“Why Outdoor Education Matters For Young Minds”
Outdoor Learning, a key part of our curriculum, offers our students the opportunity to re-engage with nature and to switch off from their increasingly technology-dominated worlds. They learn to develop their skills in communicating, learning to compromise, to work as a team, to listen, observe and focus, to develop leadership skills, empathy and resilience. Through games, engaging in bushcraft skills, and hands-on learning about our natural world, our students also learn about themselves, giving them the opportunity to develop both emotionally and socially at their own pace.
As pressures on young people continue to rise, outdoor education also offers a simple but powerful way to support their mental health. Recent research from organisations such as Natural England and leading UK universities has highlighted that regular time learning in natural environments can reduce stress, improve mood, and increase focus and resilience in adolescents. It supports emotional regulation, social connection and overall wellbeing; benefits that are especially important during the secondary school years.
Our 32 acres of grounds and woodland, including our own beautiful orchard, wildlife pond, bee hives, cross country route and dedicated Forest School and outdoor learning area, all provide rich opportunities for students to learn, grow and develop outside the classroom, to slow down, and reconnect with nature. Whether used for curriculum learning, group activities or quiet reflection, these spaces as well as the stunning grounds through which students walk interconnecting each building, all allow students an opportunity to reset and regulate, to arrive for lessons refreshed, energised and more focused and better equipped to manage both academic and social pressures.
By drawing our outdoor environment into the school curriculum and underpinning the very ethos of our school, we are not only enriching our students’ learning but actively enhancing their life experience, brightening their world and positively supporting and impacting their mental health and well-being.
