Taking Your Teaching & Learning Outside

School Outdoor Learning and GSAL are proud to host the The Outdoor Learning Conference 2017, 'Taking Your Teaching and Learning Outside', for Heads, Deputies, HoDs, Teachers EYFS/KS1/2 or 3 and other Education Practitioners in the region. We welcome delegates to join our impressive and inspiring keynote speakers and workshops throughout the day.

Research shows us that teaching and learning outside the classroom engages learners, improves behaviour, enhances social skills and makes learning more enjoyable, FACT. Whatever your experience with outdoor learning, The Outdoor Learning Conference will give you greater confidence to teach outside.

Expect it to be fully participative, experiential and entirely outdoors. You will come away with pragmatic tips, tools and ideas so you can feel confident to take your teaching outside immediately, be it for curriculum or character based learning.

Develop your school grounds at little or no cost

Teach all subjects outside and link to the curriculum

Develop character in your pupils

Manage risk sensibly while deriving the benefits

Find the time, the space and the resources for outdoor learning

Teach engaging lessons outside all year round

Enhance rapport and improve behaviour

Structure engaging sessions outside

Explore alternative options to the common entrance examination system

Keynote: Andrew Hammond

An A* in Maths is commendable, but it will not necessarily help you with your marriage, no more than an A* in Science will make you a more collaborative colleague or a better friend. Schooling has always offered two curricula, whether knowingly or not: a visible and measurable one, which leads to academic grades, and an invisible one, which shapes character traits and attitudes for life.

Einstein's much-quoted thesis that 'not everything that counts can be counted' sounds reasonable, but have you ever tried? Can character traits and attitudes to learning be observed, tracked and reported on in meaningful ways? Is a row of grades a true indication of a pupil's learning performance or merely the result of that performance? Is there a way of shedding light on the behaviours and attitudes that lie behind the grades? Isn't it time for 'success' in schools to be viewed through a wider lens?

Andrew Hammond has taught in schools for twenty years, as a class teacher, Head of English and Drama, Director of Studies, Deputy Head and Headteacher in both state and independent sectors. He is the author of numerous titles for a range of educational publishers and his recent seven-book series, The Invisible Curriculum published by John Catt Ltd, includes the widely acclaimed Teaching for Character and Teaching for Creativity. He holds a BA (Hons) QTS from Bath and an MA in English Education from King's College London.

Andrews website is www.andrewhammond.org

Keynotes: Mike Abraham -Recently retired after 24 years of Headship, Mike has been Head of a number of schools in the Midlands and in the North of England.

In 1991, he launched Yarm Preparatory School, growing the school from 0 to 320 pupils over 10 years. He has been a member of IAPS, is an ISI Team Inspector, has been a school Governor, has led many training days in the north east of England and is a member of the National Junior Heads Steering Committee.

He is known for turning around struggling schools and passionate about developing and nurturing the whole child through an experiential and character centric approach.

Phil Garner has been a Headteacher for 15 years in both state and independent schools. In his last headship, he developed a new 3-18 boys' only school in the North East, following the merger of two local preparatory schools.

He has a particular interest in how children learn and he has lead a number of courses on Learning to Learn, Leadership & Management, Behaviour, Assessment for Learning and Effective Headship Styles in the UK, Canada, USA and New Zealand.

This conference will not appeal to all teachers, yet it will benefit staff who are passionate about developing the 'whole' pupil, learning outside the classroom and innovating their own practice.

The full cost of this event is £95 yet we're holding our early bird rate of £75 (+ VAT) open until July 31st.