What is Coastal School?
We're taking Forest School to the beach!
A Coastal or Beach School follows the same ethos as Forest School, using the coast as a platform for a whole new learning experience that provides children with the opportunity to explore their natural surroundings in an organised setting.
What happens at Beach School?
Beach School is about educating children through a variety of fun games and activities; raising awareness about their local coastal environment and how they can help to sustain it for future generations.
These are just some of the topics we might explore…
Changes in tidal times and the seasons – keeping safe
Keeping safe, act and behave responsibly whilst on the coastal environment
Weather conditions and environmental impact
Ways to look after our marine environment/beaches - pollutants
Marine species identification and information
How creatures and plants adapt to their surroundings
Beach Cleans and surveys for research purposes
Collecting data for marine conservation (seaweeds, marine life and litter)
Marine Art – creativity with sand, pebbles, seaweed etc
Shelter building skills – from the elements (cold, wind, rain and sun)
Fire Lighting skills using natural materials and tools
Beach games using natural resources on the beach
Through these activities and many more children of all ages will develop important life skills.
Activities are designed to develop social and emotional skills such as team work, trust, communication, initiative, independence, and other important life-skills.
North East England has a rich and diverse coastline with estuary and tidal beaches. It provides a unique setting to facilitate holistic learning through play and child led investigation. Coastal School is a holistic combination of all coastal environments combined with Forest School unique pedagogy.
Every Day is Different!
Join in with us at Tides of Change for a range of different workshops and events across the year (see our events and ‘What’s On’ pages for more details). Along the North East coastline we have some amazing beaches, bays and coves and we will deliver Beach Schools at different locations depending on the content and focus of the sessions.
Tides of Change has one Coastal School Leader, one other permanent member of staff and many qualified volunteers to help plan your sessions with tidal times, locations and weather conditions in mind. We will ensure a safe, fun and informative day through our expertise and knowledge of the environment around us. Sessions are predominately ‘Drop off and Leave’ unless stated at time of booking. A fun filled session guaranteed!
Every day is different
Our Workshops for children…
Develop interest in the natural environment, support children in having fun and on the importance of keeping active and healthy, both physically and mentally
Teach them to respect and care for the local coastal and marine environment
Allow them to explore, experiment and stay safe
Set standards of behaviour, cooperation and respecting others opinions and ideas
Promote communication and language skills through developing questioning, reasoning and descriptive vocabulary
Develop self-esteem, self-confidence and perseverance
Develop fine and gross motor skills, coordination and dexterity
Forest & Beach Schools – A recent History
The model of Forest School used in the UK originates from Scandinavia. Developed in Denmark in the 1980s from Swedish approach, the benefits of outdoor education in the early years were quickly noted. The Danish model saw benefits in children’s language use and competence, social skills and overall confidence. One of the aims of the Danish model was to develop in children an appreciation of the natural world and promote conservation in later life.
In the mid- 1990s a group of nursery nurses from Somerset visited the Forest Schools in Denmark and were inspired to develop a similar approach in this country.
More recently, as the educational markets are becoming more creative in utilising the outdoors as a classroom, we as a nation are becoming more aware of the hidden potential of the outdoors and demand is higher than it has been for 60 years in the UK.
For those who have easy access to the 11,000 miles of shores that surround the British Isles, it is not surprising that these are becoming an inspirational learning environment and parents and carers as well as educators are seeing and experiencing very positive impacts on their children, hence the concept of Beach School was started. The FSA set up a training programme echoing the ethos and learning aims and goals of Forest School, in a coastal environment.
