Scottish Government
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Great outdoors helps young Scots learn
New guidance and a supporting online resource have been launched to assist schools in providing more opportunities for young people to learn outdoors.
Every school in Scotland will be provided with guidance to help teachers take advantage of outdoor education under the new approach through Curriculum for Excellence, including how to involve parents and the local community. An online resource is also being launched, with best practice examples and ideas for suitable and accessible outdoor learning experiences.
Keith Brown, Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, announced the new support on a visit to the 'outdoor classroom' at Auchenblae School in Aberdeenshire.
Mr Brown said:
"Outdoor education can be a fantastic tool for bringing learning to life, stimulating young people's interest in a way that compliments and enhances teaching in the classroom.
"That's why we're committed to ensuring that every child in Scotland has opportunities to take part in outdoor learning. These support materials will help teachers across the country to integrate more outdoor learning in to the curriculum, providing practical advice and a platform for sharing great ideas.
"In Scotland we have an outstanding natural environment on our doorstep that can be utilised to help young people learn. And it's not just the countryside - our towns and cities also have many excellent spaces schools can take advantage of. The new guidance and accompanying online resource will also help share this knowledge and the learning opportunities they can offer.
"It is no surprise that exciting and enjoyable lessons result in deeper learning that gives pupils greater understanding. Outdoor learning is one way that our young people can achieve this, just like the children at Auchenblae School."
Elsie Young, Headteacher of Auchenblae School, said:
"At Auchenblae School and Nursery the children thoroughly enjoy opportunities to learn outdoors. We use the potential of our beautiful location within the school grounds and the local area to maximise learning.
"I believe this approach helps pupils to apply what they are learning to the world around them, as they become responsible citizens who value their immediate and wider environment."
The new online resource has been developed by Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) and will be accessible to schools via Glow, the national schools intranet. Anne Jardine, Director of Learning and Community with LTS, added:
"Outdoor learning plays a key role within Curriculum for Excellence and offers opportunities for all children and young people to experience the outdoors as an educational environment, whether within the school grounds, in urban green-spaces, in Scotland's countryside or wilder environments.
"To support this, LTS has produced a fantastic range of guidance and resources to assist teachers and education practitioners in making learning in the outdoor environment a reality for Scotland's pupils, helping them to meet the social, economic and environmental challenges of life in the 21st century."
In 2009-10 the Scottish Government has provided over £400,000 to support initiatives that promote outdoor learning. These include the Forestry Commission's Education programme; school visits to Bannockburn, Culloden and Robert Burns' Birthplace through the National Trust for Scotland; the Holocaust Educational Trust pupil visits to Auschwitz; visits to Historic Scotland properties; and supporting the Scottish Natural Heritage Grounds for Learning programme.
