Cumbria’s university hosts outdoor learning conference at Lancaster campus

University of Cumbria recently hosted an outdoor learning conference at their Lancaster campus in collaboration with Dave Harvey Outdoor Learning and Little Chatters. The conference saw a day of workshops, keynotes and networking for primary and SEND educators and an opportunity to learn and connect with expert outdoor learning providers and other schools.

After a welcome from event organisers Jen Ager, Dave Harvey and Gina Parker (Mullarkey) and a full day of workshops, guests were invited to a keynote from Deborah Lambert (pictured right) titled “Daring to innovate: utilising the power of assessment for outdoor learning”.

Deborah is an experienced educator and author specialising in outdoor learning and sustainability, with extensive involvement in various educational projects and initiatives. Her keynote explored how assessment in schools is crucial for tracking academic progress, informing curriculum planning, and guiding next steps in learning. With evolving curriculum policies, schools must demonstrate the rationale, implementation, and impact of their curriculum on students' knowledge and understanding.

Conference delegates were invited to select from fifteen workshops. Each workshop had a different target audience and varied in topics including “taking the curriculum outdoors”, “how to get the most out for farm trips/visits” and “increasing biodiversity on your school site (even if you only have concrete)”. Workshops were delivered by several organisations including Lake District National Park Authority, The Ernest Cook Trust, Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Learning through Landscapes. 

Senior Lecturer in Education, Jen Ager, delivers the initial teacher education (ITE) program at the university's Fusehill street campus where they have an outdoor classroom to help trainees develop their skills and understanding of using the outdoors effectively as a teaching resource.

Jen co-organised the event on behalf of the university has almost two decades of experience in primary education with a masters in outdoor and experiential learning.  She is also a level 3 forest school practitioner. Her expertise extends beyond this to publishing works on outdoor learning in primary schools and delivering INSET training and conference presentations on integrating this approach into the school curriculum. Jen’s research focus is on enhancing teacher confidence, knowledge and skills to effectively incorporate outdoor learning as a pedagogical approach.

Jen (pictured) said:

“The first Outdoor Learning Conference at Lancaster was a hugely successful day. Co-organising the event attracted a wide range of delegates and shared expertise from within the region and beyond. 

“The aim of the day was to promote outdoor learning, not just as an alternative to indoor learning, but a progressive, meaningful approach to deliver the national curriculum and to continue to strive to make the most of the outdoors as a pedagogical tool.

“Bringing educational professionals together fosters collaboration and sharing of best practices. The conference hopes to support development of a regional network of teachers who can support each other in implementing outdoor learning approaches, strengthen ties between schools and local communities and encourage schools to use local resources (locations and providers), which can enhance community involvement in education. 

“University of Cumbria is committed to making the most of its three most valuable assets: People, Place, and Partnerships. The conference promoted these values as drivers for addressing recent research that indicates many teachers lack confidence in implementing outdoor learning and are seeking more training opportunities. It’s therefore essential to raise the profile of outdoor learning in our schools.

“We would hope to work together to organise a similar conference next year based upon the feedback and demand from attendees.”

(L-R) Dave Harvey, Gina Parker (Mullarkey) and Jen Ager

Alongside Jen, Dave Harvey and Gina Parker (Mullarkey), both University of Cumbria Alumni, collaborated to co-organise the event. Dave now runs his own consultancy, research and training business having initially qualified as a secondary school teacher of outdoor education and design technology then developed his career working in then managing outdoor education centres. Dave recently completed his PhD in outdoor learning and is an accredited provider of learning through landscapes, regularly contributing to the Institute of Outdoor Learning’s horizons journal, workshop and is a webinar leader.

Gina’s outdoor learning journey began almost 30 years ago as a ‘teacher naturalist’ at a country park but now focusses on supporting schools in their outdoor learning journeys. As a former teacher, Gina recognised the importance of the establishment and coordination of an outdoor learning network for primary and SEND schools across Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire which meets on a termly basis.