Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the impact of increased opportunities for outdoor play and outdoor learning in primary schools on (a) educational attainment, (b) attention spans, (c) behaviour, and (d) wellbeing.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department believes that outdoor play and outdoor learning can be a valuable part of a rich and broad education, for example in physical education and geography, or a school’s enrichment offer. Nature, outdoors and adventure is one of five categories of enrichment set out in the new Enrichment Framework for schools and colleges. The link for this framework can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-enrichment-framework-for-schools-and-colleges.
Current UK and international evidence, including work supported by the department and the University of Oxford, shows that school-based nature programmes benefit young people’s mental health and wellbeing, particularly by reducing stress and anxiety. The studies suggest that greater access to green space in schools is associated with lower rates of pupil absence. The study in question can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1353829226000997.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to work with zoos and other outdoor learning providers to support delivery of the nature, outdoor and adventure enrichment benchmark.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has published a new enrichment framework with benchmarks to provide a clear structure against which schools can evaluate and make considered improvements to their offer, including nature, outdoors and adventure provision. Baroness Grey-Thompson has been appointed as Nature, Outdoors and Adventure Ambassador, to highlight effective enrichment practice, and help develop and expand opportunities for young people.
The £22.5 million Enrichment Expansion Programme, which the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the department are working in partnership to deliver, will work with over 400 schools to support them to meet the benchmarks set out in the enrichment framework. The programme will support connections between providers and organisations (including, for example, zoos), and schools, enabling pupils to take advantage of the expertise, capacity and experiences available.
This is alongside a variety of governmental programmes which can support schools with enrichment, for example National Education Nature Parks. DCMS’s Every Child Can programme will deliver £132.5 million for new activities programmes structured around the 5 enrichment categories within the framework, delivered through schools, community programmes, weekend activities and holiday provision.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential benefits of increasing funding for outdoor play and learning opportunities in schools in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Each year, schools receive core funding from the department to cover their expenditures. The funding schools receive is not ringfenced for any specific form of expenditure, and it is for each school to determine how this money will be best used to support their individual circumstances. That includes expenditures on outdoor play and learning opportunities.
Through the schools block of the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG), Surrey local authority, which allocates funding for Surrey Heath, is receiving £6,361 per pupil on average in the 2026/27 financial year (including premises funding but excluding growth funding). That is a 2.5% increase in funding per pupil compared to the 2025/26 financial year.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the contribution of children's play to improving health, educational attainment and community cohesion.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that children’s play supports health, wellbeing, learning and social development, and can strengthen community cohesion by bringing children, families and residents together in shared local spaces. This is why the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is investing £18 million through the Playground Fund to support 66 local authorities in England to create, improve or enhance up to 200 playgrounds in areas of greatest need. The fund targets places with higher levels of income deprivation affecting children and weaker existing playground provision, and supports high-quality, accessible and inclusive places to play.
Public playgrounds complement wider Government action to help children be healthier and more active by providing free, local opportunities for outdoor physical activity. The Department will monitor the Playground Fund to build evidence on best practice and interventions.
Asked by: Tom Hayes (Labour - Bournemouth East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of trends in children's outdoor play in England.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that children’s play supports health, wellbeing, learning and social development, and can strengthen community cohesion by bringing children, families and residents together in shared local spaces. This is why the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is investing £18 million through the Playground Fund to support 66 local authorities in England to create, improve or enhance up to 200 playgrounds in areas of greatest need. The fund targets places with higher levels of income deprivation affecting children and weaker existing playground provision, and supports high-quality, accessible and inclusive places to play.
Public playgrounds complement wider Government action to help children be healthier and more active by providing free, local opportunities for outdoor physical activity. The Department will monitor the Playground Fund to build evidence on best practice and interventions.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the role of public playgrounds in helping to reduce levels of (a) childhood obesity and (b) physical inactivity.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government recognises that children’s play supports health, wellbeing, learning and social development, and can strengthen community cohesion by bringing children, families and residents together in shared local spaces. This is why the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is investing £18 million through the Playground Fund to support 66 local authorities in England to create, improve or enhance up to 200 playgrounds in areas of greatest need. The fund targets places with higher levels of income deprivation affecting children and weaker existing playground provision, and supports high-quality, accessible and inclusive places to play.
Public playgrounds complement wider Government action to help children be healthier and more active by providing free, local opportunities for outdoor physical activity. The Department will monitor the Playground Fund to build evidence on best practice and interventions.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has she made of the potential impact of the availability of the Adventures Away From Home Fund for 26/27 on schools in Huntingdonshire.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport)
This Government fully recognises the value of outdoor learning and its positive impact on young people’s wellbeing, school attainment, and reducing negative future outcomes.
As part of Youth Matters: Your National Youth Strategy, DCMS is investing over £60 million to provide local organisations with money to deliver high-quality youth work and enriching activities, as well as £350 million to refurbish or build up to 250 youth facilities. This will include outdoor activities and many other fun activities that benefit young people. We are designing the programme and will provide eligibility criteria in due course.
We have also launched Every Child Can, which will invest £132.5m of dormant assets exclusively across the five key categories of enrichment announced in the Enrichment Framework. This includes opportunities in nature, outdoor and adventure.
Asked by: Caroline Voaden (Liberal Democrat - South Devon)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment has been made of the potential impact of defunding the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship on the outdoor education sector.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 13 April 2026 to Question UIN 123109.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will continue to fund the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist Apprenticeship in order to allow (a) the cohort already accepted for the scheme to continue and (b) substantive consultation with the sector to take place.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Over the past decade we’ve seen apprenticeship starts by those aged 16-24 fall by 40% and over half of all apprenticeship starts are now by learners aged 25 and over. At the same time, we have seen the apprenticeship offer increase to over 700 standards, many of which do not support critical skills shortages.
Even with record investment of £3.3bn in 2026-27, the Growth and Skills Levy budget is finite. With 100% of our budget spent last year we need to prioritise in order to deliver foundation apprenticeships and short courses alongside the core apprenticeship offer. We are therefore withdrawing funding from 16 apprenticeships from September 2026, including the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist standard.
These changes will help to create the headroom to invest in our national skills priorities with more opportunities for more young people, and new apprenticeship units to provide a more flexible offer to businesses. We are continuing to fund the related Level 3 Outdoor Activity Instructor apprenticeship which provides an entry route into this profession.
All existing learners on the Level 5 Outdoor Learning Specialist standard will continue to be funded through to completion, and providers have been written to individually to confirm their transition arrangements. Employers who value this apprenticeship standard will also be able to use it on a privately funded basis.
Asked by: Tim Farron (Liberal Democrat - Westmorland and Lonsdale)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many Outdoor Learning Specialist apprenticeships are projected to start in the current funding year; how long the standard has been operational; and what he estimates to be the cost saving associated with defunding the Level 5 standard.
Answered by Andrew Western - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Outdoor Learning Specialist standard was approved for delivery from February 2022.
The department publishes a range of apprenticeships data, including on apprenticeship starts, and those for the current academic year are published here: Apprenticeships, Academic year 2025/26 - Explore education statistics - GOV.UK.
The department does not publish projected starts or estimated cost savings.