Early Learning - Autumn 2021

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Thursday, October 14, 2021

Newbury Weekly News

EARLY LEARNING

Horris Hill Lower School “AT Horris Hill, we firmly believe that magic, awe and wonder in the curriculum are a must. A magical learning environment

High aspirations are fundamental to our approach, from the early stages of learning in Reception to Year Three, we focus on developing lifelong learners who thrive on challenge and adventure. Our curriculum is bespoke, child-led, and, most importantly, fun. Our unique holistic programme is immersive, fast-paced, high energy and gets the very best from the children. Children learn best when academic rigour is accompanied by time outdoors and our Horris Hill Wild Child Charter recognises this. By the time the boys are in Year Three, ready to transition into our Upper School, they will be equipped with a secure foundation, built on a dynamic, broad and balanced range of educational opportunities and experiences.” Harriet Uwalaka, Head of Lower School The Horris Hill Wild Charter At Horris Hill Lower School we are committed to developing the whole child, both in and out of the classroom, so we have created the Horris Hill Wild Child Charter. Research has shown the importance of nature to the human body and mind and also a clear link between the time spent in nature and improvements in areas such as motivation, problem solving and self-esteem. Our charter sets out what we believe are the key experiences of a natural childhood and forms an important part of their learning curriculum. We believe our boys should have had all these experiences before they move into the Upper School. We work through these challenges each week and record the progress on a wild child tracker. Once the tracker is completed the boy is officially a Horris Hill Wild Child. The four strands that make up the Wild Child Charter: n Our Woods

Outdoor learning at Horris Hill

n Our Kitchen Garden n Our School n Our Local Area n Our Woods

scratch. They gain confidence mixing with animals as they feed and care for sheep and chickens and collect their eggs. Another really popular activity is the opportunity to make a scarecrow. Our School At Horris Hill, pupils explore many different parts of the 65 acres of grounds and develop a love of learning about nature. Our boys learn to recognise a variety of animal tracks and know which animals hibernate. They learn to identify common butterflies and birds. They also use vegetables and leaves to dye fabric. They make kites, jump in puddles, make snowmen, go pond-dipping and learn to help wild animals. Our Local Area The fourth strand of our charter is our local area and this provides the opportunity for our boys to dam a river, visit a farm, watch cows

being milked, skim stones, collect shells at the beach, go paddling, visit a bee hive, have fun playing pooh sticks and learn to use a compass. Horris Hill – space to engage with nature The Wild Child Charter is a specially developed suite of activities for our boys at Horris Hill to engage with nature, and it provides deep and meaningful practical learning opportunities. To find out more about how our unique Lower School learning experience could really make a difference to your child, join us at our Lower School Open Morning on Saturday, November 6, or arrange an individual appointment at your convenience. Visit us in person and experience the magical environment for yourself – email Karen Pilkington, registrar@horrishill.com to arrange a visit.

The first strand enables the pupils to learn about safe forest play and it see boys climb trees, make camp fires, have picnics in the woods and learn about the different animals that live in our woods. Pupils learn about plants and what they need in order to grow from seed. They get involved too as they dig, weed, water, work the soil and learn about composting, recycling and mulching. Our Kitchen Garden Boys learn about growing fruit and vegetables and they get to prepare healthy food, such as salads. They eat fruit and vegetables straight from the plant and make bread from