Learning brought to life with help from nature: Oriel Academy’s Reception enjoy a day out in the countryside at Brocketts Farm

Learning was brought to life with help from nature for children in their first year at Oriel Academy West London.

Reception students from the popular school enjoyed a wonderful day out at Bocketts Farm where they discovered fascinating facts about the life cycle of animals.

The young children enjoyed a range of activities at the attraction which is located in the Surrey countryside from a tractor ride to watching a pig race, feeding large farm animals and petting smaller ones.

Zoe Martinez, reception teacher for Aspen Class at the Hanworth school, told the Hounslow Herald: “It was really a fantastic experience for the children. A big thanks to parents that helped out on the day and to Bocketts Farm. It’s a working farm so there were baby animals to see from lambs, kids, piglets and chicks. There were trampolines, giant slides, a bouncy pillow and two large indoor play barns. It was a great day out for everyone involved in the trip.”

Oriel currently has places available in Reception and Nursery for the academic year that begins September 2022. For more information email: office@oriel-aspirations.org or call: 0208 894 9395.

The school’s first Ofsted inspection since the pandemic began saw Oriel retain its ‘Good’ rating.

The report states Oriel is ‘happy and welcoming. Pupils enjoy their learning and try their best. They feel motivated by the encouragement they get from staff. Children get off to a good start in the early years. They do well in the nurturing and stimulating environment’.

The report, published earlier this year, saw pupils reveal that bullying does not happen at Oriel as they know that staff will resolve any friendship issues or unkind behaviour.

The inspectors also noted ‘leaders have ensured the school has continued to improve. They have introduced a successful mathematics programme and reading is at the heart of the curriculum. This starts in the early years. Leaders want the curriculum to be memorable and they use educational visits to bring learning to life’.