Outdoors Thinking - Trusted Partner

What Outdoors Thinking can do for you

Early Education is partnering with Outdoors Thinking to share the vision of every child in every setting having ongoing access to deep, rich, and satisfying high quality outdoor provision. Outdoors Thinking is a collective of highly experienced trainers whose approach covers the whole child and the whole curriculum. They are passionate about helping early years settings develop wonderful outdoor provision that makes the most of being outside and is effective and enjoyable for everyone. They believe deep learning happens through hands-on, real-world experiences, and play outdoors – supported by knowledgeable adults.

Developed and designed by Professor Jan White and emphasising experiential learning, the content and process of Outdoors Thinking training is underpinned by extensive research-informed knowledge and practice about outdoor provision, learning outdoors, and workforce development.

Outdoors Thinking offers a wide range of CPD, from single events to long-term, in-depth development programmes in Outdoor Practice. Find more information about what Outdoors Thinking can do for you by exploring their expertise and the different packages they can offer. If you’d like to discuss further, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

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Our Affiliate trainers

Dawn is an advocate for play pedagogy, nurture, and the outdoors. Dawn taught in early years, ASN, and primary for over 15 years before leaving to open an outdoor kindergarten Mucky Boots which has its values rooted in attachment theory, relationships and play. Holding a qualification in Developing a Coaching Culture, she is an experienced mentor, is a board member of Upstart Scotland, has established a professional network for outdoor nurseries in Scotland and provides training and consultancy support for educators at all levels with their development.

Sarah loves learning, people, and the planet, having worked in education for over 35 years in various roles, including teaching in primary and early years, as a Forest School leader, an Early Years Trainer/Consultant, and a lead for nature-based wellbeing projects with NGOs and County Councils. A professional certified coach, Forest School Association-endorsed trainer, and education consultant, Sarah co-founded Where The Fruit Is to provide transformational coaching and training, advocating for autism-friendly practice. She chaired the Forest School Association for four years and is one of the founders of the Nature Premium campaign.

With over 30 years’ experience of working in the early years, Menna’s start in childminding led to a journey from an indoor pack-away playgroup to an almost fully outdoor setting, along the way achieving EYPS and an MA in Educational Improvement, Development and Change. Judged as Outstanding in 4 consecutive Ofsted inspections, her setting won 3 Nursery World awards in the same year. An experienced trainer and consultant, Menna now works with childminders, PVIs, and maintained settings to develop their visions for the use of their outdoor spaces.

With over 20 years’ experience in Early Years, working in schools, nurseries, and universities as well as forest schools, Janet’s passion has always been to give children the space, time, and freedom to play, providing experiences that will enable them to grow into confident and creative individuals who will care for each other and for the world they live in. Janet is also owner/manager of Growing Wild, Barnsley's first Outdoor Nursery and Growing Wild Woodland Nursery in Sheffield, and provides consultancy and training in play and learning outdoors.

Terri has worked with children and young people for over 35 years, teaching and managing a team in nursery, school, and young adult provision. As a qualified teacher, she currently holds an SEN post at a primary school in Aberdeenshire. She co-founded and developed Nature Nurture, a long-running intervention for children that promotes resilience through time spent in nature with attuned and nurturing adults. Terri takes a lead role in project management and coordination and in the development and delivery of Nature Nurture training and CPD programmes

Originally training as a Landscape Architect, Jane worked with local communities to improve their outdoor spaces in educational, church, and housing environments. She then trained as a teacher and taught in KS2, KS1, and Foundation Stage until setting up her own consultancy (Yard Explorers) around using and improving outdoor spaces in school and nursery settings. Recently working part-time at a fully outdoor nursery made her “happier than I have ever been in my working life”. She has two grown up boys who also still absolutely love being outside.

The Outdoors Thinking team:

works UK-wide, with local experience in curricular frameworks for Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and England
supports all provider types, with specific expertise in childminding, schools, PVI settings, Family Hubs, SEND, and outdoor nurseries
embraces specialisms in maths, communication, PSED, therapeutic work, design, leadership and sustainability.

Outdoors Thinking’s areas of expertise include:

Outdoor provision and practice: Effective learning environments – Making your outdoors work well – Meeting the needs of two-year-olds through being outdoors
How young children learn: Holistic learning – Prime areas – Child development
Playing to learn: Play as the mechanism for learning – Wellbeing and Self-regulation – The importance of challenge and riskiness
Empowering the adult to work outdoors: Adult role – Parent partnership – Team development- sharing the journey
Wellbeing for all: Inclusion and SEND – Mental and physical wellbeing – Meeting adults’ needs outdoors.

Our CPD packages

To find out more about the CPD packages on offer, please hover over the images below.

Short sessions – stimulating thinking and examples of practice through a visual presentation along with a hands-on experiential session outdoors.

– Reasons to be outdoors (includes a free copy of our booklet ‘Reasons To Be Outside’ for each participant)

– Children researching the world – taking STEM outdoors (includes a free copy of our booklet ‘Loving Loose Parts’ for each participant)

– Impactful practice: the outdoors does it best! Building your vision for learning through play outdoors (includes a free copy of our booklet ‘Valuing the Outdoors’ for each participant).

Learning circles – five linked online sessions lasting up to 2 hours with gap tasks, taking an action-research and collective reflection format.

– Exploring the conditions for being mathematical outdoors

– Exploring the conditions for communication and language outdoors.

Bespoke sessions and conferences – Offering the outdoor perspective on early childhood wellbeing and learning.

– Conference keynotes and workshops

– Twilight sessions (up to 2 hours)

– Full-day training courses or half-day sessions.

Developing outdoor pedagogues – exciting, experiential in-depth courses spread over several months, embedding sustainable change.

– Creating rich experiences outdoors (module 1: focusing on provision)

– Supporting learning outdoors (module 2: focusing on practice) [must have completed module 1 first]

– Making your outdoors work well (module 3: focusing on organising and managing play and learning outdoors) [must have completed modules 1 and 2 first]

– Full Award in Outdoor Practice (all three modules).

NB: these courses are often offered in partnership with organisations such as Local Authorities, Multi Academy Trusts, and Nursery chains. Please enquire if you are interested working with us.

Outdoors Thinking’s considerable experience in working outdoors with young children puts us in a unique position to really know how to help educators harness the tremendous potential of the outdoors to enable children to thrive and grow, thanks to a combination of four critical strengths:

a deep understanding of young children and early childhood education.
extensive expertise in working with the outdoors.
substantial experience working in further and higher education at the interface between research and practice.
highly effective adult professional development.

“Professional development over time in this experiential way is proven to underpin knowledge.”

Professor Iram Siraj (Nursery World, October 2020: p43)

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Get in touch to discuss your booking today: we're happy to make recommendations to fit your vision, whether a short series of sessions or as part of a long-term project for an individual or for a team. We can bespoke the delivery to your professional context and requirements - whether that's in-person or virtual - to meet your early years consultancy needs.

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Outdoors Thinking – Trusted Partner