School in the Wood
“The school grounds are a hidden gem with the most spectacular views of Rottingdean.”
PARENT SURVEY
2023
“The outdoor learning programme is just fantastic. Everyday lessons become something that the children remember.”
PARENT SURVEY
2023
Our City Our World
Since 2022, Our Lady of Lourdes has been proud to be part of the Our City, Our World (OCOW) project. This initiative uses education to promote environmental literacy and social responsibility, helping to create a more sustainable future for all.
OCOW encourages outdoor learning and supports children in developing a lifelong commitment to caring for the environment. Our curriculum reflects this through a strong focus on:
- Self-care
- Environmental stewardship
- Social responsibility
What we aim to achieve
Through our work with OCOW, we strive to:
- Develop green skills in all pupils
- Encourage sustainable practices across the school
- Strengthen children’s connection with nature
- Empower pupils to become positive changemakers
Learning beyond the classroom
This partnership gives our pupils valuable opportunities to take part in real-world environmental action. Whether through outdoor learning or whole-school initiatives, our children are actively contributing to a more sustainable community.
Bronze Award Achievement (2024)
In 2024, we were delighted to receive the Our City, Our World Bronze Award. This award recognises schools that demonstrate strong commitment to sustainability and eco initiatives.
At Our Lady of Lourdes, this included:
- Developing our School in the Wood area
- Taking part in the One Paper Towel Challenge
- Increasing opportunities for outdoor learning
We are incredibly proud of this achievement and remain committed to building on our success as we continue our sustainability journey.
School in the Wood
We have moved away from ‘Forest School’ which would only take place one every half term and was heavily focused on building fires and outdoor survival.
Instead, we have started to look at how our outdoor space can be used more within the curriculum, creating ‘School in the wood’. School in the wood will integrate outdoor learning with our already existing school curriculum, in the hopes of enriching all subjects. For example, our year 3s created Sone Age tools as part of their DT project in the Woodland Classroom and sat in the discovery zone to create poems about nature.
We get outside for our Maths lessons, RE, Geography, History and more, all whilst integrating a love and care for the environment around us.
