Early Childhood UK Nature School Study Tour

Finally! - A year after the SA Public Teaching Awards - my opportunity to visit the nature schools in the Uk has become a reality. Through her thorough planning and organisation, Virginia Barter from DECD Workforce Development has enabled me to land in London to join other Australian early childhood education delegates in a once in a lifetime professional development experience. After a lengthy flight from Adelaide, a change of attire into warm clothing and a few orientation walks I finally get to meet the teams and delegates.  Tomorrow we all begin an intense study tour of high quality early childhood nature education settings starting off in London, England and making our way up to Dunblane, Scotland. 

The tour is a collaborative venture organised by Inspired EC in Australia  (http://www.inspiredec.com)  and Mindstretchers in the UK (http://mindstretchers.com).

The itinerary over the next 10 days includes observations of experiential naturalistic education, learning about the ethos of key nature schools staff and centres, listening to Folklore stories and cultural connections to nature, understanding the English and Scottish curriculum planning, methodology and assessment strategies and the links to the Early Years Learning Framework of Australia.

So..... 

Tuesday 29th Oct: we travel to Corby/Kettering in central England.

Wednesday 30th Oct: we visit Pen Green Children's Centre. Travel by bus for 3 hours to Durham, East England. 

Thursday 31st Oct: we visit Bolden Nursery School, Tyne and Wear. Travel for 3 1/2 hours by bus to Dunblane, Scotland.

Friday 1st Nov: Visit Cowgate Children's Centre, Edinburgh and Forest School. Return to Dunblane.

Sat 2nd Nov: Dunblane.

Sun 3rd Nov: Travel to Crieff, Scotland.

Monday 4th Nov: With rubber boots on feet - Visit Fowlis Wester nature training and education centre and Auchlone Nature Kindergarten. Here we will meet Claire Warden - founder of Mindstretchers and Nature Education centres in UK. 

Tuesday 5th Nov: Again with rubber boots on feet - Visit the Scottish Crannog Centre, Kenmore. 

Wednesday 6th Nov; Back to Fowlis Wester for practical workshops and discussions about the links between EYLF and our observations from previous days in the UK. 

Thursday 7th Nov: Travel to Edinburgh Airport to catch flights to London and back to Australia. 

It has been very interesting browsing and researching the early childhood curriculum used in the UK and comparing the strategies with those we embrace using EYLF in Australia. For your interest the following links have been provided to the tour delegates here in the UK:

http://www.gov.uk/early-years-foundation-stage

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE

I hope someone will find my journey interesting and follow my blog as I indulge into my favourite pastime: discovering nature with children.

Angela in England.