The biggest survey of the birdlife in UK schools took place throughout January, with hundreds of children in Oxfordshire watching excitedly to find out which creatures share their playgrounds.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ (RSPB) annual Big Schools’ Birdwatch encourages children and their teachers to look for and count the birds that share their school environment.

Classrooms turned into bird hides and binoculars were fixed to eyes as children stared out of the window — with the blessing of their teachers.

Last year, a record 1,494 children and teachers from 36 schools in the county took part.

Wild birds are an unbeatable teaching resource. Colourful, active and abundant they enthuse and inspire children about the nature outside their classroom windows. The survey also provides a purpose for their observations and helps paint a picture of how our birds are faring and which are the most common visitors to school grounds.

Rachel Wheeler, the RSPB’s regional youth and education officer, said: “The Big Schools’ Birdwatch is a great opportunity to introduce lots of children to the wildlife visiting their school environment.”

Experiencing wildlife firsthand is a vital part of a child’s education, and research has found that such activities can benefit a child’s health both mentally and physically.

Rachel added: “Inspiring children through nature is a key part of our Letter to the Future campaign. We want governments to make a greater commitment to ensure every child has regular, quality, firsthand experiences of the natural environment. How can we expect them to care about the natural world if they don’t experience and enjoy it?”

A host of curriculum-linked learning can flow from the survey. Some schools make the activity the centrepiece of a whole week devoted to learning about wild birds.

Other schools hold birdwatch breakfasts and after-school wildlife clubs. The activity is suitable for children of all ages and it also appeals to teachers because it is fun, and simple to set up.

More than 20 different species have been recorded in school grounds, ranging from starlings and house sparrows, to rooks and pied wagtails. The blackbird took the top spot in 2009, with an average of five seen per school.

Schools who took part watched and counted the birds in their school grounds for a total of one hour over a fortnight, and then sent the results back to the RSPB.

And for the first time, the RSPB introduced a Little Schools’ Birdwatch for early years children. The RSPB teamed up with 3rd & Bird, the award-winning CBeebies pre-school show, to produce the accompanying birdwatch pack.