85%
of children want to take part in countryside activities through school
The Qualified Teacher Status standards should include the provision for practical training of teachers in delivering learning outside the classroom.
In 2008, only six of the 27 schools and colleges inspected by Ofsted that showed outstanding, good or improving outdoor education provision, had detailed knowledge of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto a Government initiative promoting outdoor education. However, even these six schools were unsure of how outdoor learning linked to other national guidance and programmes. A renewed effort is needed by central and local government to raise awareness among teachers of outdoor education resources linked to the curriculum.
While online resources such as The Countryside Alliance Foundation’s Countryside Investigators - can help teachers to link outdoor education to areas of learning within the National Curriculum, the practical delivery of it relies, in part, on the ability of teachers to organise and lead visits. Evidence suggests teachers that receive more training across a range of learning outside the classroom activities, including practical sessions, are more confident about delivering learning outside the classroom.
Despite this evidence, statutory standards for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) and requirements for Initial Teacher Training do not include a requirement for student teachers to spend time with pupils outside the classroom as part of their training. The QTS standard for outdoor learning requires that trainees should be able to identify opportunities for children and young people to learn in the school grounds and in out-of-school contexts such as museums, theatres, field centres and work settings.
Being able to identify opportunities for outdoor learning is useful, but not as valuable as teachers being able to deliver on those opportunities by possessing the skills, knowledge and confidence, through training, to make learning outside the classroom a reality not an academic exercise.
If schools are to respond to the 85 per cent of children and young people that want to enjoy countryside activities through school, a review of the QTS standards is needed to prioritise practical outdoor education skills within teaching training so all new teachers have confidence in delivering learning in this context.
