Helping teachers deliver outdoor learning in the curriculum
Taking the curriculum outside can improve attainment, increase engagement, and develop a wide range of skills including problem solving, communication and resilience. Outdoor learning also provides endless opportunities for experiential, contextual and applied education.
At a time when we are increasingly concerned about the physical and emotional wellbeing of our children and young people, and question whether they will leave education with the skills and competencies they will need for the future, outdoor learning brings with it a range of benefits which are now widely evidenced, acknowledged and accepted.
- Outdoor Learning is at its most potent when it is interwoven within the formal school curriculum.
- By taking a holistic view of all the environments available – from school yard to mountain tops – we can maximise the learning potential of such spaces and our students.
The Institute has a range of resources to support Teachers in bringing Outdoor Learning into their curriculum. We are strong supporters of the aims of the government’s ‘nature-friendly schools programme’ announced to create school grounds that support learning about the natural world and also keep children happy and healthy.
Resources for Teachers
Horizons Article Archive
The searchable database of past Horizons articles provides access to hundreds of articles on outdoor learning practice that can inspire thinking and offer solutions to your problems or challenges.
INSET - Enabling Outdoor Learning CPD for Teachers
Designed specifically with schools in mind, IOL provides and accredits CPD events to give teachers the confidence, skills and ideas to take teaching out into school yard and local area. Learn More...
National Outdoor Learning Award
This FREE downloadable resource from IOL assists learners to develop high levels of motivation, esteem, skill, knowledge and desire to learn. NOLA can be used to recognise and capture the personal development outcomes of participants during an outdoor learning experience.
Outdoor Education Advisors Panel National Guidance
A key resource from OEAP to support planning and delivery that is inclusive of the full range of provision for young people, including by schools, youth services, other formal and informal settings, and provision in the public, private, voluntary and charitable sectors. It covers provision across England and Wales. If you are based in Scotland, please follow this link to the website of the Scottish Advisory Panel for Outdoor Education (SAPOE)
Environmental Learning Handbook
This resource from the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel contains 25 laminated cards that support learning, encourage working together, promote positive attitudes to the natural environment and an understanding of a young person’s place within it.
High Quality Outdoor Learning
This booklet from the English Outdoor Council brings together 10 key outcomes from progressive high quality outdoor learning. An excellent resource if you need to identify and describe the benefits of outdoor learning for young people.
IOL 7 Steps to CPD
Use this valuable FREE resource from IOL to reflect on your professional skills, knowledge and understanding when leading outdoor learning sessions, and to plan and record your CPD activity.
IOL Accredited Courses
Are you delivering an alternative curriculum that includes preparing young people to assist and instruct others in outdoor activities? IOL can accredit your course and give industry credibility to your school’s approach.
Schools Enrichment Booklet
A checklist of activities for children from Reception to Year 6. Teachers and/or Parents can use this checklist to plan activities or encourage a child to plan activities for themselves.
Out to Play
A practical guidance for creating outdoor play experiences in early learning and childcare from the Scottish Government. It is a step-by-step guide providing practical advice on how to access outdoors spaces to create safe, nurturing and inspiring outdoor learning experiences.