Report calls for improvements to school grounds in Scotland

The Herald Scotland

13 hours ago

The report highlights a range of positive and negative changes over the past two decades, during which a large number of schools in Scotland have either been rebuilt or significantly refurbished.
In total, 15% of primary schools and 16% of secondary schools reported they had lost outdoor space as a result of building development. In most cases, this has been as a result of buildings being extended or new buildings being constructed on smaller sites.
Around a third of primary schools reported experiencing problems with flooding in their school grounds, and the same proportion of special schools stated that their outdoor spaces are too small. Just under 40% of all schools responding to the survey advised that they have fewer than five trees within their grounds.
The report found that many schools have little to no natural features. (Image: Learning through Landscapes) Just one in ten primary schools stated that their grounds are open for community use outside of school hours, and only a third of secondary schools regard their outdoor spaces as very useful or essential learning resources.
Broader social changes have also had an impact, with more than one third of secondary schools reporting concerns about pupil safety as a result of car parking in and around the school.
The research has also revealed that school grounds have become less of a priority for improvement planning over the past two decades, and that budget cuts represent a major barrier to the development and improvement of outdoor spaces for Scottish schools.
However, the new report also highlights examples of progress.
More than three quarters of primary schools use their outdoor spaces to support learning in numeracy and mathematics, while more than 80 percent of secondary schools report doing so for sciences. Amongst special schools, two-thirds use their grounds as part of Learning for Sustainability initiatives.
Almost all secondary schools now have bike racks for pupils, up from just over half in 2005, and around half now have either a polytunnel or greenhouse on site.
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In other areas of the research the conclusions are mixed. Around 80 percent of schools reported some form of improvement to their grounds over the past three years, but just ten percent said that any further improvements are planned.
Although the number of primary schools where all pupils are physically active at break times has increased significantly since 2005, it still stands at just 49 percent.
More than four fifths of secondary school respondents to the survey said that they would like more environmental features such as wildlife habitat to be incorporated into their school grounds, but such changes may be blocked by councils due to the installation and especially maintenance costs involved.
There are calls for schools to be better supported to incorporate the natural world in their grounds and learning. (Image: Learning through Landscapes) Ultimately the report concludes that 'many schools are not fully utilising their grounds for teaching and learning', and that although 'environmental and social policies in Scotland are evolving rapidly, these shifts are not yet reflected in learning estate policy and strategy.'
The charities behind the work are 'particularly concerned about inequities in access to quality outdoor spaces, especially those that support nature connection and climate resilience.'
However, the research has also identified 'significant potential to enrich the natural diversity of school grounds' and opportunities to deliver 'an improved experience for all children, young people and educators.'
Professor John McKendrick, who is also the Scottish Government's Commissioner for Fair Access, told The Herald: 'The research demonstrates that there is a keen interest from school leaders in enhancing school grounds and making the most of what is already available.
'However, these spaces do not only have the potential to enhance the quality of school life and learning: these are spaces that – in some instances – are social and recreational spaces for many within the wider community.
'Perhaps we have under-estimated what our school grounds contribute to our neighbourhoods. It is time that we showed a keener interest in maximizing the potential of these community resources.'
Commenting on the release of the report, Matt Robinson of Learning through Landscapes said that school grounds 'shape childhood memories, support wellbeing, and contribute to healthier lives, improved academic outcomes, and safer communities.'
He continued: 'Scotland's school grounds collectively cover an area the size of Dundee. They are the only space where every child in Scotland should have guaranteed daily access to outdoor play, learning, and sport —surrounded by nature and protected from our changing climate.
'We are asking for a few simple actions on the back of this report: we'd like to see more collaboration with Northern Ireland, Wales and England, ultimately developing improved national guidance for future-proofed, nature-rich, climate-adapted school grounds.
'We feel that a roundtable of key policy stakeholders, aiming to unlock funding, resources and support for school grounds, would support this work meaningfully.
'To underpin this, we also need to see updated School Premises Regulations – these haven't changed since 1964 in Scotland.'
'Beyond what this report tells us, we are informed by our work in schools about many barriers that pupils, teachers and parents face when trying to improve their outdoor spaces. While we agree that local authorities need to ensure changes are undertaken to a suitable standard, we now see increasing numbers of local authorities blocking improvements due to concerns over future maintenance costs or school building expansion.
'School staff, parents and pupils are the experts on their school spaces; both indoors and out. However, school communities are not experts on the development and creation of outdoor play and learning spaces. This means that many schools are approached by play and sports equipment providers, which while important products, can lead to schools looking to install (very) expensive equipment which does not provide as much flexibility or benefit as natural spaces.
'A national strategy and lead from Scottish Government and COSLA could ensure that what funds we do have are well spent and developments meet the highest standards possible.'
Experts say that school grounds are an important part of education provision and offer major benefits to children. (Image: Learning through Landscapes) Mr Robinson confirmed that his organisation will be approaching the Scottish Government to request that a roundtable discussion on school grounds is arranged.
Penny Martin, an outdoor learning adviser for NatureScot, said that school grounds 'provide the ideal place to provide daily learning opportunities, connection with nature and mitigate climate impacts'. She added that the new report has helped to 'identify opportunities across our school estate to create better and more resilient places for people and nature.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said:
'The Scottish Government recognises that access to nature-based greenspaces is important to support pupils' learning, wellbeing, active play, social interaction and enjoyment. That is why, through our £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme (LEIP), we work closely with local authorities to ensure that LEIP projects are designed to maximise the use of outdoor learning environments.
'Additionally, we set up a new strategic working group focused on outdoor learning last year. This group is exploring how we can make outdoor learning more inclusive and accessible for all learners. Access to greenspaces is an important part of this work, and the group will share its recommendations to Ministers later this year.'