Rishi Sunak column: The benefits of outdoor learning

The benefits to children’s health and educational attainment of having some learning, formally or informally, in the fresh air have been well documented and our experience of the pandemic and the measures necessary to contain it have given the concept a timely boost.

Here in North Yorkshire we are also lucky that in many instances our schools have plenty of green space around them – or at very least nearby.

Like Marwood Church of England Infant School in Great Ayton which, while having a rather compact outdoor play area, has made tremendous use of every single inch of it and, further, has turned the churchyard of the adjacent All Saints’ Church into a classroom to learn about the environment, and nature.

The new play area was completed last year to provide pupils with a range of socially-distanced activities which linked into the school’s curriculum.

Thinking back to how school playgrounds used to be, Marwood’s is on a different level entirely with a range of number and word games, an exercise trail but also a multi-purpose pitch on which to play ball games.

The area also includes a sheltered "Sacred Place" where pupils can take time to reflect on their day, their learning and relationships with others.

During my visit, as well as trying some of the playground games I joined pupils working on their eco project in the churchyard, helping to site birdboxes as part of their efforts to encourage wildlife.

Rishi Sunak with the children in the outdoor classroom in the churchyard at All Saints’, Great Ayton

At Richmond Methodist Primary School, it was great fun to get into my running gear to open the school’s all-weather running track.

Here the school is keen to get pupils – and staff – fitter but because of our wonderful British weather its large playing field is barely usable for five months of the year.

The all-weather surface solves that problem and pupils are encouraged to run a mile a day (that’s nine laps of the new track) during scheduled “active breaks” in the school day. Every child is being issued with an activity tracker to help measure their progress.

A new running track has opened at Richmond Methodist Primary School

During a visit to Crakehall Church of England Primary, near Bedale, I joined Early Years Foundation Stage children round the camp fire in their Forest School where they were learning about fire skills and safety and also, with older pupils, helped plant sunflowers as part of an international Growing Together project with a school in south India.

In all these schools I was most impressed by the use of the great outdoors to extend the children’s experience, to help their physical and mental well-being and improve educational attainment in many instances through tying the activity to the school curriculum.

While on the subject of the benefits to our health of being outdoors, Helen Anderson of Northallerton wrote to me this week about how running regularly has helped her enormously during this past year.

She’s decided to take that a step further – well several steps actually – by running 7k a Day in May to raise money for the Friends of the Friarage Hospital. That works out at five marathons in total!

So Go Helen and if you would like to support her see her crowdfunding page at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/7kadayinmay?utm_term=GkNr6wjyY