Outdoor learning is in a class of its own

Learning outside the classroom builds children's confidence and can transform their relationships with teachers. So how can schools be encouraged to organise more outdoor activities?

Most adults have fond memories from their schooldays – of adventure holidays and outings to zoos and museums. Modern children are not so lucky: confined within the four walls of a classroom, many can only dream of a day out at the Tower of London or a ski trip to Austria. A 2010 report from MPs, Transforming Education Outside the Classroom, found that there was a risk that school trips were becoming the preserve of private school children.