Course Information at a Glance
Course length: Approximately four hours
Course format: Online and self-paced
Coursework: There is no coursework, written assignment or formal assessment
Who is it for? Teachers, teaching assistants, SENDCos, Early Years practitioners, school leaders, physical-needs teams, inclusion leads and outdoor learning practitioners
Age range: EYFS, KS1 and KS2, with principles that can be adapted for older learners
Experience required: No previous specialist outdoor learning experience is required
How do you complete the course? Work through short reading sections, training videos, audio content, practical examples and opportunities to reflect on your setting
Can I complete it at my own pace? Yes. Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return whenever it suits you
What will I receive? Access to the online training and eligibility for a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion
How do I access it? The course is accessed online through your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account
Is it included in my membership? This specialist course is included as part of the Gold & Ultimate Memberships
Who Is This Inclusive Outdoor Learning Course For?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs is suitable for classroom teachers, teaching assistants, SENDCos, inclusion leads, Early Years practitioners, physical-needs support staff, pastoral teams, outdoor learning practitioners and school leaders.
It can be completed by an individual practitioner or used as part of a wider staff professional-development programme.
The course is suitable for mainstream schools, specialist schools, alternative provision, Early Years settings, home education and organisations supporting children with additional physical needs.
It may be particularly useful for staff supporting children who use wheelchairs, walking aids, specialist seating or supportive equipment, as well as children who experience reduced mobility, coordination difficulties, fatigue, pain, muscle weakness or difficulties with balance and physical access.
You do not need to be a physiotherapist, occupational therapist or medical professional to complete the course.
The training focuses on the role education staff can play in identifying barriers, adapting practice and working collaboratively with the child, family and relevant professionals.
Explore our SEND Outdoor Learning Hub for further inclusive resources and guidance.
What Will You Learn?
By the end of the course, you will have a stronger understanding of how to make outdoor learning more accessible for children with physical needs.
You will explore how to identify barriers before a session begins, plan accessible routes and gathering points, create meaningful alternatives without lowering expectations, offer different ways to participate, support independence and choice, consider positioning and fatigue, select adaptable equipment, protect dignity and privacy, work within professional guidance and create a positive approach to managed risk.
You will also examine the difference between access and inclusion.
Access means that a child can reach the space.
Inclusion means that the child can participate meaningfully, make choices, contribute to the learning and experience an appropriate level of challenge.
A child sitting at the edge of an activity is not necessarily included simply because they are outdoors with everyone else.
For a broader introduction to inclusive outdoor practice, visit our Complete Guide to Outdoor Learning.
Why Inclusive Outdoor Learning Matters
Outdoor learning can support communication, independence, confidence, problem-solving, social interaction, sensory development and curriculum understanding.
Children with physical needs should have access to these benefits alongside their peers.
However, outdoor activities are often planned around assumptions.
Practitioners may assume that every child can sit on the ground, travel across grass, reach into a low tray, grip small natural objects, carry equipment or move quickly between locations.
When these assumptions are not challenged, children can be excluded unintentionally.
The child may be given a passive role, separated from the group or asked to observe while others complete the meaningful part of the activity.
Inclusive outdoor learning begins by considering the barriers within the environment and task rather than viewing the child as the problem.
The question changes from “Can this child do the activity?” to “How can we design the activity so this child can participate meaningfully?”
Understanding Physical Barriers Outdoors
Outdoor spaces can contain physical barriers that may not be immediately obvious to adults who move around them easily.
These might include uneven paving, gravel, grass, slopes, narrow gates, heavy doors, raised beds, low-level resources, muddy surfaces and equipment positioned beyond a child’s reach.
Weather can also affect access.
Rain may create slippery surfaces, while cold weather may affect comfort, movement or fatigue. Heat and direct sunlight can also influence a child’s ability to remain outside safely.
The course helps practitioners conduct a practical review of their existing space.
You will consider how children reach the area, where the group gathers, whether routes remain accessible in different weather and how resources are positioned.
Not every barrier will require expensive building work.
Sometimes access can be improved by changing the route, repositioning equipment, using portable resources, raising an activity surface or bringing the learning to a more accessible part of the school grounds.
Explore our Outdoor Learning in Small and Accessible Spaces Guide for further support.
Meaningful Participation Rather Than Passive Inclusion
A child should not always be assigned the role of watching, holding a clipboard or taking photographs because the main activity has not been adapted.
These can be valuable roles when they are chosen and connected to the learning objective.
They should not become the automatic alternative offered to a child with physical needs.
Meaningful participation begins with identifying the purpose of the activity.
For example, if the objective is to compare natural materials, the child does not necessarily need to collect them personally. The materials could be brought to an accessible surface so the child can sort, examine, discuss and compare them.
