We are lucky enough to be set within five acres of land including grassy banks, fields, woodland and outdoor learning environments. We believe that our outdoor environment is a classroom without walls – from developing their own projects in our inviting tepee, storytelling round the well-loved firepit or performing on the outdoor stage, cultivating our gardens, to curling up with a book in the outdoor 'Storybox' or exploring the muddy paths and secret dens of our woods, every child in school has opportunity to embrace learning outside and appreciates our natural world. We take inspiration from the Reggio Emilia and Forest School approaches, and know learning outdoors and surrounded by nature develops confidence and self-esteem through child inspired, hands-on experiences.

By embracing outdoor learning, we facilitate not just acquisition of knowledge, but we ensure our children develop socially, emotionally, spiritually, physically and intellectually. Our children can explore and take risks in a safe environment which means that they continually build on their skills, understanding and abilities by solving problems, building self-belief and resilience. Manor Wood children learn that there are problems and risks in everything we do and that we grow by overcoming them. We nurture our children to become healthy, resilient, creative and independent learners.

At Manor Wood we use orienteering skills, run and play inside and outside of lessons. Children take ownership of our Alfresco spaces, designing and creating garden spaces, observing and encouraging nature, creating habitats to encourage wildlife and utilising outdoor spaces for storytelling round the fire, drama and special days. Our grounds have hosted Stone Age camps, alfresco cooking sessions and Anglo-Saxon battles! We have a dedicated team of passionate Eco-reps who lead the school in saving energy, recycling, combatting climate change, encouraging biodiversity and caring for our planet.

From their very first days at Manor Wood, our children’s early years experience is very much rooted in alfresco play, exploration and nurturing their curiosity and wonder of our natural world. We use a range of learner-centred processes to create a community for being, holistic development and learning where we foster resilient, confident, independent and creative learners.

We are no strangers to muddy wellies and understand that some of the most powerful learning takes place beyond the confines of the classroom!