The rise of beach schools : Toughening up children so they can cope with the challenges of a continually changing world

Beach schools are now springing up around Britain. At these schools pupils are taken to the coast for lessons in geography, science or maths — whatever the weather.

Usually, conventional wisdom demands that when it’s cold and wet outside, playtime in most schools must be cancelled.  It has suddenly been realised that if children are to be able to rise up to the challenges of a continually changing world, they need to be made of harder stuff.

These beach schools are building on the success of forest schools, which have proved popular and have a similar no-nonsense attitude to rain.

Children at beach schools paddle, create sculptures from driftwood, light fires, study crabs, poke around in rock pools, listen to stories and forage for materials.

School sessions take a no-nonsense approach to rain

One example is Woodland House Nursery in Bristol which takes young children ten miles by train to Severn Beach, a part of the coast better known for its mud than its sand.  

According to the nursery, there are many activities that excite and inspire the children, including making mud pies and sandcastles, throwing stones as far as possible to strengthen arm muscles, practising writing letters in the sand and mud, running races, making dens, counting pebbles and talking to fishermen.