Pre-Prep teacher Ali Ross took one look at her classroom's sea view and knew she had to make use of this valuable teaching resource.

Shortly afterwards, she enlisted the support of Sussex Wildlife Trust who developed an inset day at Ovingdean Beach for the entire Pre-Prep and Prep School staff.

The Wild Beach Training day saw teachers discuss how to bring in the beach’s resources across the curriculum, from exploring marine life in the rock pools to crafting a boat from what could be found on the beach.

Now Years 1,2 and 3 have already started sessions down at the beach and Ms Ross is putting together a development plan to ensure that regular beach trips become part of the curriculum and are woven into all subjects.

She said: “We have such an amazing resource right on our doorstep. I genuinely believe we need to educate the children about the ocean because they are the future custodians of it. We should be encouraging an appreciation and enjoyment of it which will sow a seed for the ocean’s care in the future. They need to know that the beach is not just for barbecuing and getting a tan.”

She added: “We can weave in ‘beach school’ across so many subjects. In English, we make up stories and poems about coastal life, in science we look at the many living things that inhabit our shoreline and in geography we discuss the world’s oceans and continents. And, of course, the children love it!”