CHALFORD Hill Primary School has become the first school in England to be awarded the Pembrokeshire Outdoor Schools Award for its work with Year 1 pupils over the past six months.
The school received the award because of its commitment to promoting the use of the outdoors with its Y1 class and encouraging  learning in all weathers.
With children spending less time outside than in the past, the Outdoor Schools initiative was set-up to help children explore the world around them.
Last September, Chalford Hill Year 1 teacher Alex Moss decided she needed to come up with an activity which would engage her new class - 24 out of 30 of whom were boys.
The class had been slow to bond in reception and there had been problems with attention and academic performance.
Alex set up a weekly 'wild trip' to the woods every Tuesday afternoon in which the class and their teachers, assisted by parents and governors, walk through the village to an area of woods owned by chairman of governors Ann Parrott.
The children have lunch and take part in learning activities and games.
They have done this for the last six months whatever the weather and Alex says they have benefited enormously.
"We saw the change in the children within the first six weeks, when we were at the woods but also back in the classroom," said Alex.
"Their behaviour changed as did the way they got along with each other and they were able to concentrate and work together better. It was quite remarkable.
"Each week there's a different theme. We've made trolls from clay and sticks, built dens, done lots of outdoor art and boiled eggs over a campfire before."
Outdoor Schools is hosting a training event in Chalford for other schools in the area in the summer term.