Beyond the Classroom: Raising Aspirations Through Outdoor and Adventurous Activities with Key Stage 3 Pupils

By Avril Rowley

In a world increasingly dominated by screens and schedules, the chance for young people to step outside – literally – and engage with the natural world is more valuable than ever. Through the lens of the Key Stage 3 curriculum, particularly within the Outdoor and Adventurous Activities (OAA) strand of PE, we have found a powerful avenue for inspiring students, fostering teamwork and gently expanding their vision of what is possible for their futures.

Our outreach work with secondary schools focuses on using outdoor learning to build not just physical skills but confidence, curiosity and connection. By embedding Natural Curriculum work – such as orienteering, nature-based challenges and team navigation activities – within OAA sessions, we create meaningful experiences that support the development of physical literacy and personal growth.

But this is not just about climbing over logs or racing across fields. It is about showing pupils that learning does not only happen behind a desk – and that higher education can be as hands-on, adventurous and accessible as the world around them.

Learning Through Nature

When students work together to build a weatherproof shelter or find a creative solution to cross an imaginary swamp with limited resources, they are developing far more than physical coordination. These activities promote leadership, lateral thinking and resilience. They encourage students to take risks, learn from setbacks and solve problems as a team – key skills for both the classroom and life beyond school.

And crucially, they are seeing university not as an abstract concept, but as a pathway that values exploration, problem-solving and active engagement with the environment.

OAA in Action: Our Approach

• Orienteering with Purpose
  Students use maps and compasses to locate hidden natural science clues around the school grounds or local green space – turning a physical challenge into an ecological investigation.
• Shelter Building Challenge
  In small teams, students use natural and provided materials to construct a waterproof shelter. This task promotes strategic planning, group communication and an understanding of environmental context.
• Crossing the Swamp
  Using only a few “stepping stones” (tyres, crates and planks), pupils must work together to traverse an imaginary swamp. The challenge demands teamwork, problem-solving under pressure and creative thinking. To increase the challenge and develop trust and communication skills, one team member is blindfolded for the return journey across the swamp.
• Reflection and Growth
  We end each session with guided reflections on what pupils learned – about nature, themselves and how they work with others. These moments help embed confidence and awareness.

Why It Matters

Many of the pupils we work with have not had much exposure to outdoor learning – or to the idea that university is something they can aim for. By making these experiences inclusive and linked to real-world futures, we help raise aspirations through:

• Relevance: Showing how their curriculum connects to the world outside.
• Representation: Connecting pupils with university students and staff who reflect their backgrounds and interests.
• Confidence: Helping them feel capable, curious and in control of their own learning journeys.

Final Thoughts

Outdoor and Adventurous Activities offer more than physical development – they open space for discovery, identity and ambition. By aligning Natural Curriculum outreach with the KS3 OAA strand, we are not only supporting the PE curriculum, but helping pupils see themselves as explorers, leaders and future learners.

University is not a distant world. It is one they have already stepped into – boots muddy, eyes open and ready for the next adventure.

If you are interested in working with us to develop more opportunities for nature-based OAA, get in touch!