Hutchesons' at Pollok Park - Hutchesons' Grammar School

It has become more important that our children develop an environmental identity and to do this we need to allow them to be present in nature all year round.
At Hutchesons’ we understand the benefits that outdoor learning and adventurous activities provide. There are significant gains in terms of developing social skills, empathy, resilience, problem-solving, emotional literacy, and stamina. Outdoor learning also helps build confidence, improves wellbeing, and engages children with nature.

We are fortunate that Hutchesons’ at Pollok Park enables us to offer a broad, progressive, and regular approach to Outdoor Learning for all pupils – from Nursery and Pre-school, through the Primary years and into the Secondary School.

With the additional advantage the immediate access to Pollok Country Park provides, we can ensure that pupils at each stage regularly connect with nature; a place where they can find something new, exciting and challenging throughout their time at Hutchie.

Outdoor Learning at H@PP

Hutchesons’ at Pollok Park provides a greater opportunity to design a curriculum for outdoor learning that sets outs activities to stimulate, excite, engage, and challenge all pupils. This enhances learning in natural and environmental science, geological and geographical studies, outdoor and adventurous education as well as fueling pupils’ curiosity, compassion, and creativity. With regular access to both H@PP and the wider Pollok Park pupils are encouraged to:

ask questions, make observations and find things out
understand the world around them
make sustainable decisions
and challenge themselves by choice

Health and Wellbeing

Outdoor learning brings significant benefits to pupils’ health and wellbeing. Time spent in a natural environment helps children:

focus on the present
become more self-aware
feel calmer
manage emotions
be kinder towards themselves, others and the world around them

Regular time spent outdoors provides opportunity for pupils to discover for themselves, assimilate learning, and explore social boundaries. This in terms deepens understanding, builds resilience, and develops interdependency.

In balance with classroom learning and the wide range of extra-curricular activities offered at Hutchie, we believe that our commitment to outdoor learning enables us to offer a rounded and holistic education. Allowing all our pupils to Belong, Flourish and Achieve.