Outdoor learning: a whole-system approach to learning, wellbeing and place

Introduction

Outdoor learning is one of Wales’s strongest levers for improving wellbeing, skills and attainment across all ages, while also strengthening communities and local places. As the Wales Council for Outdoor Learning, the task is to ensure that high quality outdoor learning becomes a consistent, expected part of every child and young person’s experience, in ways that reflect how learning happens across schools, communities and the wider youth sector.

Who we are and our role

The Wales Council for Outdoor Learning brings together partners from education, youth work, environment, culture, health and the voluntary sector to champion outdoor learning for all learners in Wales. It provides a collaborative platform for sharing practice, developing resources and influencing policy so that outdoor learning is understood and supported as a core approach to learning across formal and non-formal settings.

Each year, Wales Outdoor Learning Week showcases how schools, youth organisations and community providers are using local green spaces, school grounds and wider landscapes to enrich learning and wellbeing. The 2026 theme of high quality outdoor learning reflects a shared commitment to move beyond occasional “treat” activities towards regular, well planned and inclusive learning experiences that span education, youth, community and lifelong learning settings.

What the evidence tells us

A growing body of Welsh research links regular outdoor learning to the four purposes of the Curriculum for Wales, highlighting benefits for physical health, curiosity, problem solving and engagement. National reviews show that when schools plan for progressive outdoor experiences, learners demonstrate increased motivation, enjoyment and opportunities to apply skills in real-world contexts.

Long-term research also shows gains in resilience, independence and social skills, particularly for those who struggle in traditional classroom settings. Forest School studies in England and Wales point to improvements in confidence, communication, teamwork and physical skills where learning takes place regularly in outdoor environments.

Importantly, this evidence base also reflects learning that happens beyond the classroom. Community‑based and youth‑led outdoor learning, delivered outside the formal school day, reinforces and extends these outcomes by offering space for voluntary participation, peer leadership and sustained relationships with trusted adults. Together, school‑based and non‑school provision form a coherent learning journey rather than separate or competing models.

Equity, wellbeing and communities

High quality outdoor learning is an equity issue as well as an educational one. Recent policy evidence highlights how immersive outdoor experiences can improve wellbeing, self-esteem and sense of belonging across a wide range of backgrounds, including those experiencing socio-economic disadvantage and additional learning needs.

Residential and community-based outdoor learning also contributes to local economies and community wellbeing by sustaining skilled jobs, supporting local suppliers and strengthening connections between people and the landscapes they share. By deepening understanding of local natural and cultural heritage, outdoor learning supports cynefin - a sense of belonging to place shaped by relationships with people, culture, language and the natural environment – and encourages people to see themselves as active contributors within their communities.

Outdoor learning and the Well‑being of Future Generations Act

These outcomes align closely with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. High quality outdoor learning supports all seven wellbeing goals, contributing to a healthier, more equal and resilient Wales; strengthening cohesive communities and cultural identity; supporting prosperity through skills and confidence; and encouraging global responsibility through environmental understanding and stewardship.

By developing confidence, wellbeing and connection to place, outdoor learning acts as a preventative intervention, reducing future pressures on health, education and social services. Delivered collaboratively across schools, youth provision and community settings, it also reflects the Act’s five ways of working in practical, visible ways.

A moment of opportunity for the Senedd

Wales already has a strong policy foundation through the Curriculum for Wales, alongside national professional learning and qualification frameworks that support outdoor learning across formal education, youth work and community provision. Recent debates and policy material show broad recognition that outdoor learning contributes to health, skills, equality of opportunity and wider wellbeing outcomes across the life course.

At the same time, access, leadership and funding remain inconsistent. Some schools, youth organisations and community providers offer rich, sustained outdoor experiences, while others struggle to maintain even basic provision. Non-formal providers often bridge these gaps, yet their contribution is not always fully recognised or integrated into strategic planning.

The next Senedd therefore has a clear choice: allow this variability to persist, or act to make high quality outdoor learning a realistic entitlement across the whole system of education, youth, community and lifelong learning in Wales.

What needs to happen next

From the perspective of the Wales Council for Outdoor Learning, several priorities stand out for Members of the Senedd:

• Embed high quality outdoor learning as core practice within Curriculum for Wales implementation, including expectations within inspection, improvement planning and professional learning, while recognising the complementary role of learning that happens beyond the school gate.

• Invest in people through sustained support that equips educators, youth workers and wider practitioners to design and deliver inclusive outdoor learning across settings.

• Support access and infrastructure so that every community has safe, usable outdoor spaces for learning, and so that those facing the greatest barriers can draw on targeted support, partnerships and funding.

Central to this is working with the Wales Council for Outdoor Learning and its member organisations as strategic partners. The Council already brings together expertise, practice and delivery capacity across education, youth, environment and community sectors. By drawing on existing resources and the momentum of Wales Outdoor Learning Week, the Senedd has an opportunity to better align education, health, climate and community objectives through a single, trusted partnership.

High quality outdoor learning is not a single programme or project. It is a practical way of realising Wales’s ambitions for children, young people and communities, as set out in the Curriculum for Wales and the Well‑being of Future Generations Act. With clear political commitment in the next Senedd term, Wales can move from pockets of excellence to a genuinely national approach where everybody, in every community, benefits from regular, meaningful learning in and about the outdoors.