Beach School Adventures!

We are extremely fortunate to be able to make the most of our stunning coastal locality, including Staithes beach and its neighbours.  Being able to grow and learn in such a rich environment, connected so closely with the natural world, is a great privilege.  

Our Beach School sessions do not follow a fixed plan but rather aim to be more fluid and to follow children’s instinctive curiosity.   A progressive framework of learning underpins the sessions, which are then shaped by the context of the group and the weather and tidal conditions.  As such, the sessions not only enhance classroom learning, but also encourage new interests, new skills and new friendships in a very dynamic way.

Beach School sessions are integral to our curriculum.

What are the benefits of Beach School sessions?

They help children to develop social skills.

Learning whilst outdoors requires engagement and a lot of effective communication. The coastal environment presents multiple opportunities to engage children in group activities.  Children develop their communication and social skills by working in a group. The change in surroundings, and leaving the four walls of a classroom can greatly help a child to become more sociable.

They encourage children to be independent.

Beach schools are a great way to encourage children to not only work as part of a team but to also explore independently and think independently whilst being guided in a safely assessed session.

They help children to build confidence.

Beach School encourages children to take well thought out risks. This develops confidence in children. Everyone is different and classroom environments simply don’t suit all children. Some children will totally thrive outdoors but they may not have been very confident in a classroom setting. This transformation can often transfer back into the classroom.

They develop physical skills.

Activities such as picking up seaweed or seashells are working those fine motor skills, stamina and gross motor skills naturally without children even realising it. A good run along the beach is fun and getting children to be physically active.

They get children motivated.

It’s no secret that exercise and fresh air leave us feeling motivated!  Learning new skills and taking part in exciting activities at Beach School promotes positive attitudes to learning and supports growing levels of concentration.  This increased engagement and ability to focus on specific tasks for an extended period of time leads to benefits in all areas of learning, including back in the classroom. 

What Do Children Actually Do at Beach School? 

Some of the typical topics explored in our Beach Schools sessions include:

Learning how to be sensible, safe and responsible when using/enjoying the beach.

Exploring the effects that changing seasons and tides have on the coast.

Understanding sea defences and what hard and soft sea defences are.

Taking part in mini beach cleans, and finding out why this is important for the environment.

Exploring the natural coastal environment and coastal erosion.

Exploring how marine flora and fauna have adapted to survive in their environments and how different weather conditions affect them.

Discussing pressures on the marine environment. e.g, marine pollution and overfishing.

Learning about marine protected areas.

Identifying different species and learning how to classify them.

Exploring and discovering unique coastal habitats.

Learning survival skills such as shelter building, fire lighting and cooking outdoors.