everything curriculum | February 2021


It is well understood that learning outside the classroom offers tremendous benefits to pupils, however what is less appreciated is how it can benefit teachers.


Learning outside the classroom engages pupils with learning, they absorb information in a meaningful way, are less distracted and better behaved. Fully engaged and less disruptive pupils means you can spend more time teaching and positively interacting with your pupils, making your job more enjoyable.


Research from Natural England also shows that learning outdoors helps pupils to focus once they return to the classroom. This has been backed up by research from the University of Illinois. In their study, researchers at the US–based university took two classes. For one academic year, 50 per cent of pupils received half their biology lessons outside, and the other 50 per cent received their lessons inside the classroom. Lessons involved activities such as identifying leaves and understanding the process of decomposition. Indoor lessons also featured leaves and soil.


After each lesson, the pupils learning outside returned indoors to continue their timetable. Results from the study showed that when pupils received outdoor biology lessons, they were significantly more engaged in their lessons once they returned to the classroom, compared with those pupils who received their biology lessons indoors. These results were consistent regardless of teacher, time of day or time of year.


Engaged pupils mean teachers don’t need to interrupt lessons to get attention or to redirect behaviour, making the teaching process calmer and less stressful.


In its Natural Connections project, Natural England discovered that taking lessons outside helped to motivate teachers, with 79 percent of teachers taking part in the project


reporting positive impacts on their teaching practice. Almost 70 per cent of teachers said outdoor learning had a positive impact on their job satisfaction and 72 per cent reported improved health and wellbeing.


The evidence is clear, getting children and teachers outside is good for their health, wellbeing and learning (or teaching). For pupils, it can also set them on a pathway to happy, healthy and environmentally sustainable lifestyles.


How to take your learning outside the classroom:


Work with what you have Your school grounds are an easily accessible, cost–effective and convenient resource for learning outside the classroom. Even the most urban and built–up spaces offer opportunities for inspiring sessions. Alternatively, parks and canals are often a short walk from schools. As well as providing the added excitement of being ‘away from school’ they are free, easily accessible and can support a range of subject matters from science and technology to art, geography and history.


Where is the best place to teach this? While all curriculum areas can be taught outside, some topics and activities will work better indoors. Start your planning by asking yourself where the best place to teach a particular topic is. Look at your learning objectives and think where they can best be achieved, then start your lesson planning.


Get support The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom is the national charity dedicated to encouraging and inspiring more teachers to take their teaching beyond the classroom walls. The charity has a wealth of information on how to get started and what to consider when taking your lessons outside. There are also hundreds of free activity ideas from LOtC Quality Badge holders.


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