How It Works

What we do

Nature Friendly Schools  will develop teachers’ confidence to embrace and drive forward outdoor learning. We will improve school grounds, creating outdoor spaces that are natural, with wildflower patches, sensory gardens and trails, container ponds and green spaces. Pupils will be able to see nature close-up - from beautiful damselflies to minibeast hunts, and even meeting a frog!

How do we do this?

An education Officer will work with schools to provide training and practical support for staff. They will provide ideas for curriculum-linked activities and games and advice on how to overcome the challenges of teaching outdoors. They will also help schools access local green spaces, highlighting learning opportunities that are not possible on school grounds.

Project partners will identify low maintenance improvements to school grounds to enable effective and creative outdoor learning to take place. These will be designed in collaboration with staff and pupils.

What next?

It does not finish when the project comes to an end. We will help schools to identify opportunities within the school year and within teaching topics for future and ongoing outdoor learning opportunities. This will ensure schools can sustain and develop their outdoor learning provision beyond the duration of the Nature Friendly Schools Project.

Initially the project is focussing on some of the schools with the highest proportion pupil premium but will be rolled out further afield in the project’s second and third years, so if your school is not eligible right now, it could be in the future. 

The Nature Friendly Schools network will grow exponentially as more schools engage with the project. This will allow for increased cross-organisational sharing of best practice, guidance, tips and support and provide a platform to monitor and track progression through tailored CPD sessions, webinars and e-learning. We will also add lots of free resources to the website so that all schools can benefit.