If the objective is to measure distance, the child could help select the measuring method, record findings, direct a partner or use adapted equipment.
The course helps practitioners protect the learning objective while offering flexible routes to achieving it.
Adaptation should remove unnecessary physical barriers, not remove thinking, decision-making or challenge.
Supporting Independence and Choice
Inclusive support should increase participation without taking control away from the child.
Adults can sometimes help too quickly.
They may move a child, select equipment, complete part of the task or decide what the child will do without first offering time, choice or an opportunity to communicate.
The course encourages practitioners to consider what the child can do independently, what they can do with appropriate support and what adaptations may increase autonomy.
Choice might include where the child is positioned, which tool they use, how they communicate an answer or which role they take within a group.
A child may need additional time to begin, reposition themselves, operate equipment or communicate a decision.
Providing this time communicates that their contribution is valued.
Independence does not mean leaving a child without support.
It means providing the right support without unnecessarily taking over.
Positioning, Comfort and Fatigue
A child’s ability to participate may change throughout the day.
Fatigue, pain, muscle tone, medication, temperature, illness and previous activity can all affect physical participation.
A child who manages an outdoor session successfully in the morning may need more support later in the day.
Positioning also matters.
Some children may need appropriate seating, postural support, regular movement breaks or access to a surface at a suitable height.
The course helps practitioners think beyond whether a child can technically complete an activity.
You will consider whether they can participate comfortably, safely and with enough energy to remain engaged with the learning.
Education staff should follow any existing moving-and-handling plans, healthcare plans and guidance from physiotherapists, occupational therapists or other professionals.
The course does not replace this guidance.
It helps staff apply it thoughtfully within outdoor learning.
Adapting Outdoor Equipment
Inclusive outdoor learning does not always require specialist or expensive equipment.
Simple changes can make resources easier to reach, hold, move or operate.
Activities can be placed on adjustable tables, trays, boards or raised surfaces.
Larger handles, lightweight containers, non-slip mats, loops, grips and adapted tools may help some children participate more independently.
Natural loose parts can be selected in different sizes, weights and textures.
Resources can also be positioned vertically, horizontally or at different heights.
The best adaptation depends on the individual child.
An item that supports one learner may create a barrier for another.
The course encourages practitioners to observe, ask and collaborate rather than assuming that one adaptation will work for everyone.
Visit our Inclusive Outdoor Learning Resources for adaptable activity ideas.
Supporting Communication and Decision-Making
Children with physical needs may also use different forms of communication.
Some children communicate through speech, while others may use signs, symbols, communication books, eye gaze, gestures, switches or electronic communication devices.
Outdoor activities should allow enough time and space for children to communicate choices, ideas and responses.
Adults need to consider whether communication resources can be used outside safely and whether symbols, devices or boards remain visible and accessible.
Wind, rain, glare, noise and movement may affect communication outdoors.
The course helps practitioners plan communication access alongside physical access.
A child should not lose the ability to make choices simply because the lesson has moved outside.
Staff supporting children who use little or no spoken language may also benefit from our Outdoor Learning Specialism: Speech, Language and Non-Speaking Learners.
Supporting Sensory Needs
Children with physical needs may also experience sensory differences.
Outdoor environments contain changing sounds, temperatures, textures, light levels, smells and movements.
Some children may enjoy these experiences.
Others may experience discomfort, uncertainty or sensory overload.
Physical positioning can influence sensory access too. A child seated at a different height may experience an activity differently from other children or may be closer to noise, movement or particular textures.
The course helps practitioners consider the whole experience rather than focusing only on physical mobility.
Adaptations might include selecting a quieter location, providing shade, offering gloves, changing the texture of materials, reducing visual clutter or giving the child time to observe before participating.
The aim is not to remove every sensory experience.
It is to prevent unnecessary discomfort and support informed, gradual participation.
Social Inclusion and Belonging
Physical inclusion is closely connected to social inclusion.
A child may be able to access the outdoor space but still feel separate from their peers.
This can happen when they are positioned away from the group, always paired with an adult or consistently given a different task.
Outdoor learning can create valuable opportunities for cooperation and shared problem-solving.
Inclusive planning should consider how peers can work together without placing one child in a dependent or passive role.
Children can contribute different strengths to a group activity.
One child may organise, another may build, another may communicate ideas and another may record or direct the process.
The course helps practitioners create shared tasks in which each contribution matters.
Peer support should be respectful and age appropriate.
Children should not be routinely expected to take responsibility for another child’s personal care, physical safety or specialist support.
Risk, Safety and Positive Participation
Children with physical needs are sometimes prevented from participating because adults are understandably concerned about safety.
Risk assessment is essential, but it should support participation rather than automatically remove it.
