School and centre grounds

Explore the ways learning can take place outside but remain within the boundaries of your grounds, or close by. Use the spaces most accessible to you and bring learning to life in an exciting and engaging way. 

Getting started

The advantages of taking learning outside are extensive and are often not always immediately obvious:

• the opportunity to make mess, to explore and discover, and to make noise
• the fact that mentally and emotionally the outdoors is a very different place from the classroom.

Regular access to a safe and stimulating outdoor space provides an opportunity to deliver all aspects of the formal, informal and hidden curriculum in a way that meets the needs of children and young people for hands-on experiences and physical activity.

Some grounds already offer a variety of learning opportunities, others have yet to maximise their potential, but all grounds, however small or featureless, can contribute with a little development.

Outdoor learning begins in the playground

If you are planning a visit beyond the school gates with children or young people, why not develop your ideas or practise in your school grounds first? The playground and surrounding space can be ideal for follow-up activities too - reinforcing and extending the learning gained from the visits further afield.

Developing your grounds

You don't need a big area to achieve excellent learning and teaching in your grounds, and there is plenty of experience to learn from. Why not start by asking other schools in your local area? Or, for a small membership fee, you can join Grounds for Learning (GfL), the school grounds charity for Scotland.

GfL runs a programme designed for Scottish schools, helping them use and develop their grounds to provide better teaching, learning and play opportunities. Visit the GfL website to find out more and get access to free advice.

Support material

If you would like to develop your grounds for biodiversity, visit Scottish Natural Heritage’s website. You could also participate in the Eco Schools programme, and undertake the biodiversity or school grounds modules.

Developing your grounds also offers a variety of ways to engage local partners. Building these links can be essential to developing a useful space, and learners can become involved in the process of working with partners, too. For example, perhaps a local garden centre can provide plants and advice, or even a member of staff to work with children and young people to deliver a session on looking after a garden, or on wildlife gardening. Other organisations may also be able to help, so have a look at our useful organisations pages.