A NATURE-based learning programme that has proven to be a hit with pupils and teachers in Ayrshire is set to be rolled out to more children in the area, with schools invited to apply for fully-funded workshops and day visits with The Prince’s Foundation.

Fresh Start has seen pupils from schools in East Ayrshire — Loudoun Academy, Doon Academy, and Robert Burns Academy — benefit from open-air learning from specialist tutors in farming, STEM, rural skills, agriculture, field to fork and outdoor activities.

The four-day programme involves pupils engaging in experiences at an education garden, education farm, dedicated STEM centre, and outdoor centre at Dumfries House.

The Greenslade Family Foundation, established in 2017 with the aim of helping children and young people living in socially or economically disadvantaged communities across the UK, is funding a limited number of places for schools in North, East and South Ayrshire to benefit from the programme.

The charity’s Carolyn Greenslade said: “Education opportunities for children of any age are of huge importance to our foundation.

“What appealed to us about the Fresh Start programme at Dumfries House was its ability to allow children to understand the benefits of fresh food and how it affects health and wellbeing.

“Such programmes that are accessible to all and that offer clear benefits are of great value to us and we are delighted to support participation in Fresh Start by children throughout Ayrshire.”

Those interested in the Fresh Start programme can find out more by emailing education@dumfries-house.org.uk

During the successful pilot of the programme, at Valentin’s Education Farm, school groups learn about food production, discovering the range of related careers and understanding animals’ needs and how the farmer meets them. One of a range of activities undertaken by pupils is duck-herding, where the students use new-found knowledge of a duck’s behaviour coupled with teamwork to execute a plan to move the escapee ducks back to their pen.

At the estate’s Pierburg Building and Kauffman Education Garden, pupils focus on biodiversity, spending time outdoors and in nature, noticing small details and understanding that processes in nature are reliant and impactful on each other. They collect natural materials to create new bug hotels for the education garden.

At the Morphy Richards STEM Education Centre, young learners find out about air quality and the consequences of global warming while also embarking on a Nature Safari, using GPS

trackers to find puzzle boxes that require completion of a numeracy challenge to unlock clues to complete a trail.

Shelter-building is on the menu at the estate’s residential centre, where survival skills are linked to lessons on the shelter required by different animals in various habitats.

Richard, residential Centre Manager at Dumfries House, said: “Development of mental wellbeing and resilience building forms a key part of the Fresh Start programme to allow children to relearn to socialise with their peers while learning new concepts in a nurturing nature-based environment.

“The return to school has been intensified for young people after a prolonged period of learning from home due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Loss of old friendships, feelings of isolation, and new approaches to learning are reported to be risk factors, particularly for children already vulnerable to life changes.

“Schools that report successful transitions are those that help children to develop new friendships, become more self-reliant, and promote curriculum interest and continuity. Through this programme, we aim to support pupils and their teachers and highlight the benefits and ease of incorporating outdoor and nature based learning into the curriculum.”

Those interested can find out more by emailing education@dumfries-house.org.uk