Increasing pupils cultural capital through outdoor learning experiences

One way of thinking about cultural capital is that it is an individual's social assets that enable them to succeed and thrive in wider society through education. Examples of social assets are education, intellect, skill and behaviours and they can be learnt through experiences and opportunities.

Each individual possesses their own cultural capital that they have developed throughout their life. It has now become a focus of Ofsted to ensure that teachers use the curriculum to enhance the experience and opportunities available to children, particularly the most disadvantaged, to ensure the continued development of cultural capital - something they describe as essential knowledge that pupils need to be educated citizens. Expanding upon the objectives of Citizenship, SMSC and PSHE, the development a child's cultural captial can be achieved through activities like travel, or music, or indeed anything that gives them access to new opporuntities and experiences.

It is important to recognise that every child is unique and that they are constantly learning. However, the focus on cultural capital is intended to give children the social assets to be resilient, capable, confident and able to thrive in a range of social and academic environments. All of which will help children achieve a better standard of education.

How can school trips help develop a child's cultural capital?

Perhaps your class have not had much experience in a rural environment. Children who grow up in cities have a very different life experience to those in smaller towns or villages. Planning a school trip into the countryside, or giving them the chance to try activities like pond dipping, or bushcraft skills, would be a great way to build their cultural capital. Alternatively, your class may be from a rual area without much exposure to, or experience of, the arts. Why not consider a theatre trip, or a visit to a city like London, Manchester or Birmingham.

If the majority of a school's students are from a single ethnic group, those students many be missing out on experienceing other cultures and appreciating differences. Schools can plan and deliver a variety of workshops or day trips; immersive experiences of cultures and faiths that they may not have had much exposure to previously.

If the school's context is an area of low socio-economic status, children may start their school life with little cultural capital. Trying to offer the children experiences that will spark their interest in specific subjects like science and maths, or music and the arts, can show them the different ways these subjects can affect their lives and futures.

On a national level, language teachers look for opportunities to increase pupils cultural capital through experiences of the French or Spanish speaking world. This could be through engaging with music, art, food, dance, language or the countries themselves. School trips and workshops can expand a student's cultural capital in a variety of ways, helping their social, moral, physical, personal, spiritual and cultural development.