Gold Award-Winning Outdoor Learning

Think you know what a Woodland School looks like?
Just wait until you see ours!

We are thrilled to share that Lady Barn House School has been awarded the national Outdoor Learning Gold Award (2025–2027) by Optimus Education, recognising our commitment to embedding high-quality outdoor learning across every stage of our pupils’ education.

This prestigious accolade, part of the School Impact Awards, celebrates schools that place outdoor learning at the heart of their ethos — and at Lady Barn, our Woodland School is the perfect expression of that vision.

Our Woodland School – A Space to Grow

Nestled within our own school grounds, our Woodland School includes:

• A dedicated outdoor classroom

• Campfire area for storytelling and cooking

• Mature woodland with a stream-side walk

• Vegetable patches and planting beds

• A willow walkway, mud kitchen, and even welly washing stations

• Beautiful wood carvings to discover along the way

It’s not just a space — it’s a philosophy.

Why Outdoor Learning Matters

Outdoor learning is central to our approach at Lady Barn. The benefits are well-established:

• Builds confidence, independence and creativity

• Encourages risk-taking and problem-solving

• Boosts wellbeing and reduces stress

• Strengthens teamwork and social skills

• Deepens understanding across the curriculum

Whether it’s climbing trees, painting with hands, foraging for blackberries or paddling in the stream, Woodland School sessions encourage children to engage all their senses and learn through joyful, purposeful play.

What Might a Woodland Session Involve?

No two sessions are ever the same, but activities might include:

• Welly walks and wildlife spotting

• Mud kitchen creations and nature-inspired art

• Stream paddling and bug hunting

• Campfire cooking and storytelling

• Foraging and growing food from seed

Award-Winning. Child-Led. Future-Focused.

Receiving the Outdoor Learning Gold Award is not only a proud moment for our staff and pupils — it reaffirms our belief that the best learning doesn’t always happen inside four walls.

At Lady Barn, our Woodland School isn’t an ‘add-on’. It’s a living classroom, rooted in nature, that enriches every child’s experience — preparing them not only for exams, but for life.

Come and see it for yourself.
Book a tour to find out how outdoor learning at Lady Barn is opening up a world of opportunity.