Looking for an Outdoor Learning Observation and Coaching Form that feels supportive rather than judgemental?
Our Muddy Puddle Teacher® Outdoor Learning Observation and Coaching Form has been created for schools that want to develop outdoor teaching through professional conversation, reflection and peer support.
This is not a grading sheet.
It is not about somebody standing with a clipboard deciding whether an outdoor lesson was “good” or “bad”.
Instead, the form helps two professionals look carefully at what is already working, notice the impact on the children and explore what could make the learning even stronger next time.
At The Muddy Puddle Teacher®, we believe outdoor learning develops best through coaching. One teacher observes another, they talk together, reflect together and agree a manageable next step. Then, importantly, the process is reversed. The observer teaches and the other teacher observes them.
That makes the process collaborative.
It says:
We are learning together.
Rather than:
I am here to judge you.
If you are beginning your whole-school journey, explore our Outdoor Learning guidance alongside the form, or visit our Outdoor Learning Training pages for further support with embedding outdoor practice across your school.
Take a 60-day free trial and download now.
What Is an Outdoor Learning Observation and Coaching Form?
An Outdoor Learning Observation and Coaching Form is a professional development tool designed to help teachers reflect on learning that takes place outside.
Traditional lesson observations can sometimes focus heavily on performance.
Coaching focuses on development.
The observer is not there to catch somebody doing something wrong. They are there to notice what is happening.
What are the children doing, how are they communicating, where is the learning happening, how is the teacher facilitating rather than dominating, who is engaged, who is contributing, what is helping children succeed and what small adjustment could make the experience even better?
The teacher being observed is also part of that conversation.
They might already know that one part of the lesson did not work quite as expected.
They may have noticed something the observer missed.
They may also be experimenting with an approach for the first time.
That is why the MPT approach includes teacher voice before and after the observation.
Observation should be something we do with teachers, not something we do to teachers.
Schools beginning to embed this approach may also find our Beginner’s Guide to Outdoor Learning and Outdoor Learning Coordinator Training useful.
Why Use Coaching Rather Than Grading Outdoor Learning?
Outdoor learning looks different from traditional classroom teaching.
Children may be moving.
Groups may be working in different areas.
There may be more conversation.
Children may be carrying, building, drawing, constructing, explaining, experimenting or problem-solving.
The teacher may deliberately step back.
That does not mean that less learning is happening.
Sometimes it means much more is happening.
An observation system designed primarily around quiet, seated classroom learning may therefore miss some of the strengths of outdoor pedagogy.
The MPT coaching form encourages observers to look beyond whether children are sitting still or producing written work.
Instead, it asks us to notice engagement, communication, movement, independence, collaboration, curriculum understanding, inclusion, regulation and the purposeful use of the outdoor environment.
Explore our Outdoor Learning and Oracy guidance for more on how outdoor lessons can create opportunities for children to explain, discuss, reason and collaborate.
Start With Teacher Voice
Before the lesson begins, give the teacher an opportunity to explain what they are trying to achieve.
This does not need to become another planning document.
A short professional conversation is enough.
The teacher might explain the learning objective, why they have chosen to take this lesson outdoors, what they are experimenting with, which pupils they would particularly like the observer to notice and whether there is anything they would like feedback on.
This changes the tone of the observation immediately.
Instead of the observer arriving with their own hidden expectations, both professionals understand the purpose of the lesson.
For example, a teacher may say:
“I’m trying to reduce how much I talk and give the children more opportunities to explain their mathematical thinking to each other.”
Now the observer has something genuinely useful to watch.
They can notice when the teacher steps back, how children respond and which pupils begin to contribute.
What Should We Look for During an Outdoor Learning Observation?
The first question should always be:
What is working well?
There will nearly always be something worth celebrating.
Perhaps children are more engaged than they would usually be indoors.
Perhaps a pupil who rarely contributes is explaining an idea to a partner.
Perhaps children are using curriculum vocabulary naturally.
Perhaps the teacher has selected a very simple resource that allows children to think rather than distracting them.
Perhaps movement is helping children regulate themselves.
Perhaps the class is solving problems collaboratively.
Good coaching identifies these moments.
The observation form then helps the teacher and observer consider whether there are opportunities to develop the lesson further.
This is not a list of faults.
Think instead:
What could make this even stronger?
That subtle change in language matters.
You may also want to explore our SEND Outdoor Learning guidance if you are considering how outdoor lessons can be made more accessible for different learners.
Try This: Watch One Focus Group
You do not need to watch everything.
In fact, trying to observe the teacher, thirty children, the resources, the curriculum and the environment at the same time can make observations less useful.
Choose one small group or a few focus pupils.
Watch them for several minutes.
Listen to their conversation.
Notice what they do when the adult is not beside them.
Are they discussing the learning, copying somebody else, experimenting, explaining, negotiating, disengaging or taking a leadership role?
