Growing among Trees: a 12-month process evaluation of school based outdoor learning interventions

Figures & data

Table 1. Summary of interventions and outcomes at each primary school (PS).

School	Delivered Interventions	Themes
PS1	4 half day sessions with pupils Forest School teacher training Tree Identification Tree Planting Tree Assembly	Positive affect (students and teachers) Boosting creativity and imagination Strong engagement Enhanced learning experience, skill, and knowledge development Excitement for future sessions and knowledge application
PS2	6 half day Wild Teaching sessions with pupils Audit of species and defining Wild Teaching zones Tree Planting Workshop	Positive affect (students and teachers) Boosting creativity and imagination Strong engagement Enhanced learning experience, skill, and knowledge development Pedagogical impact Improvement processes
PS3	5 half day Wild Teaching sessions with pupils Wild Assembly Audit of species and defining Wild Teaching zones Tree Planting Workshop (x2) Wild Teacher Training	Positive affect (students and teachers) Strong engagement Enhanced learning experience, skill, and knowledge development Excitement for future sessions and knowledge application Pedagogical impact Improvement processes
PS4	Urban Forest School teacher training	Positive affect (teachers) Strong engagement Excitement for knowledge application Pedagogical impact
PS5	Urban Forest School teacher training	Positive affect (teachers) Strong engagement Pedagogical impact
PS6	Audit of species and defining Wild Teaching zones	Positive affect (teachers) Strong engagement Pedagogical impact

Table 2. Summary of interventions and outcomes at each special school (SpS).

School	Delivered Interventions	Themes
SpS1	Audit of natural assets	Increased recognition of benefits Improvement processes
SpS2	Audit of natural assets	Improved awareness of provision Improvement processes

Table 3. Summary of interventions and outcomes at each secondary school (SS).

	Delivered Interventions	Themes
SS1	Launch assembly Tree Planting Teacher training (4 sessions)	Positive affect (students and staff) Strong engagement Enhanced learning experience, skill, and knowledge development Pedagogical impact Improvement processes

Table

School	P1	P2	P3
Intervention provider(s)	The Garden Classroom/Trees for Cities	Nature Nurture CIC	Nature Nurture CIC
Delivered Interventions	Sessions with pupils (four half days) Forest School teacher training Tree Identification Tree Planting Tree Assembly	Wild Teaching with pupils (6 half day sessions) Audit of species and defining Wild Teaching zones Tree Planting Workshop	Wild Teaching with pupils (5 half day sessions) Wild Assembly Audit of species and defining Wild Teaching zones Tree Planting Workshop Wild Teacher Training
School	P4	P5	P6
Intervention provider(s)	The Garden Classroom	The Garden Classroom	Nature Nurture CIC
Delivered Interventions	Forest School teacher training	Forest School teacher training	Audit of species and defining Wild Teaching zones

Table

Intervention	Delivery Partner	Description
Sessions with pupils	The Garden Classroom	4 x two hour sessions with 10 to 25 children off school site. Content of sessions included getting to know six trees, collecting fallen natural objects, observation-memory games, making a group shelter, using trees to experiment with music and sound and climbing, drawing and observing trees.
Tree Assembly/ Wild assembly	Trees for Cities/Nature Nurture CIC	20–30 minute assemblies with at least 300 children within school grounds. Assemblies involved looking at the benefits and properties of trees, including existing and new trees in their playground.
Tree Identification	Trees for Cities	30 minute session off school site with 17 children.
Tree Planting Workshop	Trees for Cities/Nature Nurture CIC	1–2 hour workshops each involving 17 to 60 children planting standard trees and/or whips within school grounds. Workshops supported pupils to gain understanding about the properties of the trees they have planted and how to keep them healthy.
Audit of species and defining wild teaching zones	Nature Nurture CIC	Thorough two hour reconnaissance and species identification off school site and/or within school grounds with discussion on learning zones and ideas.
Wild Teaching	Nature Nurture CIC	Multiple 2.5 hour sessions with 13 to 37 children within school grounds and/or off school site. Each session involved two teachers and two teaching assistants. Content of sessions included sensory introductions to nature, the properties of materials, learning about habitats and making shelters and linking learning with class books such as the Deep Dark Woods and Gruffalo and ‘The Enchanted Wood’.
Forest School teacher training	The Garden Classroom	Full day training (7 hours) for ITC Level 1 Award in Forest School Ethos and Principles (with Twilight follow-up in one school), delivered off school site.
Wild teacher training	Nature Nurture CIC	2 x 1.5 hour sessions with teachers and TAs covering barriers and benefits to ‘Wild teaching’, understanding school needs and an outdoor taster session tailored to school needs and potential of school grounds.

Table

School	SS1
Delivered Interventions	Launch assembly Tree Planting Teacher training (4 sessions)

Table

Intervention	Delivery Partner	Description
Launch assembly	Green Schools Project	1 hour assembly with 270 children, 12 teachers and 3 TAs introducing tree planting, the benefits of spending time outdoors, the importance of nature connection and the climate crisis. Included recruitment of an eco-team.
Tree planting	Trees for Cities	2.5 hour session with 25 children on school grounds to plant nine fruit trees (to create an orchard), with tree identification activities.
Teacher training	Green Schools Project	Four sets of 4 hour sessions off school site with one or two teachers attending. Content of sessions included how to start a forest school programme including nature based experiential activities integrated with the curriculum.

Table

School	SpS1	SpS2
Delivered Interventions	Audit of natural assets	Audit of natural assets

Table

Intervention	Delivery Partner	Description
Audit of natural assets	Sensory Trust	Assessment of school grounds and local sites over 1.5–2 hours. The grounds were explored thoroughly deciding on where activities will take place, what sort of activities will be possible and who would be involved, including looking at sites for tree planting.