This week is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme this year is ‘Connect with Nature’ which ties in nicely with the forthcoming ‘Outdoor Classroom Day’ on Thursday 20 May. We’re very lucky at NGHS to have a fantastic outdoor learning provision and combined with our sporting offers and a great uptake for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, we really do have outdoor learning covered.

Spending time outdoors and in nature has been scientifically proven to improve mental health and wellbeing as well as all of the positive physical attributes it brings. Our girls and our staff are well aware of this and seize any opportunities to spend time connecting with nature, and if this can be done right here at school, then even better! Over recent years we have developed, and continued to expand and improve, Upnah Woods, which is our very own outdoor classroom. Originally an unused, overgrown area of land behind the Sports Hall, it has been cleared and kitted out with a whole range of apparatus, a firepit, mud kitchen and even a pizza oven thanks to generous donations from our parent community who also recognise the benefits of outdoor learning and how much their children love it.

Miss Carly Whitehead from Outdoor Learning tells us a bit more:

Upnah Woods looks to bring a sense of adventure and exploration for our students despite our city centre location. Girls step into an area designed specifically to stimulate their imagination and look to re-connect with each other and nature. Upnah Woods provides opportunities to collaborate through team building activities, physical challenges and learning about the wider world, nature and the environment. The types of activities and opportunities provided also help to support our pastoral care and wellbeing of students across the whole school. Whether it’s through climbing ropes and nets or growing and nurturing plants, everybody finds some happiness outdoors.

After such a turbulent year, now more than ever, the outdoors can be a safe place to allow for more play and interaction, and to fully appreciate how influential outdoor learning is to the rounded development of our students. Having access to outdoor spaces is all the more relevant at a time when the world isn’t as open to adventure as it once was. The learning that takes place outside of the classroom helps to contribute to deeper connections to understanding the wider world and the environment.

I personally believe that having these opportunities at NGHS gives our girls the freedom to explore their environment and their own interests, investigating different aspects of life and the world outside the classroom walls. These experiences help to promote the personal development and wellbeing of students, but ultimately they just love having the opportunities to learn whilst having fun!

Our outdoor learning provision and Upnah Woods brings a sense of community across the school. Helping to connect students and year groups across the Nursery, Infant and Juniors, through Seniors and on into Sixth Form creates a sense of belonging. It builds confidence and provides a sense of achievement by challenging the girls in areas they may not have access to in a classroom setting or at home. All the way from Infant and Junior outdoor learning lessons and exploration, through to Senior School and Sixth Form enrichment and team building, the benefits are obvious. Our girls may sometimes get wet, muddy and bedraggled but they always have a smile on their face and a healthy glow after outdoor learning.