Shaping Outdoor Learning in Midlothian

Invitation – Developing a Midlothian Outdoor Learning Strategy – Working Group Meeting Friday 6th October 2017 1330-1500

The virtuous cycle of improvement – Education Scotland HGIOS4 2015

Outdoor learning is becoming an increasingly popular and powerful approach to learning across our schools in Midlothian. As an authority we recognise the importance of this approach and need to grow opportunities for our young people to have “regular and frequent” outdoor learning opportunities that are embedded within the curriculum areas.

Educational visits and Outdoor Learning experiences provide exiting opportunities for our young people to contribute to their learning, allow establishments to develop pupil attainment and deliver many of the elements of the current HGIOS4 framework and the Curriculum for Excellence.

Many of you are already active and providing excellence in this area & there are many great examples of highly successful uses of outdoor learning across the region. A sustainable & cohesive strategy is required however, across Midlothian to enable continued success and to enhance and link these experiences to attainment and learning.

With this and other aims in mind we wish to create a working group that can help shape, develop and enable an outdoor learning strategy for the region that could ultimately result in more of our learners benefiting from successful outdoor learning experiences.

We intend to hold a first meeting on the 6th October 2017 1330-1500 – (Venue TBCF based on expected attendance numbers)

We seek interested parties and “outdoor learning and visit champions” to attend & contribute to what we hope will be an exciting opportunity to develop opportunities for our learners and provide also a local working network for outdoor learning within Midlothian.

Email us at outdoorlearning@midlothian.gov.uk and confirm if you hope to attend. A more detailed agenda and suitable venue will be notified once numbers are confirmed in the coming weeks.

We look forward to seeing you.