Back to School (again)

Another summer holiday has flown by and once again, we find ourselves on the cusp of a new school year, at the beginning of September and looking forward to the year ahead. It doesn’t feel like we’ve actually had much of a summer this year and it is certainly feeling very autumnal already. Consequently, we’ve been thinking about the seasons and the timing of the school year and how it might actually aid learning.

Historically, schools started in September so that children would be free over the spring and summer to help their parents and families with the busiest time of the year for farming and industry. Whether that was actually being out helping with picking and harvesting, or helping with younger siblings to free up adults to work, it wasn’t until the autumn that children were free enough to be able to leave home and attend school (1).

However, we’d also argue that there is another huge benefit to school starting at this time of year. If we look at what the natural world is doing earlier in the year, it is largely a time of movement and growth. Trees and plants are flowering, animals are emerging from hibernation and being active, the increased presence of the sun energises everything it touches. So too, as humans, we are most likely in the spring and summer months to be active, to be outdoors, to be in a very physical state.

But as autumn starts to roll around, things start to slow down. A more liminal space presents itself as we start to move less, to be more reflective, to not be so occupied with high energy pursuits. It seems therefore, a fantastic time to re-enter the world of education (in the form of school) as we can engage with our thinking bodies and let our physical bodies rest. We can focus on introspection, on following lines of enquiry and investigation, on our learning journeys.

That is not to say that we should stop going outside or stop moving as autumn arrives. But it is to acknowledge a general shift that occurs for many of us and to observe that perhaps, this shift comes at a time that fits quite seamlessly into heading back to school and a more structured form of education, after a long summer of freedom and expressing ourselves through movement.

So as our children (and for those educators out there) head back to school this week, perhaps take some time to notice the changes you see in them (or feel in yourself) and talk to them about the seasonal shifts that occur and how they might fit into the rhythms of our lives.

Regardless of whether you agree with our musings on this or not, we hope that the return to school is a positive experience for all those out there. But if not (and for many, for a myriad of reasons, it won’t be), why not re-read our post from last year ‘5 Tips for the New School Year’ aimed at those supporting children that might be finding this a difficult time of the year.

Author: Hannah Durdin, Content Officer & Forest School Leader

Date: Monday 2nd September 2024