Proposal #4: Investment in off-site and outdoor education programmes for children

By Warwick Sharp

Outdoor learning is an incredibly powerful way of both enriching the curriculum and boosting educational attainment. When schools take young people on trips outside of the classroom subjects come to life and can excite even the most disengaged students. However, there is extremely patchy provision which has been declining over recent years. This represents one of the most staggering areas of unexploited potential in British education today.

You go outdoors because there are things you learn outside that you cannot learn anywhere else. This is especially true for the most disadvantaged young people in society. I vividly remember as a teacher helping to lead a Year 7 outwards bounds trip to Wales and being amazed by the students’ reaction to their new surroundings. These 12 year olds from a deprived part of London were utterly astounded by sheep, forests, and acres of green space; things which most of us take completely for granted. Without this outdoors trip they may never have escaped an entirely concrete school experience.

Outdoor learning activities are in fact shown to help all students. Those who usually do well become more versatile learners and those who usually struggle can awaken potential and surpass expectations. A Review of Research on Outdoor Learning explains how value can be added to everyday experience in the classroom. ‘Changing Minds: The Lasting Impact of School Trips’ illustrates how much school trips can influence lives. The effects on teamwork skills, personal wellbeing and active citizenship are hugely positive.

Given the clear importance of learning outside of the classroom, surely it is extremely unfair that it varies so much from school to school with some students receiving literally none? What is more, outdoor learning is now declining altogether. Professional bodies such as the Field Studies Council and the Children’s Play Council believe there are now diminishing opportunities and access. Perhaps even more worryingly, evidence shows that quality is declining as fast as quantity.

All students should have the right to outdoor learning and this needs to be matched by adequate funding, staff, and support. The government must make important decisions to deliver real investment and improvements to learning outside the classroom.

Firstly, there should be a commitment to invest a certain minimum amount of money on outdoor learning for each student, perhaps in the form of a voucher to be spent by the school each year. Secondly, the DCSF could provide more guidance and structure about learning outside of the classroom to demonstrate its value to schools. Thirdly, schools need to develop more productive relationships with outdoor learning providers including facilitating training for teachers. Fourthly, it is possible to encourage many parents to take a more active interest in the outdoor learning of their children.

Finally, we must end the false perception that there is a high degree of risk attached to outdoor education. In 2003 a teacher was jailed for manslaughter following an incident when a 10 year old was swept away and drowned. Publicity and media coverage of field trips since has deterred staff from taking away students. Those who take reasonable care and follow guidelines must always be sure of a fair response otherwise fear will drive down outdoor learning even further.

A wide range of countries such as Norway and Canada achieve significantly higher levels of outdoor learning than we do. In Britain excellent practice is limited to only some schools. We need to significantly improve how our schools take young people outside of the classroom if we are to fulfil their potential.