TEACHERS and school leaders across Wales have an “unmissable opportunity” to transform the lives of pupils through meaningful outdoor education.

The Field Studies Council, the UK’s leading outdoor education charity, has called upon teachers to embrace the opportunities offered by the new Curriculum for Wales which will be introduced from September 2025.

The charity’s education manager Jo Harris, speaking at the National Education Show in Cardiff on Friday (October 4), said: “The Curriculum for Wales is an unmissable opportunity to embed outdoor education as an integral part of the learning experience.

“We have been banging the drum for meaningful, enriching and immersive experiences for all students since the conception of the Field Studies Council in 1943, and we know the impact and importance of real-world learning for students of all ages, backgrounds and abilities.

“I urge teachers to embrace outdoor learning as an integral part of the new curriculum as it aims to create the healthy and ambitious young people needed to move our society ahead.”

The new curriculum for Wales has a strong emphasis on four key purposes, with the formal boundaries between subjects becoming more fluid in a more holistic approach to encourage positive well-being.  The four purposes aim to create:

• ambitious, capable learners, ready to learn throughout their lives
• enterprising, creative contributors, ready to play a full part in life and work
• ethical, informed citizens of Wales and the world
• healthy, confident individuals, ready to lead fulfilling lives as valued members of society

The first cohort of Year 10 GCSE students will start following the new curriculum from September 2025, and Jo urged teachers to embed field trips and outdoor learning into their planning from the start.

She said: “We know that experience-based hands-on learning in natural environments fosters problem-solving, critical thinking and resilience. It encourages curiosity and a deep connection with the natural world, essential attributes for the citizens of tomorrow. 

“The world of outdoor learning and nature connection is vital in creative thinking and the investigative work involved in fieldwork creates critical thinkers who can work in teams and individually.  

“With green jobs on the rise at a rate much higher than workers with green skills, (World Economic Forum, Feb 2024), the future work force needs the stimulation, engagement and support to fulfil these roles, and the new Welsh curriculum is committed to delivering on this. 

“Field Studies Council is a key partner of choice for this commitment – our school and university courses, as well as our online biodiversity department, are delivering expert courses and resources around biodiversity and environmental learning.”

The Welsh Assembly Government has told schools that the new curriculum should make sure 14 to 16-year-olds get an appropriate mix of general, vocational and skill-based qualifications and that curriculum time helps learners to understand all of their strengths.

Jo added: “We all know the physical health benefits of being outside and being active and we are becoming ever more knowledgeable about outdoor learning’s impact on mental health well-being, confidence and resilience.

“The students who struggle more to concentrate in class, those that might not get the chance to relax in nature otherwise or those that suddenly blossom to life in front of your eyes when given a pond dipping net, these are the beneficiaries of the drive for more outdoor learning across the curriculum.

“As educators in Wales, developing the curriculum for and with your schools, you can look to outdoor learning and its benefits to help deliver these purposes. We have courses to support all learners across many subjects, and I’m happy to engage with teachers to explain how you can use outdoor environmental learning to reap the benefits for your pupils.”

With centres at Rhyd-y-Creuau in the Yr Wyddfa National Park, Dale Fort in Pembrokeshire and Margam Discovery Centre in Port Talbot, the charity is already playing a key role in helping educators to deliver and plan high-quality, engaging experiences that meet the demands of the new curriculum. 

It is currently working with subject advisers at WJEC – Wales’ largest awarding body – to pinpoint how its geography fieldwork courses can help prepare students to understand the six stages of enquiry and complete high quality non-examined assessments, which will be new for GCSE students next year.

It is also working with WJEC to help build teacher-confidence in delivering fieldwork for the new GCSE.

For more information visit https://www.field-studies-council.org/ 

MILFORD HAVEN SCHOOL has made history by becoming the first secondary school in Pembrokeshire, and only the seventh in Wales, to receive the prestigious UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting School Award.

This accolade, the highest given by UNICEF in the UK, recognises the school’s exceptional commitment to embedding children’s rights into every aspect of school life, including its ethos, policies, and practices. The Gold Award is reserved for schools that have demonstrated a robust environment where children feel safe, respected, and have a strong sense of belonging.

Milford Haven School has stood out for its dedication to fostering a culture of mutual respect, inclusion, and active pupil participation. Headteacher Ms Morris expressed her pride at the school’s achievement, calling it a “momentous occasion” for both the school and the wider community.

“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff, pupils, and the community,” said Ms Morris. “It reflects our commitment to creating a learning environment where every pupil feels valued, heard, and empowered. We believe in fostering a culture of respect and responsibility, and this recognition validates our efforts to ensure that children’s rights are central to everything we do.”

