Secondary school students report that outdoor lessons are more interesting, varied and relaxed, and that their teachers are friendlier outdoors.
Developing your school grounds is a great opportunity to develop Citizenship skills – consultation, collaboration, problem solving and decision-making. One teacher commented how ‘most importantly the students learnt they can work as a team. A lot of kids don’t like team work – there’s too much rivalry’.
In one school where the school grounds project was carried out through the Technology curriculum, students gained ‘an understanding of the things that happen when you design things, as well as first-hand experience of time scheduling, seeing machines, learning about industrial safety and planning’ (Head of Technology).
School grounds can be developed to provide field-work opportunities that would otherwise require expensive and time-consuming off-site visits.
Schools providing vocational and applied courses can use the grounds to provide a real context for students, and at the same time, bring about improvements such as environmental features, seating areas or gardens that benefit all the school.
In fact all subjects can benefit from using the grounds to inspire lesson activities, showcase student work, or provide additional facilities for study. Scotland's Curriculum for Excellence recognises that learning is embedded in experience. By taking learning outdoors we remove the barriers that the traditional classroom can put up between young people and first-hand, real-life experiences. Outdoor learning is hands-on and direct, and the knowledge that pupils gain from it is real, first-hand and unforgettable. 
