Tips and tricks for teachers: how outdoor learning boosts student wellbeing

The pressures of Ofsted, results, targets and constantly moving goalposts can mean that learning in a natural, or non-classroom setting, feels like a hassle too far. But our live discussion on how outdoor learning boosts student wellbeing showed that there are many reasons why getting out of the classroom should be a priority, and many ways it can support teachers to meet all the demands they face in a student-friendly way. Here are some highlights from the chat:

The benefits

Self-esteem boost
There are the obvious benefits, such as learning about and taking care of our natural environments and the creatures and plants that inhabit them – as well as physical exercise and refining motor control while developing strength and coordination.

But for me it’s about what happens when children are in nature that really counts. Active learning and play outdoors are essential to children’s health and development. Children’s fitness levels improve and they learn about the differences in their bodies before and after exercise. Physical activity releases endorphins so there are psychological benefits, such as improved self-esteem.
Lisa Causer, reception teacher at Thorpe House school

Find calmness and focus
Just providing space outside for revision can help to calm and focus the mind. All the teachers I have been working with who have mindfulness programmes in their schools have found that “sit” spots or “magic” spots in natural outdoor spaces really help with their mindfulness practise – both indoors and outdoors. Being alone but not lonely in a special outdoor place really helps students tune into the present and focus their thoughts and feelings, while acknowledging all the other “stuff” that enters our heads. Using the sensory faculties then brings us back to the present. It is often a real de-stressor.
Jon Cree, chair of the Forest School Association and training coordinator for Bishops Wood Centre

Boost the sense of community
Outdoor learning can be a powerful tool for exploring community connections and helping students to foster a culture of collaboration. These factors make it a great way to explore self-identity, esteem and other character building traits.
Paul Moseley, executive director at Forest Schools Education

Apply learning in real-life settings
Getting to grips with taught concepts in a nature setting can bring topical or real-life elements in teaching to the fore. This boosts classroom work, helps students to feel that their work has real meaning and they can learn how to apply their knowledge in new ways.
Cherry Duggan, head of schools and youth at WWF-UK

Makes learning more memorable
We often hear that there is no time to do outdoor learning because of the pressures of maths, literacy and other curriculum learning, but we should be taking maths, literacy, science, geography, etc outside. Research shows that learning outside the classroom is more memorable and more engaging; it can have a much greater impact on students than sitting in the classroom.
Victoria Wilcher, communications and marketing manager for the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

How to…

Simple teaching options
Even one tree can offer a wide range of teaching options. Here are some examples: draw the tree, watch a seed fall and tell its story in poetry, make faces to put on the tree and tell the story of what they see once the class has left, study the tree as a habitat and construct food chains, investigate variation in leaves and use angles to estimate the height of the tree. The possibilities are endless.
Debbie Hicks, farmer and educational consultant. Her farm is open to schools as Stokehill Education and Training

Wild space on a budget
I’ve worked with lots of schools looking at how they can incorporate more outdoor learning and play into their classroom teaching. Some have been blessed with amazing grounds, others with tarmac and maybe a planter. But you can do many things to re-wild a playground and add in natural learning resources. One school set about making a nature corner in a small courtyard. Then they made wildlife films about the area showing how it was buzzing with wildlife.
Jo Taylor, head of Sustainable Learning, a programme supporting teachers to inspire children about sustainability and the environment

The green schools series is supported by the WWF. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled “brought to you by”. Find out more here.