Sep 8, 2026
Take our PLACE - Empower Young People Through Outdoor Learning and Community Action
Do you share our vision for your school?
" A school that is making full use of the school grounds and local outdoor spaces as an enriching learning environment, where children have a deep connection to their place, their community and their planet. "
Over the next three years, CDEC will be supporting schools to embed place-based learning in their curriculum and in their teaching practice.
Schools will strengthen relationships with their local community by engaging with community members in place-based activities, and school staff will develop confidence in delivering the curriculum outdoors, in the school grounds and in local green spaces.
Key benefits include learning outdoors (experiential, engaging and inclusive), real world learning about sustainability and taking action for themselves, other people and the planet. The active and exploratory learning approaches will also address social and emotional learning and your children’s wellbeing.
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Thanks to funding from the Ernest Cook Trust, our Outdoor Learning Officer, Theo Kindyni, will work with your staff and children to explore and embed place-based learning.
- Initial sessions will focus on how this approach fits with your school and what you want to achieve.
- In the next phase, CDEC will work with your school to co-design and co-deliver activities which engage children with outdoor spaces.
CDEC support is fully funded for member schools and will last for up to 3 years: moving from leading delivery and training to co-delivery and facilitation to finally background support. This support will:
- Build teachers' confidence through CPD and training, designing lessons that can be delivered outdoors
- Address key areas of the Revised National Curriculum including engaging and relevant Citizenship Education, Enrichment through active and outdoor learning and Climate Education connected to the places where they live
- Support schools to strengthen connections with the community and maximise the use of the places available to them
- Give students a sense of how they can take local action to improve their community, as well as support their mental health and wellbeing
- Support your children’s learning about themselves, other people and the planet
We’re very excited to get started with our new PLACE project - if you’d like to learn more, please contact Theo by Friday 9th October theo@cdec.org.uk