How To Achieve National Curriculum Success With School Playground

If the space is there, then it should be put to good use.

Offering children fantastic benefits in terms of fun, physical growth, and social development, playgrounds already deliver fantastic value for money. And at a time of austerity, it’s good to know that an investment can go even further. Not only can equipment be incorporated into lesson plans for meeting the physical activities requirements of Ofsted, but can also be put to work on progressing pupils along other parts of the curriculum.

In order to understand how outdoor learning can be of use to schools, consider the following…

• What Is Outdoor Learning?
• What Are The Benefits Of Outdoor Learning?
• How Outdoor Play Equipment Helps Meet Ofsted Aims
• How The Outdoors Makes Learning More Memorable
• How Playgrounds Capitalise On Playtimes For Learning
• How To Use Outdoor Play Equipment For Success In Key Stages 1 And 2

Often mistaken for being only a subject, outdoor learning is also an approach to learning – it isn’t just for getting to know the outdoors better, but an experience which can enhance the learning of other, more traditional classroom subjects.

Lesson plans for a variety of key stage 1 and key stage 2 subjects can be adapted to an outside setting, for both physical and cognitive growth. This gives children the opportunity to learn in different ways, take in more sunlight, and absorb more vitamin D, which benefits their physical and mental health, sleep, and ability to concentrate.

Generally, using school grounds for outdoor learning doesn’t require any supervision that wouldn’t normally be found in a classroom, so no additional staff or volunteers are needed. Reducing a need to travel to other locations for outdoor learning, a well-optimised play area can even save time, money, and preparation planning.

What Is Outdoor Learning?

Overall, outdoor learning is education that involves adventurous activities, environmental comprehension, social development, and an understanding of the ‘real’ world. It is better than a classroom because it offers facets of life which can not be fully experienced there, such as the weather (rain, sunshine), space and freedom, landscape appreciation (both urban and wild), and the four seasons (a chance to explore cyclical events and the festivals which celebrate them).

Outdoor learning can be both a subject and a method. Teaching children in an outdoor setting about matters such as the environment provides them with an excellent opportunity to experience first-hand what is being discussed. But learning outdoors is also useful for other subjects too, even when they are not directly related to the outside. The very act of being out of a classroom allows pupils to face education in a different way – learning outside is very different from doing so in a classroom.

While outdoors children are unlikely to be sat on a comfortable chair, so from the outset their perspective will be different – they may feel more inclined to stand up or wander around. They might be watching whatever the pigeons are up to. It could be chilly. A countless number of factors can contribute to their state of mind and encourage them to make different connections and think in different ways.

‘You need to be prepared for children behaving differently outside’ reveals Juliet Robertson, author of Dirty Teaching: A Beginner’s Guide To Learning Outdoors,’ especially if they have not spent much time undertaking formal lessons outdoors’.

What Are The Benefits Of Outdoor Learning?

Aside from the physical and ‘memory’ benefits (more on that later), a key word when it comes to the benefits of outdoor learning is freedom. Not only does being outside put children at ease due to the formal atmosphere of the classroom being dropped, but they can easily alter their proximity to one another too. Being given access to more space helps them achieve whatever frame of mind they prefer for learning – even when it comes to very traditional classroom activities such as reading.

Sitting at a desk to read alongside 20 other children doing the exact same thing can be a sterile experience. Occupying a natural space makes for better practice at reading in the ‘real world’. Reading outdoors offers something more akin to how people actually read – signs on a street, a novel on the beach, articles on an iPad while waiting for a bus. The distractions they need to deal with are a normal part of the process, and an extra skill they need to develop.

‘To forget about the impact of place is like removing one leg from a three-legged stool’ explains Robertson, ‘the stool is permanently out of balance and much harder to sit on. Ignoring the influence of place when teaching makes your job a lot harder. Nature has inspired generations of artists, writers, inventors and scientists to create and innovate. Thus, as teachers, we can use different places and spaces innovatively to inspire our children’.

And Ofsted agrees.

How Outdoor Play Equipment Helps Meet Ofsted Aims

While there are many benefits to taking pupils outdoors, even more can be done with the use of play equipment specifically designed for the outside.

Incorporating outdoor play equipment into learning and development assists educators in successfully meeting the needs of Ofsted’s EIF (Education Inspection Framework) 4 key judgment grading, particularly their main requirement – Quality of Education.

• Optimising the learning experience, outdoor play equipment enables large groups of children to interact with each other naturally while engaging in activities
• Encouraging independent learning and development, outdoor play equipment aids and complements the progress already made in class
• Outdoor play equipment helps cultivate a desire in children for exploring new things
• Providing a safe space for pupils to discover the outside world, outdoor play equipment allows them to assess risks and make decisions without direct adult guidance
• Maximising the opportunities children have for growth, outdoor play equipment effortlessly utilises playtime for further growth

How The Outdoors Makes Learning More Memorable

‘If you consider your own time at school’, asks Robertson, ‘chances are that your strongest memories will be about your time outdoors… for some reason we appear to remember more outdoor activities even though it is quite likely we spent less time outside than in’.

