The Benefits of Outdoor Learning

For 40 years the Rockley Watersports team has provided outdoor classroom adventurous learning for school and groups, career training and professional instructor courses across the two UK and three French centres.

After reading a recent BBC article on how outdoor learning ‘boosts children’s development’ it made me look at what we do at Rockley Watersports and how we work to highlight the benefits of outdoor learning to regional, national and international schools.

The article highlights that for outdoor learning to come out of the shadows it needs to be fully recognised by policymakers. We fully support this aim to allow outdoor activities to become part of the curriculum and see real value in providing schools and groups with outdoor education options.

We travel thousands of miles visiting 250 schools from as far as Scotland and Cornwall across to Lowestoft in the East. This year will see Rockley becoming the largest provider of the BTEC Level 3 course after hosting over 200 students since its launch in 2011, which has increased in popularity year-on-year.

Up to 10,000 school children get on the water and stay with us across our five centres yearly and from our 40 years’ experience we have found that outdoor educational learning develops social skills, builds leadership qualities and improves team work.

As the report states; “…if outdoor learning is part of a school’s curriculum in England, it is largely because the teachers recognise the value of it.” We will continue to promote the benefits and opportunities available to schools and groups and hope that we can all work together to help shape a positive future for children.

Jack Clark, Rockley Schools & Groups Manager