Review how well pupils with SEND can access, participate in and learn outdoors

Looking for a practical way to review SEND and outdoor learning across your school?

The Muddy Puddle Teacher® SEND Outdoor Learning Access Review has been designed for Outdoor Learning Coordinators, SENCOs and school leaders who want to look beyond whether pupils are simply present outside.

This downloadable review helps you explore whether pupils with SEND are:

• accessing outdoor learning
• participating meaningfully
• communicating successfully
• becoming more independent
• regulated and ready to learn
• working towards appropriately ambitious curriculum objectives

Get more insight in our Complete Guide to SEND Outdoors

New to SEND outdoor learning reviews? Start here

You do not need to review every child in the school at once.

Start small.

Choose:

1. one year group or phase
2. three pupils with different needs
3. one outdoor lesson or part of the school day
4. one member of staff to observe alongside you

Then ask:

Are these pupils simply outside, or are they genuinely accessing the learning?

That distinction is central to meaningful SEND inclusion.

The module itself asks coordinators to focus on access, participation, communication, independence, regulation, curriculum and adaptation rather than creating a deficit list about the pupil.

Try this this week

Observe one outdoor lesson involving a pupil with SEND.

Instead of asking:

“Did they cope outside?”

ask:

“What helped or prevented this pupil from participating successfully?”

Look at:

• the environment
• the equipment
• the communication
• the task
• the timing
• the grouping
• the transition
• the adult support
• the expectations

Sometimes changing just one of these can significantly change a pupil’s ability to participate.

Time: 20–30 minutes
Prep: Low
Useful for: SEND reviews, coordinator portfolios, SENCO meetings and school improvement planning

What does the SEND Outdoor Learning Access Review include?

The review helps coordinators examine several key areas.

Access

Can pupils physically and emotionally access outdoor learning?

Consider:

• pathways
• positioning
• transitions
• environmental demands
• physical access
• anxiety
• sensory barriers

Participation

Are pupils meaningfully involved?

A pupil can be outside with their class and still not be accessing the learning.

Look for whether they are:

• actively involved
• able to use the equipment
• able to join group work
• completing the intended learning
• engaged rather than simply supervised

Communication

Consider whether pupils can:

• understand instructions
• communicate their ideas
• access visual prompts
• use alternative communication
• have sufficient processing time

Independence

Ask:

How much support does this pupil genuinely need?

The review helps staff think carefully about whether adult support is enabling participation or unintentionally creating dependency.

Regulation

Consider:

• movement needs
• calm spaces
• heavy work
• predictable transitions
• sensory input
• environmental triggers

Curriculum

SEND inclusion should not automatically mean reducing curriculum expectations.

The key question is:

What is the essential learning?

Then adapt the route into that learning.

The Barrier Test

One of the most useful parts of the review is the Barrier Test.

When a pupil struggles outdoors, avoid automatically assuming the barrier sits within the child.

Instead ask whether the barrier could be:

• the environment
• the equipment
• the communication
• the task
• the timing
• the grouping
• the transition
• the adult expectation

This helps staff move away from:

“They cannot do this.”

towards:

“What could we change so they can participate?”

The SEND module explicitly encourages coordinators to examine the relationship between the pupil, environment, task and support.

Review hidden exclusion

SEND exclusion is not always obvious.

A pupil may technically be outside with everyone else but:

• remain beside an adult throughout
• use completely different resources
• complete a different activity
• avoid group work
• be unable to follow instructions
• become overwhelmed
• be removed from the lesson
• spend the session disengaged

The review helps coordinators look beyond attendance and ask:

Is this pupil participating?

and then:

Is this pupil learning?

Use the review with your SENCO

Outdoor learning inclusion should not sit with one coordinator alone.

Use the review alongside your SENCO to identify:

• pupils experiencing barriers outdoors
• sensory needs
• communication needs
• physical access needs
• existing reasonable adjustments
• regulation strategies
• staff training needs
• adaptations that could become whole-school practice

Where possible, use existing SEND information rather than creating unnecessary additional paperwork.

Look at whole-school practice

Some of the strongest adaptations are not individual adjustments at all.