Research by Chip and Dan Heath, published in the book Made To Stick, supports this idea. Their acronym SUCCES explains why memories made outdoors tend to be more ‘sticky’:

• Simple: Outdoor activities are normally more dependent on materials found in situ and imagination, which requires more direct involvement.
• Unexpected: Interruptions frequently occur when participating in outdoor activities, but they should not be viewed as unwelcome. Apart from brief respite from the primary activity, a cat walking through the play area can help make the time more memorable, and even offer opportunities for new learning objectives.
• Concrete: Learning outside takes place in the ‘real’ world, where people, communities and actual events occur. Coupled with the fact that more practical skills are required with this style of learning, the experience is much more ‘real’ for pupils.
• Credible: Being outdoors is a multi-sensory experience, so applying more senses to learning means more active involvement.
• Emotional: A process that is as much emotional as it is cognitive, learning outside can involve both pleasant and unpleasant situations (feeling the sunshine on your face, accidentally putting your hand in slime). These experiences help children make connections with what they are learning about.
• Stories: It is easier to make stories of outdoor adventures than of being sat in a classroom. By turning acted-out experiences into narratives, children can recall more information.

How Playgrounds Capitalise On Playtimes For Learning

Liberated from any external aims or rewards, ‘free play’ is when children ‘choose what they want to do and how they want to do it’. As explained by Robertson, ‘this is how children learn to socialise, develop independence, improve their physical coordination… learn about grit and resilience, power and control, to apologise and make friends’.

Although all these developmental gains easily justify the encouragement of ‘free play’, there are even further advantages which directly benefit the classroom. ‘I often hear teachers and children comment positively about such experiences and how it helps children to be more settled and better able to concentrate when back in class’, says the expert on learning outdoors. ‘A lot happens at breaktimes. As educators, we can look for opportunities to capitalise upon this and to acknowledge the contribution of playtimes to the rest of children’s time in school’.

Robertson goes on to stress that children need to experience free play all year round, no matter the weather. She claims the benefits of being outside far outweigh any difficulties which come with muddy, wet clothes – and that being cooped-up to avoid the colder climate just leads to cabin fever!

How To Use Outdoor Play Equipment For Success In Key Stages 1 And 2

With regard to physical education, the National Curriculum demands that ‘pupils are expected to know, apply and understand the matters, skills and processes specified in the relevant programme of study’ which include the following goals:

• Develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
• Are physically active for sustained periods of time
• Engage in competitive sports
• Lead healthy, active lives

More specifically, children need to ‘master basic movements… running, jumping, throwing, catching, balance, agility, coordination… develop flexibility, strength, technique, control’ and ‘take part in outdoor and adventurous activity challenges both individually and within a team’.

Key Stage 1

Outdoor play equipment for Key Stage 1 children needs to accommodate their energetic nature while refining burgeoning social skills. Educational, competitive games such as rounders or basketball are ideal activities for developing a sense of sportsmanship, teamwork and strategy alongside physical growth.

Not exclusively, of course, but maths lessons can be made easier by conducting them outdoors. The occasional outside excursion can help children excel at understanding and applying what they have learned about numbers. Hopscotch, snakes and ladders, and various other floor markings and panels are effective methods for incorporating maths into games, and the same principles can also be applied to literacy development.

Key Stage 2

By the time they are at Key Stage 2, children’s understanding of numbers and the world around them has advanced to the point where the focus can shift towards increasing the physical demands of the lessons. Yearning for more complicated movement tasks, activities such as climbing and equipment which reward hand-eye coordination are generally better at retaining the interest of pupils at this age.

The priority here is to take what children have learned and hone their skills to more exacting standards. Now well versed in sports participation, target panels are able to satisfy pupils’ desire to perfect motor skills via dart throwing and ball kicking. Any surplus energy can be burnt by incorporating ropes, logs, and overhead ladders into learning.

Key Stage Learning Beyond The Classroom 

While some of these physical skills can technically be taught indoors during lessons, for the most part they are abilities which need to be polished outside – with regular access to equipment dedicated to frequent and casual use.

‘Using a balance board under the guidance of a teacher during class time is a great way to introduce pupils to a new skill’, explains Tim Broster, one of Creative Play’s Outdoor Play Experts, ‘but realistically, no one can go on to master an ability with such little exposure to it. To fully develop an aptitude for something children need to be able to practice it in their own time, at their own pace, unfettered by adult instruction’.

A survey by Outdoor Classroom Day supports Tim’s advice, their key findings being that ‘getting outdoors results in better learning outcomes, across the board’ and that 97% of teachers believe ‘outdoor play is critical for children to reach their full potential’.

Need Help Creating A Playground Advantageous To Outdoor Learning?

Considering all the facets that need to go into creating the ideal playground for outdoor learning can be overwhelming. Fortunately, Creative Play are here to deliver a breath of fresh air. Our outdoor play experts pride themselves on their specialist knowledge and ability to guide schools to the best set-up for outdoor learning.

By partnering with Creative Play, Key Stages 1 and 2 providers can save money while still delivering top-quality outdoor learning for pupils.

I’d like help creating a great playground for outdoor learning –

Connect me with a Creative Play Outdoor Play Expert!

Interested in getting more from a play area?

Discover How To Choose A Playground That Will Provide The Best Long-Term Investment

Also of Interest:

Learn how to choose equipment that will benefit the development of the 3 fundamental movement skills

Realise how the design flow of a play area contributes to success