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West Dunbartonshire Council Outdoor Education Service

Opportunities to explore the learning possibilities of the 'outdoor classroom'

West Dunbartonshire Council Outdoor Education Service is an accredited SQA centre which works in partnership with all six West Dunbartonshire secondary schools, five East Dunbartonshire secondary schools, West Dunbartonshire Council's Social Work department, the Community Planning Partnership, and SQA.

This project will deliver SQA Units to the pre-16 'More Choices, More Chances' cohort. Four pupils from each secondary school will attend one day per week for the whole academic year. Each group of pupils will participate in a different outdoor activity each term, and for each activity there is the opportunity to obtain an SQA Unit at Intermediate 1 and 2. The sports covered include canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, hill walking, archery, and skiing (residential). In addition, Personal Development Units at Intermediate 1 and 2 are being considered as part of a group award.

The primary benefit of this programme is that young people will have the potential to attain several SQA Units that may not normally be available in the school environment. The Units will be assessed by the instructional staff using a flexible range of assessment tools such as observation, video, and workbooks. This fits well with the ethos of the Units since they are primarily practical with an academic element.

This project links directly to a Curriculum for Excellence. Outdoor education activities provide the opportunity for young people to develop skills for learning, skills for life, and skills for work. The outdoor learning environment provides challenge and opportunity to explore the exciting learning possibilities associated with the 'outdoor classroom'