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We went to visit Starfish class who are Nursery and Reception children from Embleton Vincent Edwards C of E Aided Primary School, also known as the ‘School by the Beach’ in beautiful Northumberland.

Embleton school is a small primary school with a warm and welcoming atmosphere, teaching children from 3 to 11 years old. The school lies in the heart of Embleton, a picturesque Northumbrian village just minutes from the pristine sands of Embleton Bay. Every week the whole school spends a day using the beach and surrounding area as thier classroom, covering all strands of the National Curriculum using our outstanding environment to support our learning, how cool is that!

We are delighted to share Spotty Otter’s first dungaree and jacket set which is exclusive to outdoor educational settings. It is the perfect combination to give them confidence in the great outdoors. The Starfish class put the Discovery Collection to the test, we are pleased to report back that  the dururable, lightweight wipe clean fabric which is also waterproof to 5,000mm kept the children happy and dry without restricting movement or weighing them down. In fun, bright colours with elasticated detailing to keep everything in place, this set is perfect for playground fun, Beach School and Forest School activities. Just jump in, zip up and go! Available in packs of 5 this School Waterproof Clothing is a great value choice for schools looking for quality outdoor clothing for their students.

You can find out more about how your school or nursery can get kitted out here. 

Here is what Mrs Popay the Starfish class teacher had to say.

At Embleton school we firmly believe that our children should spend a large portion of their time using the outdoor environment for learning. The opportunity to spend time appreciating the awe and wonder of the area of outstanding natural beauty in which we live gives a deep sense of wellbeing to children and staff alike. As a school we aim to achieve compelling learning experiences through Beach School by giving our children the opportunity to:

• Broaden horizons and raise aspirations
• Develop confidence, self-awareness and skills
• Experience a range of experiences that are frequent and progressive
• Feel connected to the environment
• Grow through challenge and become more independent
• Learn new ideas, facts and concepts in a real world context

The impact on the children is that they experience a greater sense of wellbeing and spirituality from time spent outdoors. Their stamina and perseverance is increased. They access the curriculum in a wide range of ways and have a deeper understanding of environmental issues. Evidence from studies into the benefits of learning outdoors all point to the greater gains made when learning programmes are delivered over a longer period of time. As a result, we have taken the decision to use our local environment, and in particular our local beach, as our classroom for the whole school for one day a week, throughout the whole year.

"We are absolutely thrilled with our new Spotty Otter waterproofs; they are ideal for beach school and outdoor play at school. The mitts are a game changer for small, l cold and wet hands. We have never had the children tell us before that their hands were too hot, that was until they tried the Forest Ranger waterproof Mitts."

Here is what the Starfish children had to say.

“I liked the trousers and the coat. They were comfy and cosy. The gloves were more softer than my gloves. My hands were warm in the gloves.”

“ They were super good, they were a nice colour and nice and smooth. The gloves were super good. My hands were so sweaty inside.”

“The coat was cosy. I like that it was red. The gloves were soft inside and my hands were dry.”

“Spotty Otter clothes were good. When I went in the water I didn’t get wet. The water didn’t go through the gloves. My hands were very very warm.”

“I liked them because they were warm. They were cold on the outside and warm on the inside. I like the gloves, my hands were hot inside.”

“We got to go splash, splash, splash in the water and my legs didn’t even get wet. The gloves were waterproof, no wet got to my hands.”

 I was wearing Spotty Otter clothes. I have some of the same brand at home. My blue trousers are at home and I have a yellow coat. I liked them because they are red and blue and blue is my favourite colour. The gloves were nice and soft inside and they will save your hands from water so you don’t have to wear seventy more pairs of gloves.”

Its safe to say the Forest Leader Mitts were a big hit with the children!