When training or working with schools, I am often asked about different award schemes or accreditations. Or more to the point, school staff usually inform me that they are going for X award or Y status. A quirk of outdoor learning is the sheer abundance of awards to provide an incentive and motivation to get out there.
This intrigues me. One thing we know about effective learning and teaching is that award schemes for children are a form of extrinsic motivation and rarely lead to long term, sustained changes in behaviour and effort. So it is curious that so many have popped up to support schools to do different aspects of learning outside. I often wonder whether award schemes are about schools and outdoor organisations marketing themselves as they are to do with improving the quality and quantity of outdoor experiences. Certainly in my experience of supporting schools, they are one route to making changes but not the only way forward. Many schools do great things without flying the flag for an award-bearing or accrediting organisation.
Saying this, I know the hard work and effort that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that an award is fit for purpose and helps schools make changes to their practice. For schools, it’s one method of accessing a form of support which is clearly spelled out so that you know what you are getting or buying into.
Make sure do your research and ensure it meets the needs of your children and community. Prior to signing up for any accreditation or award scheme, consider:
1. How will the children in your school or class benefit? What will the learning experiences look like and will these be improved through participating in an award? Or are you doing this so that your school can add another logo onto its banners, websites and headed paper?
2. How much does this cost? Many schemes involve shelling out money to have an assessor come and check what you are doing or to simply run the award! No cash = no award. Alternatively, are you being offered resources or financial compensation for undertaking the scheme? Would a bag of sweets make you and your children just as happy?
3.How much of your time is spent producing paperwork? Quite a few award schemes involve putting together evidence that you have jumped through the necessary hoops. A visit to a school and meeting any child – as opposed to the specially chosen ones – and chatting to them about the work that has happened and getting them to show you, is far more revealing than an outdoor learning policy, example lesson plans or photo of a happy class being outside. Check with the award scheme how much paper evidence is needed and how much evidence can be gathered by an external visit or from the children themselves as part of their ongoing classwork.
4. What support do you receive from the organisation that provides the award? Some award schemes you are left to get on with things. Others insist on at least one member of staff having training – even if this is free, consider the time and cover involved. Some have website full of materials, lesson plans, etc. Check if a membership fee is needed to access this. Is there a responsive person in the organisation who can quickly answer any queries you may have?
5. How effective is the award scheme at effecting changes in practice? If there is a school near you which has been involved in this award, then go along and have a look. Is the impact visible – can you tell from the moment you step onto the campus (beyond a flag, banner or framed certificate). What would happen if the person leading the work left -would his or her legacy continue? What do the children think about the scheme? How much of the improvement is directly attributable to being in the award scheme?
6. What will the long term impact of your school’s involvement in the scheme? Ideally award schemes should be a stepping stone to further sustained changes in practice beyond that which the award can cater for. This may sound strange, yet in my experience the totality of embedding outdoor learning is beyond any one process, approach or award.
7. Does the award reflect best practice from evidence-based research? As we need to ensure we truly embed Learning for Sustainability, we know that getting children outside is good, but how this is mediated really matters. Are families actively involved? How much of the scheme is led by children’s interests and passions? Does it include time to simply be outside or to play in a space? In what ways are children connecting to the space? Is it their place that they feel an attachment to? How do past uses and local culture impact? Is the award truly inclusive or is it silently in some way excluding some children?
8. Is the award truly inclusive or is it marginalising some children and their families? Is the award manageable by a child who has specific learning needs or disabilities? Can children with a range of neurodivergent ways of thinking and being understand the purpose of the award and what’s involved? How gender neutral is the award? Does the language and images used by the award provider stereotype people of different genders or ethnic backgrounds? Are a diverse mix of people represented? What flexibility is offered by the award to make appropriate adaptations?
Award schemes
The list below is not comprehensive. It focuses on awards that are available to achieve as a school or class rather than individual and that are aimed at involving children and young people in the achievement of this award. These are the ones I’ve come across. I know there will be many more local schemes. Also outdoor learning and play can come into many other wider schemes such as a Rights Respecting school award. Please do let me know if there are other outdoor-specifc schemes out there.
