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Learning Through Landscapes

Learning Through Landscapes (LTL) is the UK charity dedicated to enhancing outdoor learning and play for children.

Having undertaken their rigorous training and assessment procedures, Helen McHollan of Illman Young is part of LTL’s network of accredited advisors, bringing these principals to education projects:

• Well considered school grounds provide a variety of spaces to really enrich the experience that a child has at school. Rather than asking “what do you want” in your landscape, we ask “what do you want to do”

• Schools must increasingly provide creative approaches to the curriculum and maximise use of space; the external environment should be seen as a ‘natural’ extension of the building.

• The school landscape has the potential to enrich health, well being and the educational development of pupils, and enhance the learning experience.

• Getting outside removes the constraints of the classroom bringing learning alive and engaging pupils of all ability levels.

• Being outside is more and more important for our children, as they typically spend only half as much time outdoors than their parents did.

• We want our children to grow and be custodians of our natural environment in the future. What better place to learn about the environment and take responsibility for it, than the place that surrounds them on a daily basis.