High Quality Outdoor Learning for all
Download this free poster for schools to show how you’re delivering high-quality outdoor learning!
We’ve summarised the 10 outcomes of high-quality outdoor learning (see below) in this fun poster to help you track how your educational visits are supporting high-quality learning. Put it on your wall and use it to plan your next adventure!
What is high-quality outdoor learning?
Learning beyond the classroom can have a powerful impact on students of all ages and abilities. Research shows that, among many other benefits, it can improve their health and wellbeing, boost their confidence and increase their appetite for learning. They can gain confidence, develop their existing skills (and discover new ones) and learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of being outdoors, which can have lifelong benefits.
Outdoor learning can be especially helpful for children and young people who might struggle with mainstream education, giving them greater confidence, improving their behaviour and relationships and helping them to engage with education. Not surprisingly, it has also been shown to help teachers, increasing job satisfaction and contributing to professional development.
Balancing the risks and benefits of outdoor learning
‘Well managed school trips and outdoor activities are great for children. Children won’t learn about risk if they’re wrapped in cotton wool’.
‘Those running school trips need to focus on the risks and benefits to people – not the paperwork’.
‘Teachers should expect their schools to have procedures that encourage participation, are proportionate to the level of risk and avoid bureaucracy’.
- Health and Safety Executive [1]
What does the Education Sector say about learning beyond the classroom?
“‘HSE fully recognises that learning outside the classroom helps to bring the curriculum to life – it provides deeper subject learning and increases self-confidence. It also helps pupils develop their risk awareness and prepares them for their future
working lives’ ”
“‘......learning outside the classroom contributed significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and emotional development’.”
“‘...a residential learning experience provides opportunities and benefits that cannot be achieved in any other educational context or setting.’”
Keen to learn more?
Read more about the evidence behind outdoor learning from the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, here and Institute for Outdoor Learning, here. Learning Through Landscapes also has some great resources and evidence to share.
High Quality Outdoor Learning 2025
High Quality Outdoor Learning is a guideline for outdoor learning, produced by Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL). it offers a framework for schools and other educational settings, providers, practitioners, funders and policy makers to understand the importance of outdoor learning. High Quality Outdoor Learning draws on the expertise of organisations, academics and practitioners, including school staff delivering educational visits and learning beyond the classroom.
Why should I read High Quality Outdoor Learning?
It outlines the structures, practices and outcomes that contribute to high-quality outdoor learning. It sets a benchmark for good practice to help you plan and deliver the best possible outdoor session or residential visit for children and young people.
Download a copy today!
High Quality Outdoor Learning is published by Institute for Outdoor Learning.
Ten outcomes for high-quality outdoor learning
When providers and practitioners are delivering progressive high quality outdoor learning, they and other observers will see participants who are:
Learning to appreciate the benefits of physical fitness and the lifelong value of participation in healthy active leisure activities.
Developing their self-awareness and social skills, and their appreciation of the contributions and achievements of themselves and of others.
Becoming receptive to the natural environment and understand the importance of conservation and pro environmental behaviour.
Developing a positive attitude to challenge, learning and adventure.
Developing personal confidence and character through taking on challenges and achieving success.
Acquiring and developing a range of skills and knowledge as a result of, and in support of, their participation in outdoor activities, recreation and exploration.
Demonstrating increased initiative, self-reliance, responsibility, perseverance, tenacity and commitment.
Developing and extending their key skills of communication, problem-solving, leadership and teamwork.
Displaying an increased motivation and appetite for learning that is contributing to raised levels of achievement and progress in other aspects of their development.
Broadening their horizons and becoming aware of a wider range of recreation and employment opportunities and life chances, life choices and lifestyles.
The above outcomes are reproduced from High Quality Outdoor Learning 2025.
How to use High Quality Outdoor Learning 2025
Use part 1 to help you explain the benefits of educational visits and outdoor learning to senior leaders, governors, parents, school staff and your students.
Understand the responsibilities of providers and practitioners and how this is assessed (part 2.1).
Use the questions and reflection points in part 2.2 to inform your planning, as the basis for observations and to identify areas for improvement.
Refer to the 10 HQOL outcomes (part 2.3) in your planning and evaluations. How could you use them to help you seek feedback from participants?
Download your free poster
Visualise your impact; identify goals; plan your visits
[1] School trips and outdoor learning activities: Tackling the health and safety myths 2011. Available here: https://www.hse.gov.uk/education/assets/docs/school-trips.pdf
[2] Learning Outside the Classroom, Ofsted, 2008. Available here: https://ltl.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/learning-outside-the-classroom.pdf
[3] Findings of the Learning Away Project https://www.learningaway.org.uk/impact/