A balanced approach considers the likelihood and seriousness of harm, the benefits of participation and the measures that can reduce risk.
The course helps practitioners think in terms of risk-benefit assessment.
For example, an uneven surface may present a challenge, but the risk might be reduced through route planning, appropriate support, suitable equipment or selecting a different section of the outdoor area.
Staff must follow school policies, healthcare plans, moving-and-handling procedures and professional guidance.
The aim is not to encourage unsafe practice.
It is to prevent fear from becoming an unnecessary barrier to learning.
Dignity, Privacy and Personal Care
Outdoor learning plans may need to consider access to toilets, personal care facilities, medication, rest areas and emergency procedures.
These practical needs should be addressed before the session so the child is not placed in an uncomfortable or undignified situation.
Discussions about support should be handled privately and respectfully.
Children should be involved in decisions where appropriate and should not be spoken about publicly as though they are not present.
The course encourages practitioners to think about dignity as a central part of inclusion.
A successful activity is not truly inclusive if the child’s privacy, comfort or emotional safety has been overlooked.
Working With Families and Professionals
Families often hold valuable knowledge about what helps their child participate successfully.
They may understand the child’s energy levels, positioning needs, communication preferences, discomfort cues and previous experiences outdoors.
Physiotherapists, occupational therapists, specialist teachers, nurses and other professionals may also provide important guidance.
Inclusive outdoor learning works best when education staff do not plan in isolation.
The course helps practitioners identify useful questions and apply existing professional recommendations within outdoor sessions.
Collaboration should remain practical and child centred.
The aim is to understand what the child needs in order to participate, rather than creating unnecessary paperwork or delaying every opportunity until conditions feel perfect.
Try This in Your Setting
Choose one outdoor activity that your class or group completes regularly.
Identify the main learning objective.
Then review the activity from the perspective of a child with limited mobility, reduced grip, fatigue or supportive seating.
Consider whether they can reach the activity, access the equipment, communicate a choice, contribute to the learning and remain comfortable.
Make one meaningful adjustment.
You might raise the activity onto an accessible surface, provide a larger tool, reposition the group, shorten the route or offer a different way for the child to demonstrate understanding.
Avoid creating an entirely separate activity unless this is genuinely necessary.
The aim is to create shared learning with flexible ways to participate.
What Will You Do During the Course?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs is practical and accessible.
You will work through short sections of online training containing reading, videos, audio content, examples from educational settings and reflective prompts.
You may be encouraged to review a particular space, activity, child’s support plan or area of provision while completing the course.
This helps you connect the training directly to your role and setting.
There is no coursework, written assignment or formal assessment.
You will not need to submit an accessibility plan, portfolio, case study or assessed observation.
The reflection opportunities are included to support practical application rather than test you.
How Long Does the Course Take?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs takes approximately four hours to complete.
You can complete the course in one session or divide it into shorter sections.
Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return whenever it suits you.
There is no requirement to complete the whole course in one sitting and no fixed deadline.
Schools may also choose to use sections during SEND meetings, inclusion reviews, staff development, twilight training or INSET time, subject to the appropriate membership or training licence.
Do I Need Previous Experience?
No previous outdoor learning or physical-needs training is required.
The course begins with clear principles and introduces practical strategies gradually.
It is suitable for practitioners who are new to inclusive outdoor learning as well as experienced staff who want to review and strengthen their practice.
The training does not qualify participants to provide physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medical care or specialist moving and handling.
Practitioners must continue to follow the child’s individual plans and professional guidance.
Do I Need a Forest School or Woodland?
No.
The course is designed for ordinary schools and educational settings.
The approaches can be used in playgrounds, yards, courtyards, gardens, fields, decking, artificial sports areas and smaller outdoor spaces.
You do not need a woodland or Forest School programme.
In some cases, a familiar playground or accessible courtyard may provide more meaningful participation than a distant or difficult-to-reach natural area.
The focus is on using the space you already have in an accessible and purposeful way.
What Equipment Will I Need?
You will not need expensive specialist equipment to complete the course.
Many adaptations can be made using ordinary tables, trays, boards, containers, non-slip materials, lightweight resources, larger-handled tools and accessible positioning.
Any equipment used with an individual child should be appropriate for their needs and consistent with existing professional guidance.
The course focuses on thoughtful planning and flexible participation rather than purchasing a large amount of new equipment.
Is This Course Suitable for SEND?
Yes.
The course is specifically designed to support inclusive practice for children with physical and additional needs.
It considers physical access, mobility, communication, sensory needs, fatigue, positioning, independence, dignity and meaningful participation.
The principles may also support children with temporary injuries, medical conditions or fluctuating physical needs.
Practitioners should always adapt the guidance according to the individual child and any existing healthcare, accessibility or professional recommendations.
