South Devon MP Caroline Voaden has presented the Outdoor Education Bill to parliament, proposing mandatory outdoor learning experiences as mental health referrals for children in England reach record levels.
The Liberal Democrat MP introduced her Ten-Minute Rule Bill in the Commons, calling, among other things, for every child to be offered at least one outdoor education experience during primary school years and at least one such experience during secondary school years.
She has also proposed that all children should spend a minimum of 30 minutes a day outdoors during school hours.
Last year, a study by the Raising the Nation Play Commission found the amount of time children spend outside has declined by 50% within a generation. Among those in the most deprived parts of the country, 18% of children never visit the natural environment or spend meaningful time outdoors.
Drawing on her own experience and inspiring practice at schools in South Devon, Ms Voaden argued that this unprecedented loss of outdoor experiences means children are missing opportunities to build confidence and resilience, learn new skills and create a connection with nature.
“So much of the work that children do in schools can be enriched by outdoor learning, and from experience we know that if the Government passes this vital bill, it is going to aid children in so many ways, from improving their well-being, building confidence and fostering positive attitudes.”
Jo Harris, Field Studies Council
Outdoor education can combat mental health crisis
The bill’s presentation comes a week after the Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza said we are “facing a crisis” in young people’s mental health, with roughly one in ten children being referred to mental health treatment in England in the 12 months to March 2025 – almost double the number recorded in 2018/19.
South Devon MP Caroline Voaden said: “Reintroducing regular outdoor education into the school day could be genuinely transformational. It is no coincidence that mental health referrals for children have skyrocketed while their time outside has declined. But while I am proud to present this bill, it should be seen as the start of a wider conversation.
“Access to nature and unstructured play is so thoroughly missing from young people’s lives that one bill is not enough to turn the tide. As the recent devastating figures on youth mental health make painfully clear, we urgently need to prioritise getting our children outside more, to benefit from the healing effect of being in nature.”
Link between getting children out and wellbeing
Schools in South Devon have commented on the improved wellbeing of their pupils after experiencing outdoor education.
Liam Fielding, headteacher at Blackawton and East Allington Primary Schools, said: “Outdoor education in all its forms plays a vital role in supporting the wellbeing of our children, which in turn supports their readiness to learn. We know that children who are physically active, emotionally regulated and connected to the natural world are often better able to engage with learning back in the classroom.”
The Outdoor Education Bill is set to be debated in October, and Caroline’s comments have received strong backing from the Field Studies Council, which runs Slapton Ley field centre, which sits in the MP’s constituency.
“As the recent devastating figures on youth mental health make painfully clear, we urgently need to prioritise getting our children outside more, to benefit from the healing effect of being in nature.”
MP Caroline Voaden
Outdoor Education Bill is vital for the next generation
Jo Harris, education manager for the Field Studies Council, which recently launched a £20k fundraising appeal to provide more subsidised outdoor learning trips for schools, said backing the bill was a real opportunity for politicians to turn the tide on young people’s mental health.
She said: “We echo every word said by Caroline in her speech to Parliament. She laid out the stark reality of just how many children do not have access to outdoor learning and activity. She also spelled out the major benefits of what outdoor learning and residential trips can really do for children.
“We and others in the sector have campaigned hard for outdoor residentials to be embedded into school curriculums.
“So much of the work that children do in schools can be enriched by outdoor learning, and from experience we know that if the Government passes this vital bill, it is going to aid children in so many ways, from improving their well-being, building confidence and fostering positive attitudes.
“We’re delighted Caroline has taken this cause to parliament and we look forward to seeing the outcome of the debate later this year, because passing a bill like this really could change a lot of young people’s lives.”
Hope that Westminster politicians follow suit
The Scottish Parliament passed a landmark bill last year which means all Scottish schoolchildren will have at least one outdoor residential trip during their education.
The Field Studies Council operates 12 outdoor educational centres across the UK, including one at Millport on the Isle of Cumbrae.
Jo is hopeful that Scotland’s move could lay the foundations for a more positive debate in the Commons later this year.
She added: “The bill in Scotland was such a landmark moment and we really hope the politicians in Westminster follow suit.
“What Scotland has done will be cemented for years and will benefit hundreds of thousands of young people. There is now the same opportunity for that to happen in England.”
To read the Outdoor Education Bill in full, click here.
