Staffordshire school scoops national excellence award for outdoor classes
Outdoor classes at a school for pupils with special needs have scooped a national award for excellence.
Sherbrook Primary School, in Cannock, provides facilities for pupils with a variety of conditions including profound and multiple learning difficulties, autism, and moderate learning difficulties.
The school's efforts to take all the children sailing, holding lessons in a sensory garden and on day trips has now attracted a bronze award from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.
It was praised by the council for developing a programme to benefit its pupils, taking the pupils canoeing, making the most of its small grounds in Brunswick Road and for exploiting these activities to aid the teaching of science, maths, literacy and geography.
Sherbrook's acting assistant head Sue Dutton travelled to a special ceremony in Derby where she was presented with the bronze award certificate.
She says the pupils, aged two to 11, are taken to try sailing and canoeing at South Staffordshire Sailing Club in Gailey which provides a special needs service with qualified instructors in the daytime. Some of the older children also compete at racing events.
"We achieved the bronze award this year and in the future we hope to get the silver and gold awards. To take part in this learning scheme we have to get accreditation. We also have to produce evidence of everything that we at school for outdoor learning.
"In addition to the sailing, we are take part in the Forest School's programme," Mrs Dutton said.
The staff take the children on a variety of trips which count towards outside the classroom education, such as to Cannock Chase, and the Sea Life Centre, in Birmingham. If they are studying castle themes then trips to Stafford and Tamworth castles are organised. Other sites include Lichfield Cathedral, and to Cinderella Rock 'n Roll pantomine at The Gatehouse Theatre, in Stafford.