The Rights Respecting Schools Award recognises schools that have fully integrated the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into their day-to-day operations. The assessment process evaluates how well schools promote respect for rights, equality, and the active participation of pupils in shaping their educational experience.

Representatives from UNICEF commended Milford Haven School for its efforts, highlighting pupil-led initiatives, collaborative projects, and a sustained commitment to promoting global citizenship and human rights education. The school’s dedication to this cause earned it the coveted Gold status.

Miss Reynolds, Assistant Headteacher and the lead on the Rights Respecting Schools work, praised both pupils and staff for their hard work and dedication.

“This award reflects the whole school community’s commitment to promoting children’s rights and creating a respectful, inclusive environment,” she said. “The recognition underlines our ongoing focus on pupil wellbeing and development as part of the school’s core ethos. We look forward to continuing this fantastic work in the coming months.”

The role of Milford Haven School’s pupils has been crucial in driving the Rights Respecting agenda forward. Pupil voice groups have worked tirelessly to ensure that every student understands their rights and the importance of respect and equality. These groups have led campaigns, organised events, and contributed to decision-making processes within the school, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility.

One pupil, speaking on the importance of being part of a Rights Respecting School, said: “Being a part of a Rights Respecting School means that we have the opportunity to speak our minds, and we know that our voices will be heard and our ideas listened to. That gives us the confidence to bring about change and make a difference.”

Milford Haven School’s achievement in becoming a UNICEF Gold Rights Respecting School not only highlights the school’s dedication to its pupils but also sets a benchmark for other schools in Pembrokeshire and Wales to aspire to.

THE executive head of education at a state-of-the-art specialist school has been recognised for helping children “be themselves” while “creating lasting memories.”

Emma Thomas is at the helm at Orbis Education and Care’s Dan-y-Coed in Swansea, which caters for youngsters with autism and learning disabilities.

The 41-year-old runs a team of creative education, care and therapeutic professionals who help children to feel safe and respected, whilst providing bright and colourful child-friendly environments in which to learn, live and make friends.

It is her dedication over the last seven years that has earned her a place in the final of the major national competition – the 2024 Wales Care Awards, sponsored by Ontex Healthcare.

Emma’s aim is to help children simply be themselves, creating lasting memories of childhood as they develop into independent young people and adults.

The mum-of-two from Penclawdd is shortlisted for the Peter Clarke Award for Promoting Excellence in Services for Children and Young People, sponsored by Morgan LaRoche Solicitors.

The glittering presentation ceremony will be held on Friday, October 18 at the Holland House Hotel in Cardiff and will be hosted by radio and TV presenter Jason Mohammad.

The awards are in association with Care Forum Wales, a not-for-profit organisation set up in 1993 to give independent care providers a single professional voice with which to speak on one of the most important issues of our time – how to provide better quality care for those who need it most.

It was Director of Education, Lucy Pottinger who nominated Emma for the accolade.

She said: “Emma has been working at Dan-y-Coed since it opened in 2017 and this year she has experienced the joy of seeing her very first pupil transition to a mainstream school full-time, which is an incredible achievement and demonstrates her strength and determination to help her pupils.

“Emma and her team devised a support plan to help him pursue his wish to go to mainstream school. Emma developed a strong team of learning support staff, teachers and clinical therapists, including a behaviour specialist, to help him gradually break down behavioural barriers and build trust with staff.

“She helped him understand that they would stick by him through tough times. Small classes with a bespoke curriculum unique to him proved invaluable and were the key to his success.”

Lucy added: “It is very rare for pupils to go from an independent specialist school to a mainstream placement and Emma should be proud of the progress her very first pupil has made.

“The fact she oversaw a team that has helped the young man fulfil his dream of going to a mainstream school deserves recognition.”

Emma said: “Being shortlisted for this award is a privilege. There are so many people across Wales who do outstanding work in our field, and I hope that I can represent them proudly. 

“We all have our own ‘why’ as to reasons we undertake the work that we do, and to be nominated, let alone be a finalist is extremely rewarding. Knowing that I have helped others in a way that has positively influenced their lives, and the lives of others close to them, is a feeling that you can never forget.”

Mario Kreft MBE, Chair of Care Forum Wales, said the aim of the Wales Care Awards is to recognise the unstinting and remarkable dedication of unsung heroes and heroines across Wales like Emma.

He said: “The care sector is full of wonderful people because it’s not just a job it’s a vocation – these are the people who really do have the X Factor.

“If you don’t recognise the people who do the caring you will never provide the standards that people need and never recognise the value of the people who need the care in society.

“We need to do all we can to raise the profile of the care sector workforce – they deserve to be lauded and applauded.

“It is a pleasure to honour the contribution of all the finalists. Each and every one of them should be very proud of their achievement.”