Press Release
Date: Wednesday 26 October 2005 (NR/27/05)
Playground lessons with 'Learning Outdoors'
Education Board Officers and teachers gathered at Lough Neagh Discovery centre to launch a new Primary School resource ‘Learning Outdoors’.
When they are outdoors, young children play in one of the best possible environments for development and learning. Outdoor play provides a wealth of challenging opportunities and is central to young children’s learning. Children are able to experience joy and excitement as they learn new skills and make fresh discoveries.
‘Learning Outdoors’ includes a wide range of ideas for play boxes, play bags and prop boxes, containing exciting resources that support a particular theme, topic, story or event.
In using this resource, children will be given opportunities to choose, create, change and be autonomous in their play environment.
Speaking at the launch, Alison Thompson , Principal Officer for Primary Personal Development, CCEA commented:
‘Learning Outdoors’ is an inspirational resource that aims to give teachers and early years educators the tools they need to be committed and enthusiastic in their provision of outdoor play. ‘Learning Outdoors’ has been developed by four board officers – Carol Bratton (WELB), Una Crossey (NEELB), Dawn Crosby (SEELB) and Wendy McKeown (SELB) with the printing, publication and distribution costs funded by CCEA.
‘Learning Outdoors’ shows how the principles for outdoor play are underpinned by well-planned and well-resourced play experiences, allowing for progression in children’s thinking and understanding and in the development of a range of skills and capabilities.
The inspiration for the resource came from good practice in settings across Northern Ireland and this new resource complements the existing teachers’ resource file ‘Learning Through Play’.
After today’s launch the resource will be distributed to schools and PEAG – funded play groups.
‘Learning Outdoors’ was launched on Wednesday 26 October 2005 at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre.
PEAG – Pre-school Education Advisory Group
Media enquiries to Ruth Maguire on (028) 9026 1216, Mobile 07796947993. E mail rhmaguire@ccea.org.uk
ENDS
Note to Editors
CCEA is the Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.
CCEA places learners and those who have a concern for their educational and personal development at the forefront of its thinking. CCEA's mission is:
"To enable the full potential of all learners to be achieved and recognised"
What we do
CCEA is a unique educational body in the UK , bringing together the three areas of curriculum, examinations and assessment.
Advising Government – on what should be taught in Northern Ireland ’s schools and colleges.
Monitoring Standards – ensuring that the qualifications and examinations offered by awarding bodies in Northern Ireland are of an appropriate quality and standard.
Awarding Qualifications
– as Northern Ireland’s leading awarding body we offer a diverse range of qualifications, such as GCSEs, including the new GCSE Double Award specifications in vocational subjects, GCE A and AS levels, Entry Level Qualifications, and Graded Objectives in Modern Languages.
- CCEA also offers a range of Awards and Certificates in Education, Training and Skills (ACETS) targeted at learners who want to get
the knowledge, understanding and skills needed
to hit the ground running in the world of work.
