Our Curriculum

At Philip Southcote School, Outdoor Learning is a purposeful and inclusive part of our curriculum. It provides students with hands on experiences that help them develop our school values: Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Courage and Excellence, while building the successful learning skills needed for life beyond school.

Outdoor Learning is thoughtfully designed to enrich and extend curriculum learning, offering students meaningful, hands-on experiences that deepen their understanding of the world around them. Throughout the curriculum, students engage with the natural environment, observing seasonal changes, developing curiosity, and learning to care for their surroundings. Recognising that many students may have limited access to outdoor experiences beyond school, we prioritise inclusive opportunities that support their personal growth and wellbeing.

Students develop practical skills such as gardening, tool use, map reading, orienteering, fire safety, and shelter building. These activities foster resilience, independence, and problem-solving, while encouraging students to reflect on their choices and persevere through challenges. Outdoor Learning helps students understand that mistakes are a natural and valuable part of the learning process, promoting a growth mindset and emotional resilience.

Each activity is intentionally linked to our school values: Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Kindness, Courage, and Excellence. For example, using flint and steel to light fires teaches responsibility and courage; respecting the environment and others nurtures kindness and excellence; and working within safe boundaries promotes trust.

As students grow in confidence they begin to apply basic risk assessment skills, such as recognising hazards, making safe choices, and following agreed boundaries. They learn to manage their own safety and grow in independence, recognising that challenges like building a shelter or lighting a fire require effort, patience and persistence. These experiences help students develop practical decision-making skills and build resilience.

Outdoor Learning encourages students to reflect on their choices, adapt when things don’t go as planned, and persevere through setbacks. They begin to understand the concept of risk benefit, that with challenge comes reward and that mistakes are not failures, but opportunities to learn and grow. This approach fosters a growth mindset and helps students become more confident, capable and self-aware.

In Key Stage 4, students can build on their Outdoor Learning experiences by working towards nationally recognised qualifications. Over two years, they complete one-year programmes in the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award and Sports Leaders Level 1, developing leadership, teamwork, resilience, and responsibility through structured, practical activities.

• Sports Leaders Level 1 Award enables students to develop leadership, teamwork and responsibility through sport and physical activity. Students learn to plan, lead and evaluate sessions, communicate effectively, and adapt activities to meet the needs of others. The programme promotes equality, diversity and inclusion, helping students become confident, sensitive and creative leaders.
• The Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award supports our commitment to high quality learning outside the classroom. Students complete four elements: volunteering, physical activity, skill development and an expedition. These experiences help students discover new interests, build resilience and develop qualities that colleges and employers value.

By the time students leave Philip Southcote School, they will:

• Have enjoyed hands on experiences learning outdoors that support their understanding of self, others and the environment
• Have developed imagination, creativity and curiosity through exploration
• Have built resilience through challenge and working in all weathers
• Have developed cooperation and leadership skills through teamwork and accredited programmes
• Have gained practical knowledge of nature, growing plants and vegetables
• Have contributed to the development and care of our school grounds
• Have achieved recognition through Duke of Edinburgh and Sports Leaders pathways
• Be confident, reflective and ready to take their next steps in life

Outdoor Learning is purposeful because it helps our students grow into independent, capable young adults. It teaches them how to manage risk, solve problems, work with others and take responsibility for themselves and their environment. These are the skills that prepare them not just for school, but for life.