The outdoor classroom

Wheeler Primary School

All the pupils from Wheeler Primary School in Hull visited a rural activity centre, where they made art and took part in shelter building, night walks and snail hunts. The starting point for all activities was a discussion of Rubens's painting.

The trip was made possible with a grant from Creative Partnerships, a government-supported fund for arts and education. For many of the children it was the first time they had visited the countryside and stayed away from home.

After the children returned to school, they compared and contrasted their experiences of the outdoor classroom with Rubens's painting. They wrote poems and composed music on the theme of nature.

© Wheeler Primary School. Photo: The National Gallery, London.