in close detail. Children drew what they were able to see on their whiteboards!
#TeamKirkistown #beachschool #treasurehunting
#TeamKirkistown #beachschool #treasurehunting
beach school: treasure hunting
We really enjoyed our time at Beach school today. We used our new tarpaulin to sit on and had to think a way of securing it on the sand as it was rather windy! We discovered that one child sitting in each corner initially kept it secure while the rest of the children collected large stones to set around the perimeter to hold it down. We played one of favourite PE games on the beach and then after this we worked in pairs to find ‘treasure’ beach items. When we returned to school, we were able to show and talk about our treasure with the rest of the class. Somebody had found Captain Hook’s ‘Hook’ made out of seaweed, a crab claw was found, many different types of pebbles and we even found the remains of a fish egg nest! We look forward to finding more treasure on our next visit.
p2 & p3 Forest school at the beach!
Primary 2 & 3 pupils have continued their Forest School sessions at Cloughey Beach, taking great advantage of the weather and the fabulous resource.
P6 & p7 beach visit
P6 and P7 explore Cloughey beach with David Thompson. As part if their visit, children collected seaweed to help stimulate the growth of the tree we will plant to commemorate the centenary of Northern Ireland.
beach schools n.i staff training day-
february 2022
School staff engaged in a staff training day with Beach Schools Northern Ireland on Monday 14 February 2022. While we already take advantage of the wonderful setting of Cloughey Beach through our curriculum and as part of both our Forest Schools Programme and the John Muir Award for which we are providers, we are always looking to continue the professional development of our staff- and what better location to take advantage of!
beach school- the number 8!
We visited the beach on a sunny, cold and very windy day to find out more about the number 8! Each of us had to find eight big stones to bring to our hoop and make a set of eight. Then we had to design a picture, pattern or a sculpture with them. After visit we went for a quick walk on the beach, it was very cold and windy!