CHILDREN at Potters Gate School in Farnham love outdoor learning - whatever the weather they don their wellingtons, hats and gloves and head out into the fresh air to learn.

A recent study by Natural Connections Demonstration Project has found that children are more engaged when they take part in outdoor learning.

Thanks to the Woodland Trust, which is offering free tree packs to schools across England, the children have been busy planting coppice saplings in the school garden.

In March, the children will be planting hedgerows to encourage wildlife into the school grounds, and Potters Gate is working towards achieving the Woodland Trust’s Gold Green Tree Award.

“We spend a lot of time outside, it is a great opportunity to get to know your children and to learn what makes them tick,” said Catherine Floyd, a teacher at Potters Gate and Forest School leader.

“They are genuinely interested in their environment and as a school we try to encourage teachers to take their children outside in all of their subject areas as it really helps to cement their learning.”

Catherine runs a weekly forest school afternoon for the children at a local wooded garden, where they develop their resilience by getting the chance to make fires, build shelters and learn about their responsibility to the environment.