Politics Home | Outdoor learning must be at the heart of any meaningful solution for NEETs

The inclusion of outdoor learning, nature and adventure in the new school Enrichment Framework is very welcome. As are the references to access to nature, outdoor spaces and adventure activities in the new Youth Strategy.

There isn’t a subject on the curriculum that can’t be enhanced by outdoor learning because learning in and about nature can re-engage learners with education itself, especially those that struggle in a traditional classroom environment.

Outdoor and adventure learning can simultaneously deliver curriculum outcomes, whilst building employability skills, supporting wellbeing, and connecting young people to real-world contexts and environments.

Outdoor learning works. Numerous government funded projects over many years have demonstrated the benefits time and time again. From London Challenge through to Nature Friendly Schools and more recently Generation Green 1 and 2 we’ve seen life changing results.

However, these benefits are still not a guaranteed part of every child or young person’s education. Funded projects are always welcome, as is their focus on the most disadvantaged learners, but piecemeal funding cannot meet the demand.

Those that would benefit the most are often at the highest risk of missing out. There is a risk that outdoor learning experiences are rapidly becoming the preserve of only those who can afford it.  That’s why this charity fully supports Caroline Voaden’s Outdoor Education Bill which aims to guarantee outdoor learning residentials as has happened in Scotland.

The bill is timely as we await Milburn’s recommendations from his Young People and Work review, following his stark warning of a lost generation unless urgent, systemic reform is undertaken.

That’s because outdoor, nature-based adventure learning also has a distinctive role to play in reducing NEETs. It rebuilds confidence and reduces anxiety whilst re-establishing a sense of competence and belonging. Confidence, resilience, and real-world capability matter to those taking their first steps on the career ladder as they transition to adulthood. “I didn’t learn to avoid uncertainty. I learned how to move through it” said a Year 10 Pupil.

It is also, by design, relational. It relies on trusted adults, peer collaboration, and shared challenges. In a system described by Milburn as fragmented and impersonal, that relational dimension is essential. As one student put it “It wasn’t a teaching leading us, it was a teacher helping us lead ourselves”.

Across our network of field centres, we are already delivering the kind of integrated, skills-focused provision that Milburn’s review calls for.

Outdoor and adventure learning must move from the margins to the mainstream – an entitlement, not an optional extra.

This charity is asking Government to publish the delayed Access to Nature Strategy from DEFRA and then work with DfE and DCMS and any Milburn recommendations to pull the policy threads together into a coherent outdoor adventure learning offer for all young people. Yes it will cost. Our 2 night +Adventure residentials start at less than £200, but if we are serious about tackling the truly staggering financial and social cost of rising NEETs, bold action will be needed.

Find out more at https://www.field-studies-council.org/adventure-residential-trips/ or contact [email protected]