Will I Receive a Certificate?
Once you have completed the course, you will be eligible to receive a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion.
To request your certificate, email info@themuddypuddleteacher.co.uk.
Please include your full name, the title of the course and the email address to which you would like the certificate sent.
Certificates are issued electronically unless otherwise agreed.
Is This an Accredited Qualification?
The Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs provides a certificate of completion and can contribute to your professional-development record.
It is a specialist CPD course rather than a medical, therapy, accessibility or moving-and-handling qualification.
Where a course forms part of an accredited Muddy Puddle Teacher® pathway, this will be clearly stated within the course information.
Explore our Accredited Outdoor Learning Training Pathway to discover the next stages of your professional development.
Can This Course Be Used as CPD?
Yes.
The course can contribute to your continuing professional development and may be recorded within appraisal evidence, a professional-development file or reflective journal.
You may wish to record which barriers you identified, which adaptations you introduced and how these changes affected participation, independence or confidence.
The course is particularly relevant for staff developing their knowledge of SEND, physical inclusion, accessibility, reasonable adjustments and inclusive outdoor learning.
Can Schools Complete the Course Together?
Yes.
The course can be completed individually or used as part of whole-school professional development.
Schools may choose to work through sections during SEND meetings, inclusion reviews, staff meetings, twilight sessions or INSET time.
Completing the course as a staff team can support a more consistent approach to accessibility, language, expectations and participation across the school.
Each person accessing the course must be covered by the appropriate membership or training licence.
What Is Included?
The course includes approximately four hours of online training, practical guidance for identifying physical barriers, strategies for meaningful participation and independence, advice about positioning, fatigue, communication and equipment, examples that can be adapted for ordinary school grounds, reflective prompts, access through your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account and eligibility for a certificate of completion.
There is no coursework, written assignment, examination or assessed portfolio.
Ultimate members can also explore the wider online training library, specialist SEND courses, outdoor learning resources and accredited professional-development pathway.
How Do I Access the Course?
Sign in to your Muddy Puddle Teacher® account and open the online training area.
Select Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs and begin the course whenever you are ready.
Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return at any time.
Is it included in my membership? This specialist course is included as part of the Gold & Ultimate Memberships
Continue Your Outdoor Learning Professional Development
After completing the Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs, you can continue developing your practice through related Muddy Puddle Teacher® courses.
Relevant next steps may include Outdoor Learning Specialism: Autism and Autistic Learners, Outdoor Learning Specialism: Speech, Language and Non-Speaking Learners, Outdoor Learning Specialism: Behaviour and SEMH, Inclusive Outdoor Play for Children with SEND, Level 1 Outdoor Learning: Primary School Starter Course and the Accredited Outdoor Learning Practitioner Pathway.
Head to the gold members’ courses hub for more outdoor learning courses.
Ultimate Membership includes access to the complete online course library and the accredited Outdoor Learning Practitioner and Coordinator pathways.
Start the Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs
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Complete approximately four hours of online training at your own pace, with no coursework, no written assignment and no formal assessment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the course take?
The course takes approximately four hours to complete. You can complete it in one sitting or divide it into shorter sections. Your progress is saved, allowing you to pause and return whenever it suits you.
Is there any coursework?
No. There is no coursework, written assignment, examination, portfolio or formal assessment. Reflection prompts are included to help you apply the learning within your setting.
Is the course suitable for teaching assistants?
Yes. It is suitable for teachers, teaching assistants, SENDCos, inclusion leads, Early Years practitioners, physical-needs support staff and other education professionals.
Do I need specialist accessibility equipment?
No. The course includes ways to improve access using thoughtful planning, flexible positioning and simple adaptations. Any specialist equipment used with a child should follow their individual guidance.
Does the course include moving-and-handling training?
No. The course does not replace accredited moving-and-handling training or guidance from medical and therapy professionals.
Can the course support wheelchair users?
Yes. The principles include route planning, positioning, equipment access, communication, participation and reasonable adaptation for children who use wheelchairs or mobility aids.
Do I need a large outdoor space?
No. The strategies can be used in playgrounds, yards, courtyards, gardens, fields, artificial sports areas and smaller outdoor spaces.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. Once you have completed the course, you can request a Muddy Puddle Teacher® certificate of completion by emailing info@themuddypuddleteacher.co.uk.
Is this course included in Ultimate Membership?
Yes. The Outdoor Learning Specialism: Inclusion for Children with Physical Needs is included within Ultimate Membership alongside the wider training library, SEND specialisms and accredited outdoor learning pathway.
Author
Written by Sarah Seaman PGCE MA
Founder of The Muddy Puddle Teacher®
Teacher for over 19 years
Bloomsbury author
Trainer of thousands of teachers across the UK
