GLF Schools

GLF Schools

GLF Schools was founded in 2012 in order to enable the federation of Glyn School (an academy in 2011) and Danetree Junior School. Together, we began our journey to become a MAT of more than 1000 talented staff working with over 10,000 children in 40 schools across 5 regions in southern England.

Our Schools

Banbury Region

Banstead Region

Berkshire & Hampshire Region

Caterham Region

Crawley Region

Didcot Region

Epsom Region

London Boroughs

Redhill Region

Sunbury & Camberley Region

Outdoor Learning

Outdoor Learning at Lightwater Village Schools

At LVS, we believe that some of the most meaningful learning happens beyond the classroom walls. Our Outdoor Learning programme encourages curiosity, confidence, and a deep connection with the natural world. We want to get our children out in nature, away from screens and experiencing life in the real world, collaborating and working as a team to create projects.

Our school has worked on passports of opportunity to make our enrichment offer explicit to parents. When we devised these we looked at the 50 things to do by 11 and ¾ from the National Trust. We want to enrich our pupils lives with rich and varied experiences in the natural world. Our school overlooks the wonderful Lightwater Country Park. We use this resource regularly and it makes for a delightful backdrop to our outdoor provision.

In 2025-26 we will launch an enhanced lunchtime provision offer rooted in offering more outdoor learning experiences to children throughout their breaktimes and lunchtimes. We complete termly outdoor learning days which serve as a ‘pens down day’ giving chidlren the opportunity to collaborate, get mucky, and learn outside.

Why Outdoor Learning?

Outdoor learning helps children:

  • Develop teamwork and communication skills
  • Improve physical health and wellbeing
  • Foster independence and problem-solving abilities
  • Engage more deeply with subjects through hands-on experiences
  • Build resilience and a sense of responsibility

What Do We Do Outdoors?

From exploring local woodland areas to gardening in our school grounds, outdoor learning is a regular part of our curriculum. Activities include:

  • Nature walks and wildlife observation in Lightwater Country Park
  • Science and maths lessons outside the classroom
  • Outdoor art and storytelling
  • Environmental projects and eco-awareness activities
  • Termly outdoor learning days
  • Forest school enrichment in KS1 and EYFS weekly with our trained practitioner
  • Enriched playtimes where children access a variety of different experiences to enhance their day

 

Forest School at Lightwater Village Schools

We are proud to offer Forest School sessions in Key Stage 1, led by a fully trained Forest School practitioner, Mrs Sonya Whitehead. These sessions provide a unique opportunity for our youngest learners to:

  • Develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on outdoor experiences
  • Explore the natural world in a safe, supported setting
  • Learn practical skills such as den-building, tool use, and fire safety (age-appropriate)

Forest School takes place in our excellent outdoor provision and is carefully structured to support each child’s development and wellbeing.

Safe, Supported, and Inclusive

All our outdoor learning, including Forest School, is planned and delivered by experienced staff to ensure a safe, inclusive, and engaging environment where every child can thrive.

 

A fantastic outdoor learning day!

At our last Oudoor Learning Day, the children got into their colour groups for the day, and worked their way around 4 sessions ran by different teaching teams. This is a great way for siblings and children in different year groups to work together, and they also get to know the teaching staff in different year groups too. 

As it was science week we focused on the theme 'change and adapt' throughout the day. 

The children made and tested rockets. 

They decorated butterflies to blend in with different parts of the playground (you may still be able to spot a few if you look really closely). 

They also had a go at making dens and adapting them to be waterproof. 

Outdoor learning

Last year our pupil parliament entered the RHS 'No Adults Allowed' gardening competition and THEY WON! (https://schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk/competitions/no-adults-allowed) Miss MacGregor has enjoyed spending some of our £1000 gardening voucher on more plants for our school playground. We are beginning to see the plants we planted last year wake up, and we added lots more perennials and bulbs this week too. Hopefully the playground will begin to grow into another beautiful rainbow of colour. 

Mrs Hooker also had the idea of adding more colour and bulbs to the front of the school along the ramp. A big thank you to Mr Ryan (x2) and Mrs Hailstone for cutting out a border to do this- they worked incredibly hard all morning. The flowers are already starting to bloom and it adds a beautiful pop of colour when arriving to school in the mornings. 

Thank you to all the teachers and staff for working so hard, the day ran very smoothly thanks to a great sense of teamwork, and some well thought out planning. We look forward to the next outdoor learning day in the summer.