Big Dig III - In The Summertime
Thursday 3rd July, the day for our Wildlife Party, dawned sunny and very warm. This was our third Big Dig day of our year promoting LINE in our school. It was to be a celebration of all we have achieved outdoors this year – with the exciting addition of visiting wildlife. Once again, it took the format of the whole school spending all day outdoors.
Here it is worth mentioning Big Dig2, that took place in March and planned as a day where everyone went off-site walking to local natural places for a variety of activities. We had had a huge set-back to our grounds in January when storms brought down X trees, smashing the infants’ newly constructed mud kitchen and leaving the wooded area we had promoted for outdoor learning out-of-bounds for three months. This had led to much grumpiness in the Reception class in particular – the Reception teacher noticed the difference in the children’s attention and behaviour, and we noticed the difference in staff meetings! The intention of Big Dig2 was to have a team of people rescuing the grounds whilst the children worked outdoors elsewhere. In the event we were blessed with a stormy, wet day (the rain was torrential and included spectacular thunder and lightening), a hard core team of parents (one father barrowed tree rings around the site in torrential rain all day) and the arrival of two Ofsted inspectors. Oh joy. We not only survived this but even enjoyed (most of) it. In addition, the success of the day was duly recognised by the inspection team and is an endorsement of all we stand for – if we needed it. We now know we can ‘do’ outdoor learning in any weather.
Back to Big Dig3 – or Wildlife Party Day. We always review BigDig days with staff and children immediately they are over and we had been collaboratively planning our third day since the previous one. Whilst two of us took responsibility for practical arrangements, teachers planned their activities. This time, we repeated successful activities from previous days and left more time for ‘free ranging’ around the site, an aspect the older children said they particularly enjoyed. We also wanted to make use of our newly appointed school chef, so food became an important focus for the day. The second thread was wildlife, and with resilience and tenacity we had secured some visiting creatures, including bats, leaf insects and a corn snake, guinea pigs, chickens and pigeons.
By 8:00 the kitchen was busy – pasta being boiled and much chopping taking place - and Kirsty from the Wildlife Trust arrived with her ‘animal homes’ workshop – I thought I had a lot to unload from my van until I saw her equipment?! Saws, hammers, workbenches, wood, nails, goggles, gloves, first aid kits, sandpaper and much more ... By 8.45 all workbenches were in place and looking business-like. The children were intrigued and excited. It’s remarkable that by lunchtime, mini-beast homes were installed all over the grounds and a number of bird boxes were waiting to go up into trees. What an achievement!
There was the usual rushing from pillar to post when everyone started arriving from 8.30. Which volunteers are here? (use name labels and ask them to sign in on a flipchart) Do they know where they are going? (we have a timetable) Is everyone happy? (ask them!) Engaged? Do they have everything they need? One of our faithful volunteer Dads: “I thought I’d just come along and get stuck into the garden area, if that’s OK?” Of course it was. Risk assessments were read and signed and 9:15 assembly in the hall welcomed everyone, setting the scene for the day. Everyone came kitted out with hat, suncream and a backpack containing a drink and snack. The day proper started. Firstly the foragers left, under the direction of a keen and knowledgeable parent, to search for our lunchtime salad – one with an SAS survival handbook – serious stuff! I was just beginning to wonder where the man with the cornsnakes and the bats had got to, when he arrived and installed himself in a classroom for children to visit to see, handle and learn about the different creatures he had brought with him.
Gradually, gazebos were erected in the (emptied) car park for the party lunch and (donated) bunting goes up. We’d deliberately chosen the front of school and was generating interest as the barbeque aroma wafted across the site and people stopped to ask what was going on.
Well underway now were planned activities such as; music-making, 101 things to do with a drainpipe (!), making peg dolls and mini dens, lashing and securing large dens, tree climbing, bubble-making and pavement art, bird-box construction and a treasure hunt, as well as unplanned activities such as a group of children collaborating to organise the taking of turns to push each other in the new wheelbarrow before moving a huge pile of wood chippings, finding a butterfly that matched a T-shirt and some Y2 boys sitting in a trough of water and ‘bottom-printing’ on a wall. By mid-morning the small pets had arrived, Sarah the guinea pig and her friends, chickens and a tortoise. The children loved handling them. The Busk Stop was now operating and new talents were being discovered, the scientist from Plymouth (who had got lost) arrived for the pond-dipping and generated much excitement finding many newts. Our Secret Garden was transformed by soundscapes and hanging art.
At 11:30 lunch begun, Jess the chef had made three delicious salads and yummy homemade burgers, with strawberries in chocolate soil for afters. No hot chocolate required today (a staple at our other two days) but gallons of squash were dispensed by the refreshments team. Lunchtime had a real festival atmosphere with the BBQ and Brazilian music busked by parents. Magical. In the end, we served XX school lunches- no mean feat. To sort for another time - the popularity of lunch made the wait a long one for the KS2 classes, who were hanging over the wall, salivating!
The afternoon continued in much the same vein with a bit more free-ranging. There was much to see and do and perhaps we don’t allow enough time for children to simply go and see what other classes were doing? As ever, the afternoon was over too quickly. At 3 o’clock we all collected in the cool hall and sat quietly listening to ... But where were Y6? Still on the school field releasing homing pigeons with their messages, of course.
Looking around, it is always a marvellous feeling of being a hot, happy, exhausted member of the Marlborough school community, ready to go home and reflect on what has been another special Marlborough outdoor day. Thank you everyone for everything you have done to make LINE happen this year. We still have a lot to do to the grounds and the unfinished jobs continue to frustrate us, but here’s to the next year of outdoor learning. Meanwhile enjoy the memory and the pictures.