Primary pupils may swap classroom for coastline

primary schools in Southport could be swapping their classrooms for the beach if a new method of teaching catches on.

Coast-side lessons are being pushed by an academic from Edge Hill University who claims the beach can provide great benefits for children, teachers and the community.
Cait Talbot-Landers, senior lecturer in primary education at Edge Hill, is the founding member of a network of schools and organisations developing Beach School in the North West, along the Sefton and Fylde coasts.

Pupils from St Jerome’s Catholic Primary School in Formby recently enjoyed a trial Beach School session on Formby beach where they made creative use of pebbles, seaweed and other items they found.

Supporters of Beach School say that learning on the beach engages children and motivates them, enlivening the curriculum as they can learn anything from maths using pebbles, to English by using charcoal to write on driftwood or simply writing in the sand.