3. One Seed Forward Garden Schools Award – Scottish
4. The Caley Grow and Learn Awards – Scottish, two schemes to support gardening
5. Eco Schools. Keep Scotland Beautiful also runs the LEAF programme – Learning About Forests.
6. OPAL Primary Programme – play and playtimes
7. Learning Outside the Classroom has various accreditation schemes
8. Junior Forester Award – Royal Forestry Society. There is a Scottish Junior Forester Award for 4-14yr olds too.
9. Woodland Trust Green Tree Schools Award
10. RSPB Wild Challenge – suitable for primary and early years classes
11. NOLA – National Outdoor Learning Award run by the Institute of Outdoor Learning. Focuses on personal development.
12. JASS – Junior Award Scheme for Schools. It has an outdoor activity element. It looks similar to a Duke of Edinburgh award but for younger children and aimed at classes to complete.
13. Heritage Hero Award – Archaeology Scotland
14. Outdoor Learning and Play Champion School Award. Offered by Learning through Landscapes.
What else is out there?
Partner organisations often get funding for projects which run for a few years and getting your school involved in these can be worthwhile. For example, Learning through Landscapes ran a UK-wide Polli:nation project a few years ago. Often a project approach where support is provided for free is a helpful alternative and great professional development opportunity. .
There are many organisations that offer a network of support to help you get going. For instance, should you wish to set up a farm, the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens run a School Farms Network – run voluntarily by practising farm school teachers.
There are many award bearing courses for individuals rather than whole schools or classes which I haven’t mentioned. I’ve also not included secondary school specific awards such as the SCRA Junior Ranger Award for 11-18yr olds.
Finally I would love to know your school’s experiences. Feel free to comment. Likewise, if you work for an award bearing provider and wish to explain the benefits, please do comment.
This post is an updated version of one that previously appeared in April 2016.
As you rightly say Juliet that there are many schemes around and all may fit your own purpose or that of the administration you are working for. One you didn’t mention was Forest School. You may have done but with no glasses on taking the dog for a walk in the woods cannot be a sound judgement call! However, the FS ethos, I love that Scandinavian system it works well for them and is a sound platform, but as you say in one of your points is it right for your system. If it’s just to make sure you have the correct SOP’s in place then other cheaper in cost and time maybe more suitable.
As most of Outdoor Learning is experiential getting out and doing it is the best way. Learn with the children.
Hello Craig
You are correct, Forest School is not listed because it’s an individual award rather than a whole school one. The individual award-bearing course are huge. There’s too many to list or keep track of. I did check the FSA website to see if there was a whole school award or recognition and couldn’t see one listed.
Hope this clarifies 🙂
Really interesting, thanks Juliet. I was saying to someone the other day that only a few years ago schools opted to achieve certain awards which was fun but now it seems there is pressure from authorities to achieve these. This changes the intrinsic motivation for adults to extrinsic too. Great when the passion comes from an adult or child because of the subject not the award. Then the award is a bonus. And the person doing the paperwork doesn’t get time out of class to prepare it and gives up many many hours of time to do it. The children enjoy the sense of achievement and pride at the time but then, apart from the working groups mainly forget about it. I, naively I think, looked at schools with green flag awards when I was looking for a job, thinking they were an indication of their level of outdoor learning. I don’t think there’s a competitiveness amongst schools in our area. But maybe that’s me just not seeing it! Thanks for your interesting articles. Elaine
Thanks for your thoughts Elaine. I think you’ve made a good point here – the awards do not necessarily indicate that a school is ‘very good’ or ‘outstanding’. One element I do like of some awards is the need for annual reviews which involve children – this can make keep the award relevant for every cohort of children. Also with other awards which can be achieved as a class, then the gaining of the award can be a nice form of celebration for other curriculum-based work.