Find out exactly where your school is with outdoor learning — before deciding what needs to change.

Outdoor learning can look very different from one classroom to the next.

One teacher may be confidently taking maths and English outdoors every week, while another may only use the outdoor space for PE.

EYFS may have strong outdoor provision, while KS2 rarely leaves the classroom.

Your school may have fantastic outdoor resources that nobody knows where to find.

Or you may already be doing far more than you realise. If you are new to this area of teaching, start here, then head back: Complete Guide to Outdoor

That is why we recommend starting with one thing:

Audit where you are now.

The Muddy Puddle Teacher® Whole School Outdoor Learning Audit has been created to help Outdoor Learning Coordinators, Headteachers, SLT and curriculum leaders build a clear picture of outdoor learning across their school.

It is designed to help you celebrate what is already working, identify gaps and choose realistic priorities for development.

What does the audit cover?

The audit takes you through the key areas that contribute to a strong whole-school approach.

Curriculum Outdoors

Explore how consistently outdoor learning is being used across:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• Geography
• History
• Art
• DT
• PSHE
• RE
• Music
• Computing
• MFL
• PE

The aim is not to take every lesson outdoors.

Instead, ask:

Would learning outdoors make this lesson more active, practical, memorable or meaningful?

Outdoor Spaces

You do not need acres of woodland to provide excellent outdoor learning.

The audit helps you look again at the spaces already available to you, including:

• Playgrounds
• Fields
• Paths
• Courtyards
• Covered areas
• Walls
• Steps
• Gardens
• Small grassed spaces
• Areas immediately outside classrooms

Sometimes the biggest change is not creating a new space.

It is changing how you use the space you already have.

Resources and the Outdoor Toolkit

Does your school have simple resources that staff can quickly access?

The audit encourages you to look at equipment such as:

Hoops • Rope • Bamboo • Cones • Chalk • Clay • Buckets • Crates • Loose Parts • Natural Materials

At The Muddy Puddle Teacher®, we believe outdoor learning does not need to be expensive or complicated.

Simple, reusable resources can be used across almost every curriculum subject.

SEND and Inclusion

Outdoor learning should be accessible to every child.

The audit asks schools to consider:

• Sensory needs
• Communication
• Regulation
• Movement
• Visual prompts
• Predictable routines
• Physical accessibility
• Choice and agency
• Reasonable adjustments
• Adult support

It also encourages schools to reflect on whether concerns around behaviour or risk may sometimes result in children with SEND being unnecessarily restricted from outdoor experiences. For more bespoke support, explore the SEND Outdoors Guide.

Outdoor Play and Continuous Provision

High-quality outdoor provision is about much more than equipment.

Look at whether children have opportunities for:

• Imaginative play
• Construction
• Movement
• Exploration
• Sensory play
• Social interaction
• Quiet spaces
• Loose parts
• Challenge
• Child-led play

For EYFS teams, the audit also encourages you to consider whether your outdoor provision makes genuine use of the unique possibilities of being outdoors.

Risk, Safety and Outdoor Routines

Good outdoor learning does not mean removing every risk.

It means helping children learn how to manage appropriate risk safely.

The audit considers:

• Boundaries
• Outdoor signals
• Transitions
• Weather
• Clothing
• Dynamic risk assessment
• Risk-benefit thinking
• Staff expectations
• Resource safety
• Emergency procedures

Strong routines can make outdoor learning feel much easier for both children and adults.

Leadership and Whole-School Consistency

One of the most important questions in the audit is:

Is outdoor learning part of our school culture, or does it currently depend on individual enthusiastic teachers?

A sustainable outdoor learning approach should not disappear when a member of staff leaves.

The Outdoor Learning Coordinator can help establish:

• Shared expectations
• Consistent routines
• Accessible resources
• Curriculum opportunities
• Staff support
• Evidence of impact
• Whole-school priorities

Use the RAG System

Each section of the audit can be rated:

🟢 GREEN — Working Well

Strong practice is established and consistent.

🟠 AMBER — Developing

Some good practice exists but it is not yet consistent.

🔴 RED — Priority Area

This needs further development or support.

This gives you a simple visual overview of where your school currently stands.

Turn Your Audit Into Action

Once you have completed the audit, resist the temptation to change everything at once.

Instead choose:

Three things you are already doing well

and

Three priorities for development

Then identify the smallest practical actions that could begin moving those areas forward.

For example:

Priority: Staff do not use outdoor learning regularly in KS2.

First action: Introduce one simple outdoor teaching method during a staff meeting.

Download the FREE Whole School Outdoor Learning Audit

Use our downloadable audit with your SLT, Outdoor Learning Coordinator or curriculum team.

It can be completed:

• Independently by the coordinator
• During an SLT meeting
• As part of school development planning
• During an outdoor learning review
• At the beginning of an Outdoor Learning Coordinator programme

Download the MPT Whole School Outdoor Learning Audit

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FREE DOWNLOAD

No perfect outdoor area required.

No expensive equipment required.

Just an honest look at where you are now.

What Happens Next?

Completing your audit gives you your baseline.

The next stage is to listen to the people experiencing outdoor learning every day.

Our Outdoor Learning Coordinator programme then explores:

Staff Voice

Confidence, Barriers and Current Practice

Pupil Voice

What Do Children Think About Learning Outdoors?

Parent and Community Voice

How is outdoor learning understood and supported beyond the classroom?

Together, these help you build a much fuller picture of your school.

From Audit to Whole-School Change

The Muddy Puddle Teacher® helps schools move outdoor learning away from occasional special activities and towards a sustainable whole-school approach.

We support schools to use simple methods, accessible resources and curriculum-linked outdoor teaching that staff can realistically maintain.

Our aim is not to turn every lesson into an outdoor lesson.

Our aim is to help teachers recognise when:

Learning would simply be better outside.

Ready to Start?

Download your FREE Whole School Outdoor Learning Audit today.

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