At BSB, our Early Years team is embracing a key focus from this year’s School Development Plan: enhancing our outdoor learning provision to ensure that what children experience indoors is reflected and extended in our outdoor spaces. This approach aligns with a growing body of research demonstrating that the natural environment provides rich opportunities for exploration, creativity, and growth across all areas of learning.
Outdoor learning is not simply “playtime.” It is a powerful, evidence-based educational approach that supports children’s holistic development. The National Literacy Trust highlights the reflections of Forest School leader Alison Tebbs, who identifies several key benefits of outdoor learning, including increased confidence, self-esteem, and social skills, as well as improvements in communication, language, and motivation. When children are encouraged to explore freely, they develop curiosity, problem-solving abilities, and a deeper knowledge of the world around them.
Research in Early Childhood Education supports these ideas. Studies by Waite et al. (2016) and Maynard & Waters (2007) show that outdoor environments promote independence and resilience, allowing children to take appropriate risks and manage challenges in a safe but stimulating context. These experiences are particularly beneficial for developing physical skills and overall wellbeing, as children strengthen coordination, balance, and spatial awareness while engaging with the natural world.
Importantly, outdoor learning also fosters inclusivity and student voice. In outdoor settings, children often feel more empowered to express ideas, collaborate, and lead learning experiences, supporting the principles of child-centred education advocated by theorists such as Froebel and Vygotsky.
By expanding and enriching our outdoor provision, we aim to ensure that our youngest learners experience a balanced curriculum that values exploration, communication, and creativity in every space. Whether building, imagining, investigating, or storytelling beneath the open sky, our early years children are developing the skills, confidence, and curiosity that will shape their lifelong love of learning.
By Stephanie Fedorowicz
Head of School
