The Midlothian Council Learning Service is now closed. Thank you to all the Midlothian Education establishments for the amazing support and enthusiasm for supporting this approach to learning over the lifetime of the service. Over just the last 10 years alone a fantastic +24,500 pupils had an outdoor learning experience and 3600 staff received training with the service.
The store function will remain open through 2018-19 to help support schools and practitioners who continue to use the outdoors as an approach to learning to deliver CfE experiences & outcomes and wider achievement awards. A range of equipment and resources are available to borrow/hire to support leaning activity. Get in touch with the stores for more information
Training for Visit Leaders and Visit coordinators is also still available as are the SQA accredited First Aid Training courses. Training details are still available in the CLPL drop down menu.
The Outdoor Learning store can be contacted as below:
The stores will be manned on Thursdays and Fridays and are located to the area of Penicuik High School. Location map link here
The website will currently remain for information only. If you require further information please contact Bill Stephen – Education Support Officer – william.stephen@midlothian.gov.uk Tel: 0131 271 3720
Are you planning and leading school visits? coordinating visits within your school. Then these courses are for you. Places are going fast for the next 2 training events after the Easter Break 2018. You can book on learnPro and see more details here.
Visit Leader Training – 27th April 2018 (Hurry only 1 space left) – This course is aimed at teachers and educational staff and is a requirement for those who are involved in leading and the planning of off site visits
Visit Coordinator Training – 4th May 2018 – Training for each designated offsite trip coordinator for every educational establishment. This is aimed at those in schools who authorise and approve visits.
“I only wish more time could be devoted to outdoor learning so we can develop the confidence in the children and help them achieve more successfully at school” (User Survey 2017)
A huge thanks to all our Midlothian establishments who completed our recent 2017 Outdoor Learning Service user survey.
The Survey is now closed and the results are in.
We are delighted that so many took the time to make such positive comments about the quality of how we engage with schools to deliver Outdoor Learning to our pupils across the region.
100% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that:
Teaching sessions delivered were effective in connecting with learners needs
Equipment, teaching materials supplied and venue used were appropriate for your learners
Outdoor Learning Teachers were professional, friendly, knowledgeable and helpful at all stages
Outdoor Learning Teachers dealt appropriately with the welfare and safety of the learners
97% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that:
Sessions were effective in connecting with the curriculum and planned learning outcomes
Learners enjoyed their outdoor learning experiences when using the service
Midlothian Council Outdoor Learning Service was good value
The comments on how you value the service and how it contributes to the breadth of education provided in Midlothian are also much appreciated. You can see the full survey results at the link below.
We are always striving to improve the service and your feedback will input directly to our 2018-20 service plan.
Thank you all for your support in making our service succeed. We look forward to working with you further in 2018 -19 to develop exiting outdoor learning opportunities linked to curriculum and school improvement plans that help us all continue to raise attainment and learning across Midlothian and deliver Educational Excellence.
Midlothian Outdoor Learning Service connects with learners across the Midlothian Learning Community
It has been another amazing year for Outdoor Learning in Midlothian. With usage of the service increasing again and more and more schools engaging in more varied programmes of Outdoor Learning, providing powerful and potentially life changing experiences for our pupils and young people across Midlothian.
As highlighted in the recent Midlothian Education Attainment report “Creating a world-class education system: Attainment and Achievement 2017”
“Outdoor Learning provision and Educational visits continue to be a powerful and important part of our approach to learning in Midlothian.
Continued growth in use of outdoor learning is reflected in the increase in the number of educational visits and demand for support by educational establishments through the Midlothian Outdoor Learning Service.
Outdoor Learning is embedded within the Curriculum for Excellence and aspires to be regular and frequent for all pupils. Schools are increasingly using educational visits and outdoor learning as part of the educational mix to improve both academic attainment and health and wellbeing of our pupils from early years to the senior phase”
Outdoor Learning has allowed our pupils to discover local and not so local places! Outdoor Learning is enabling our participants to develop, achieve and meet varied curriculum outcomes across our learning community in Midlothian.
Some highlights :
Growth – 92% increase from 2014 to 2017 in Midlothian Outdoor Learning Service (MOLS) sessions delivered.
Participation across Primary and Secondary 2016/17 – 3200 + pupil participant days using MOLS + 1800 pupils attended annual Midlothian “Discover” events and Festivals
Educational Visits – over 9000 recorded for 2016/17 period (via new EVOLVE online visit planning and approval system introduced 2015 )
CLPL – 104 Visit leaders & 42 Visit Coordinators trained across Midlothian since 2015 using nationally accredited course.
Training – 900 First Aid Certificates issued since 2014 with successful SQA accreditation achieved for first aid qualifications delivered by MOLS from 2017
Establishment support – Increase in % of all educational establishments using MOLS in 2016/17 year.
Pupil Safety – continued successful Adventure Activities (AALS) licence inspections & new outdoor learning activities added in 2017. Improving safety of educational visits supported via (via new EVOLVE online educational visit planning and approval system introduced 2015 )
Supporting partnerships88% Schools using service – Growing demand for wider achievement programmes with schools (e.g’s. Duke of Edinburgh, JASS Schools, John Muir Award)
Financial Assistance Continuing management and use of Outdoor Learning financial assistance fund to support eligible learners within Midlothian.
2017/18 is also already a huge continued growth year for the service & establishments also showing increase in offsite educational visits and as we start to look to 2018/19 we encourage establishments to get in touch with your Outdoor Learning Teacher at the service for 2018/19 as next years diaries are already filling up!
A huge thanks to all our staff within the learning community who make this happen. As our learning community and school establishments increase we are looking forward to working with you all to continue to develop and grow our pupil participation in outdoor learning in 2018/19.
After the success of our Ski Aosta 2017 visit , we are off again! – On Saturday 9th February 2019 (Midlothian schools 1/2 term) we will once again be leaving for the AOSTA valley in Northern Italy for a week of amazing skiing.
The visit using INTERSKI and qualified Midlothian leaders and volunteers includes 6 days of snowsports and includes 4 hours of instruction per day, equipment hire, transport, half board accommodation & snack lunch. Evening activities and insurance are also included
Aimed at our Primary and Secondary pupils this visit is an excellent opportunity for those pupils wishing to increase their skiing skills that they may have experienced through the after school, and schools ski programmes through active Schools and Midlothian Ski centre at Hillend
Download the brochure for our 2019 visit (click on image)
There are a number of limited spaces available. For more details on the visit and how to get involved you can download the ski visit brochure below that gives wider information on the visit and also download the poster/flyer if you wish to advertise within your school
We will be hosting an information evening for those already booked and others interested in joining this amazing opportunity on the 16th January 1900 at Penicuik High School LLE Room 1 – Come and join us and find out more.
You can also book NOW by completing the Booking form (available in the brochure above ) and at the link here.
The comments on how you value the service and how it contributes to the breadth of education provided in Midlothian are also much appreciated. You can see the full survey results at the link below.
