At Collège Champittet, the Forest School programme integrates outdoor adventure into the core learning experience. This approach is supported by research from the UK’s Institute for Outdoor Learning, which reports that regular outdoor learning enhances academic performance, social skills, behaviour, and engagement. The programme enriches the preschool and primary curriculum by providing dedicated weekly sessions in a safe, wooded area on campus. Far from being merely outdoor play, Forest School is a model of outdoor education where teachers guide purposeful activities. As Sabrina Bäriswyl, Head of Preschool at Collège Champittet, explains, the forest offers time for both play and work, with educators defining these moments to build skills and knowledge. Activities are academically grounded, such as using natural objects like leaves and stones for maths practice, identifying flora and fauna for science lessons, and engaging in outdoor storytelling to develop language skills. This immersive environment, free from classroom walls and digital screens, allows young learners to explore, discover, and grow while strengthening their focus and appreciation for nature.
The benefits of outdoor learning are well-documented and multifaceted. UNICEF highlights the connection between outdoor play and improved learning, physical health, and mental and emotional wellbeing. The National Literacy Trust further underscores the advantages of the Forest School model, noting improvements in soft skills, motor coordination, and intellectual capacities. Research consistently shows that outdoor education boosts children's social skills, self-esteem, collaborative abilities, and overall enjoyment of learning. At Champittet, these positive outcomes are evident as students embrace lessons as adventures in the fresh air. Sabrina Bäriswyl observes that the Forest School concept fosters creativity, concentration, mastery, fulfilment, and wellbeing. Importantly, it also instills a discovery and respect for the natural environment, cultivating the values necessary for future citizens to preserve it. This holistic development—spanning academic, personal, and environmental awareness—demonstrates how outdoor learning prepares children not just for school, but for life.
