Join the School Grounds Collective launch in London
School grounds are a vital part of the education estate, and we’re bringing together a collective of like-minded people to make sure they reflect England’s changing aspirations for education and childhood.
Please note this page has been amended following the launch of DfE’s Education Estates Strategy: a decade of national renewal on 11 February 2026.
We at Learning through Landscapes are creating an alliance of professional friends to join forces and call for school grounds progress at a strategic national level – the School Grounds Collective. To kick it off we’ll be hosting an event in central London on the afternoon of Thursday 19 March 2026, with a galvanising keynote speech from our CEO Matt Robinson, and opportunities to connect with like-minded colleagues in the sector.
Engaging with nature in familiar surroundings offers children, as well as teachers and educators, the chance to deeply connect with the natural world. Being outdoors within the school day, on a familiar site, can lower many of the usual barriers to nature connectedness. Quality school grounds can offer safety alongside rich experiences, accessibility alongside stimulation, and wellbeing opportunities alongside curriculum links, for the children who need it most.
The launch of this new DfE strategy is a great time to reflect on how governments, charities, school leaders and other colleagues across the education, outdoor learning, nature and play sectors can work together to create aspirational, adapted, inclusive spaces for all schools.
This shouldn’t be difficult to achieve
In light of the Education Estates Strategy, newly launched by DfE last month, we will look to ensure the potential of school grounds in England is better realised.
Equipping every school with the knowledge and focus to create climate-ready, nature-rich school grounds could be relatively simple to achieve, especially with renewed policy support for nature, climate, wellbeing, and access for all, captured within the DfE’s new strategy.
We’ll be holding our School Grounds Collective at the QEII Conference Centre on Thursday 19 March, with a drinks reception from 3.30pm, keynotes at 4.30pm and an opportunity to network until 6.30pm, with some light refreshments provided.
We’d love to see colleagues from other third-sector organisations, who focus on education, climate action, climate mitigation, school grounds, learning, play, mental health and wellbeing – anyone who is working in or adjacent to school grounds. We have also invited a swathe of MPs, and hope that some colleagues from the Department for Education will also be in attendance.
Email Jack at jsimmonds@ltl.org.uk if you think you should be there!
