FEATURE: OUTDOOR LEARNING


children’s academic results and memories. There is a wide body of evidence suggesting


that spending more time learning outdoors has a positive impact on pupil behaviour. It provides variety, a refreshing new setting and a ‘break’ from the normal routine. The motivation boost lends to this positive behaviour, as students feel trusted and empowered, learning to care, work together and achieve in different ways. In addition, outdoor learning can be


particularly beneficial for those pupils with diagnosed behavioural or learning difficulties, who may at times find the classroom overwhelming. Taking a step outdoors allows them to express themselves more suitably, the sounds can have calming effects and the demands on their senses are less heightened. Some will argue that the recorded positive


impact outdoor learning has on a young person’s social skills, confidence, relationships with peers and independence outweighs the associated intellectual development and improved in-school behaviour. Outdoor learning provides opportunities to develop life-long skills, supports wider learning and helps a student develop broader interests. It also boosts observational skills and curiosity.


Modern life moves so quickly but engaging with outdoor learning encourages students to take notice of our surroundings, how they change throughout the year and how nature offers as an alternative classroom to that with four walls. Outdoor learning provides an opportunity for the pupil to reflect on the world around us, even if it is not the focus of that particular lesson. Learning outdoors enhances a pupils’ direct


experience of our surroundings, providing them with opportunities to forge connections with nature – something that we humans have an innate desire to obtain. ‘Nature deficit disorder’ is when this is denied and can lead students suffering from difficulties with paying attention, diminished use of their senses and higher rates of physical and emotional illness. As a societal and global benefit extending from


these connections with nature, time spent learning outdoors then is likely to increase a pupils’ care for the environment. I don’t think it can be argued that this doesn’t in turn impact the student individually. In the current climate crisis, we are all feeling the effects and have a role to


play in effecting change. With an abundance of benefits stemming from


outdoor learning, it is surprising that there aren’t more widespread efforts to increase engagement. Whilst UK schools were participating in distance learning for Outdoor Classroom Day 2020, statistics from the previous year indicate that 44% of participating teachers increased the amount of outdoor learning they delivered post-event. For those who have concerns regarding its


impact on time spent addressing the curriculum (a particular concern for some, we know, as we progress through the pandemic recovery phase), we can learn from other countries who are leading the way in weaving outdoor learning into their educational fabric. Udeskole is a Scandinavian concept, characterised by compulsory curriculum-based outdoor learning for those aged 7-16 on a regular basis. In Denmark, where 14% of schools practice udeskole, it is not only a method of teaching but a movement to redefine schooling. Why, then, should our push for outdoor


Image: Tom Marshall May 2021


learning efforts be restricted to just one day a year here? Don’t say the weather – the UK has a similar number of rainy days in comparison to the Netherlands (156 vs 139, respectively), where Forest Schools are increasingly popular. Forest Schools employ a method of learning in which the students ideally spend most of their day outside, albeit with less pressure on curriculum adherence. The concept is growing in the UK too,


with the TES Healthy School of the Year 2019 (Fairfield Primary in Cumbria) introducing a weekly ‘Forest School’ day for students. Admittedly, there are other perceived barriers


to outdoor learning. Our #LearnMoreOutdoors campaign resources addressed these barriers, and the Our Bright Future Youth Advocates suggested practical and simple ways to overcome them. Many of them only require a little imagination or encouragement. We appreciate that there are many teachers who indeed are willing to engage with outdoor learning, as evidenced by the success of such initiatives as the Outdoor Classroom Day, but feel these barriers hinder their capacity. With all the benefits there are to outdoor


learning, we believe there needs to be support built-in to the education system in order to make it feasible for teachers to deliver. The outdoors can be entwined seamlessly into the curriculum as there are so many modules for which the outdoor classroom is the perfect backdrop, or indeed a supporting teacher. There is a wealth of human history and culture


intimately connected with our relationships with the outdoors. We grew and gathered plants for food and medicine, mathematics and scientific theories were linked to patterns and cycles in the natural world. When we highlight how barriers can be overcome, every school subject can in some way be connected and exemplified in the world outside the classroom, and to the benefit of our students.


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