They can become normal classroom practice.

For example:

• visual instructions
• predictable lesson structures
• equipment choice
• quieter spaces
• alternative recording methods
• accessible storage
• clear boundaries
• movement opportunities
• partner choices

These approaches may particularly support pupils with SEND while also helping many other pupils.

Review adult support

Teaching assistants can play an important role in outdoor inclusion.

However, the review encourages staff to ask:

“What is the least amount of support this pupil needs to participate successfully?”

This can help schools identify situations where adults may unintentionally:

• speak for pupils
• complete practical tasks for them
• stand beside them throughout
• remove them too quickly
• simplify the curriculum unnecessarily

The longer-term aim should usually be greater independence where appropriate.

SEND and outdoor risk

Pupils with SEND can sometimes experience additional restrictions because adults perceive activities to be more risky.

This might include:

• climbing
• uneven ground
• large loose parts
• water
• mud
• sticks
• collaborative construction

Rather than immediately removing the activity, consider:

• What is the actual risk?
• Can equipment be adapted?
• Can distance be reduced?
• Can positioning change?
• Can the pupil build towards the experience gradually?
• Can adult support be changed?

The aim is not to remove risk.

It is to make decisions that are individual, proportionate and considered.

Use the review as evidence

The SEND Outdoor Learning Access Review can contribute to your wider evidence base.

You may choose to keep:

• SEND pupil voice
• SENCO feedback
• teacher observations
• TA reflections
• participation observations
• case studies
• successful adaptations
• Outdoor Me Passports
• parent feedback
• examples of whole-school adjustments

The strongest evidence is often evidence that shows how a pupil’s experience changes over time.

Add it to your Level 5 evidence portfolio

This review is particularly useful for coordinators completing the Muddy Puddle Teacher® Level 5 programme.

You could use it as evidence of:

• a SEND outdoor access audit
• SENCO collaboration
• an identified barrier
• an agreed adaptation
• a SEND pupil baseline
• successful reasonable adjustments
• planned impact measures
• reflective leadership

The module specifically recommends a SEND outdoor access audit, evidence of SENCO discussion, an identified barrier and planned measures for reviewing progress as useful portfolio evidence.

Want more support with inclusive outdoor learning?

The Muddy Puddle Teacher® Club gives schools and practitioners access to practical outdoor learning support including:

• SEND-friendly outdoor learning ideas
• curriculum-linked activities
• outdoor maths and English
• practical EYFS, KS1 and KS2 resources
• inclusive planning ideas
• regulation and sensory support
• ready-to-use outdoor activities

You can take a 60-day free trial and start today, which matches the conversion structure in your pulling-page guidance.

Start your 60-day free trial

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a SEND outdoor learning review?

A SEND outdoor learning review helps schools examine whether pupils with SEND can access, participate in and learn successfully during outdoor lessons and experiences.

What should I look for when reviewing SEND outdoor learning?

Look at access, participation, communication, independence, regulation, curriculum expectations, adult support, sensory needs and any barriers created by the environment or task.

Should pupils with SEND complete the same outdoor activity?

Not necessarily in exactly the same way. Inclusive practice may involve different equipment, positioning, communication methods, recording approaches or levels of adult support while maintaining an appropriately ambitious learning objective.

How can outdoor learning be adapted for SEND?

Adaptations may include visual instructions, quieter areas, predictable routines, larger equipment, reduced distance, alternative recording methods, communication support and additional processing time.

Should the Outdoor Learning Coordinator work with the SENCO?

Yes. SEND inclusion is strongest when the Outdoor Learning Coordinator and SENCO work together to identify barriers, existing adjustments and appropriate whole-school changes.

Can I use this review as evidence?

Yes. It can contribute to school improvement evidence, SEND reviews, coordinator portfolios, case studies, staff reflection and discussions with leadership.

Is this suitable for specialist schools?

Yes. The review can be used in mainstream schools, specialist schools, alternative provision and other settings where staff want to examine how pupils access outdoor learning.

Does inclusive outdoor learning mean lowering expectations?

No. The focus should be on adapting the route into the learning rather than automatically reducing expectations.