This often tells us much more than watching the whole class from a distance.
It is particularly powerful when schools are keeping pupil case studies as part of their outdoor learning development.
For further support with individual learners, see our Outdoor Me Passport resources.
Try This: Ask the Children
Children can tell us an enormous amount about a lesson.
At an appropriate point, the observer might quietly ask:
“What are you learning?”
“What is helping you?”
“What has been difficult?”
“What would you change if you did this lesson again?”
Their responses do not need to become a formal pupil questionnaire.
We are looking for insight.
A child might tell you:
“It was easier because I could show my answer with the rope.”
Another might say:
“I liked working in a group but everyone kept moving my sticks.”
Both pieces of information are useful.
The first helps us understand why the practical approach supported learning.
The second gives the teacher something to think about next time.
Pupil voice should be part of coaching because children experience the lesson differently from the adults watching it.
Outdoor Learning Observation Should Include SEND and Inclusion
Outdoor learning is not automatically inclusive simply because it happens outdoors.
We still need to consider the individual child.
Can everyone access the equipment?
Does the task depend heavily on verbal instructions?
Is there too much sensory input?
Does the child understand where they should be?
Could resources be changed?
Could the group size be smaller?
Could movement help a child regulate?
Could a visual prompt, symbol, demonstration or different communication method help?
The observation should not simply ask whether SEND pupils were “included”.
Instead, look at how they were able to participate.
Our SEND Outdoor Learning Pillar Page explores this in greater depth.
Look at Oracy as Well as Written Outcomes
Outdoor learning gives teachers an excellent opportunity to hear learning.
Children might explain, reason, question, negotiate, describe, argue a viewpoint, retell, rehearse or teach another pupil.
That conversation is evidence.
A child does not always need to record everything on a worksheet for us to know that learning has happened.
During an observation, listen carefully to what children are saying.
Sometimes the richest assessment information in an outdoor lesson is happening between two children while they build something together.
Use our Oracy Outdoor Learning Observation Form alongside this coaching form if oracy is a particular school priority.
What Happens After the Observation?
The conversation afterwards is the most important part.
Start with the teacher.
Ask them how they felt the lesson went.
What worked better than expected?
What surprised them?
What would they change?
Often, teachers already know.
The observer can then share the strengths they noticed and add evidence from the children.
Rather than producing a long list of targets, agree one manageable area to explore.
That might be giving children more thinking time, reducing adult explanation, introducing clearer boundaries, changing the way resources are organised or creating more opportunities for pupil talk.
One meaningful improvement is far more useful than ten targets that nobody remembers.
Then Swap
This part is important.
If Teacher A observes Teacher B, Teacher B should later have an opportunity to observe Teacher A.
That changes the professional relationship.
Everyone has strengths.
Everyone has things they are developing.
Everyone gets to observe practice.
Everyone gets to be observed.
And both teachers learn.
Peer coaching can also spread ideas naturally across a school.
A teacher might notice how a colleague manages equipment, introduces a practical maths task, encourages pupil talk or supports a child with SEND.
They can then adapt that idea in their own teaching.
That is how outdoor learning begins to become part of school culture rather than another initiative.
Explore our Whole-School Outdoor Learning Programme if you are looking to embed this approach more strategically.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this an outdoor lesson observation grading form?
No. The form has deliberately been created as a coaching tool rather than a grading system. Its purpose is to recognise strengths, reflect on pupil experience and identify manageable ways to develop practice.
Who can use the Outdoor Learning Observation and Coaching Form?
It can be used by class teachers, teaching assistants, outdoor learning coordinators, EYFS practitioners, SEND teams, senior leaders, mentors and other professionals supporting outdoor teaching.
Can teachers observe each other?
Yes. Reciprocal peer observation is an important part of the coaching approach. One teacher observes a colleague and later the roles are reversed. This helps create a culture of shared professional learning rather than judgement.
Does the observation have to be a full outdoor lesson?
No. The form can be used with a complete lesson, a short outdoor activity, a curriculum session, an intervention, continuous provision or part of a longer lesson.
Can pupil voice be included in an outdoor learning observation?
Yes. Pupil voice is encouraged. Brief conversations with children can help teachers understand how the lesson felt from the child’s perspective, what supported their learning and what could be improved.
Written by Sarah Seaman PGCE MA
Founder of The Muddy Puddle Teacher®
Teacher for over 19 years
Bloomsbury author
Outdoor learning consultant and trainer
Trainer of thousands of teachers across the UK
Sarah created The Muddy Puddle Teacher® to help schools make everyday learning more practical, active, sustainable and inclusive through outdoor pedagogy.
One thing I’ve corrected from the previous pulling page is the formatting: your actual policy specifically says “No bullet points, any lists use commas”, so this version follows that rule and keeps the useful content teacher-first before moving into conversion.
