This year, St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School in Longnor is breaking the mould and venturing beyond the classroom.

At St Bartholomew’s, it is believed that learning does not stop at the classroom door. Spurred on by the knowledge that outdoor experiences allow children exciting opportunities to explore, discover and apply their learning in real life contexts, staff and pupils are thrilled to be leaping out of the gates and into their local community.

It has only been four weeks since schools returned after the summer break and already, the pupils at St Bartholomew’s have been out and about; upholding local traditions and making links between their education and how this applies in real life.

Sitting at the heart of the picturesque village of Longnor, near Buxton, and surrounded by beautiful scenery, St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School is primely located to take advantage of the learning opportunities within a community steeped in history and traditions. During September, the children were able to experience and support a long-held tradition of their village, as they watched the Junior Gymkhana at Longnor Races. Also, a walk to St Bartholomew’s Church afforded the chance to learn about the historical custom of well dressing, where pupils respectfully watched and heard from members of the community delicately working on the wonderful displays, which later appeared around Longnor village. Most recently, Year 1 pupils went on a short walk to look at different types of houses as part of their DT lesson on structures, and just this week children in Key Stage 1 and 2 visited Poole’s Cavern, linking to their current science topics on rocks and materials. These educational visits are just the start of what will be a school year filled with exploration; allowing children to better understand, visualise and remember their learning.

St Bartholomew's CE Primary School pupils taking their learning outdoors.

placeholder image — St Bartholomew's CE Primary School pupils taking their learning outdoors.

Mrs Richardson, the Key stage 1 teacher, who also oversees the Early Years provision, shared that “our school motto is to ‘nurture, grow and flourish’ and being a small school, we are in a privileged position of knowing all of our children and families very well, and therefore have a solid understanding of how our pupils learn best.”

By taking lessons outdoors, teaching staff at this village school are committed to providing a broad and balanced curriculum, where real life experiences are aligned with learning outcomes to enhance the education of their pupils. The school values of joy, creativity, courage, kindness and respect run throughout the school community and form the foundations that allow learning beyond the classroom to be a success. Children and staff alike are encouraged to be courageous in their learning, while embracing a creative and personalised curriculum that instils joy into the school day.

In June 2025, St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School joined The Moorlands Primary Federation and the staff, children, parents and wider community are excited for the future of their wonderful school.

You can visit St Bartholomew’s CE Primary School by attending their Open Events: