Outdoor learning can boost interest in science, technology, engineering and maths among children from disadvantaged backgrounds, say three leading organisations.
The Royal Society of Chemistry, the Institute of Physics, the Royal Society of Biology and the Association for Science Education joined forces as The Primary Curriculum Advisory Group (PCAG) and published recommendations for reforming the primary school curriculum in a bid to reduce inequalities in STEM education.
Their report says playing in mud, kneading bread, playing with shadows and eating ice lollies can help spark interest in STEM subjects at primary school.
Yet many children don’t have ‘concrete experiences’ in any of these activities which means they are ‘undeniably at a disadvantage’, the report suggests.
Simple things like eating ice lollies and playing with shadows can help teach scientific concepts every child should understand like how temperature works and how light travels.
In the same way, playing with mud and kneading bread can help children understand cause and effect and scientific processes.
Growing plants aids children’s understanding as to where food comes from, how it’s grown and the life cycles of plants as well as how the weather and environment affect soil and food quality.
PCAG called for these new experiences in class to improve STEM accessibility and engagement at the same time as the Government began a curriculum and assessment review in England.
They are based on five years of research using evidence from a wide variety of sources and experts.
Lauren McLeod, Head of Education Policy at the Royal Society of Biology, said: “Not all children have access to a garden or school fields, and we want children to experience the world around them while empowering teachers to bring science in to everyday activities.”
Many schools are already choosing to foster outdoor learning all year round by covering part of the playground with a canopy.
Our colourful Spaceshade playground canopies provide students with protection from the sun and the rain, creating an outdoor area that can be used whatever the weather.
As our case studies demonstrate, our canopies are extremely flexible and can be built with side walls to provide more protection to students and play equipment as well as incorporating lighting and heating for darker and colder days.
Options include toughened glass, impact-resistant polycarbonate, and wind-resistant motorised blinds to create a robust and weather-proof outdoor space.
Our canopies are used for a wide range of activities such as gardening projects and messy play where children can enjoy some fresh air whilst being protected from the rain or hot sun.
The canopies are very stylish with roof panels in different bright colours to provide sunshine every day. Best of all, they cost a fraction of the price of building a traditional extension.
Unlike other providers, our canopies can be fitted with solar roof panels either at installation or at a later date.
The solar panels not only help decrease carbon emissions while saving money on energy bills but also help children understand firsthand how solar energy works and how it benefits the environment.
The hands-on experience of seeing solar panels working to provide electricity to the school opens up a whole learning experience for children in terms of talking about different sources of energy and issues such as climate change.
It also allows them to learn about how energy is measured and what these measurements mean when calculating real life scenarios, such as how much energy is used to light a classroom and how much it costs.
Most importantly, it helps them see how science is relevant to their lives, how it can provide solutions and how they can contribute to these solutions in the future if they choose to study STEM subjects at secondary school and university.
We project manage everything from the groundworks, installation and final clean-up, giving you a single point of contact throughout, making the process easy and stress free.
If you’d like to learn more about our canopies, contact our team of experts.