Last year, Christine and I made a joint decision to take on co-leadership of @outletscot.bsky.social after our founder stepped down.
I am so lucky to have had her by my side through this experience - not sure I would have got to this point without her! Read about her own #ForestSchool journeyπ
Image of three women standing the woods, taken from the ground. They are standing in a circle holding hands and pointing their arms upwards. The camera is pointing up through their hands towards the sky. There is sunlight streaming through the tree canopy. A quote from GD Anderson overlays the image, which reads: 'Feminism isn't about making women strong. Women are already strong. It's about changing how the world perceives that strength.'
Education & care are still powered largely by women - and too often underfunded & undervalued.
This isn't about about men vs women. Itβs about how we value care.
Imagine systems that properly fund relational, nature-based practice.
Equity benefits everyone - especially young people.
#IWD2026
Screen grab of an Instagram post from Annie Ridout's account. The post reads: If I were education secretary, I'd put children's sense of safety' at the top of my list, over attendance. I'd prioritise how children feel in school, not just on getting them through the gates. I'd know that when children feel safe, they are more inclined to go to school, and stay there. And that they will also be more relaxed, on arrival, and so receptive to the academic learning. Safety comes from needs being acknowledged. Spacial, sensory, communication, autonomy. I'd bring in more play, more creativity; less tests, less pressure, An option for part-time schooling for children who need it. If I were education secretary, I'd prioritise children's wellbeing. That's the result that matters.
Amidst the recent SEND reform announcements in England, we came across these thoughts shared by Annie Ridout - writer and advocate for wellbeing and neurodivergence.
So weβre curiousβ¦
If YOU were Education Secretary, what would you change? π
Do you feel passionately about supporting young people in ways that work for them? Do you want to be part of a growing movement that advocates for different ways of learning?
Come train with @outletscot.bsky.social ! We provide short intro courses right up to Forest School Leader level π³
Do you know a child or young person who is a #YoungCarer?
We have spaces on our new Wild Time Play Breaks programme, funded by Shared Care Scotland and designed to give young carers in #SouthLanarkshire space to play and connect in nature.
Contact office@outlet.scot for info or to make a referral.
A young person is peering out from behind a tree and softly smiling. He has brown hair and is wearing a light grey jacket. Only one half of his face is visible as he is patrially hidden by the tree trunk.
π³#ThisIsMyPlace π³
For many young people, nature becomes more than a space - it becomes somewhere they belong.
A place to feel safe, settle, connect and be themselves.
This #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek, weβre thinking about the power of place. What made you feel like you belonged as a child? ποΈ
This really hits home for me. As a parent to a neurodivergent child, Iβve seen how hard it can be for him to find spaces where he feels he can belong and truly be himself. And the difference it makes to him when he finds those spaces β€οΈ
I see the impact of this everyday in my job. Outdoor learning isnβt an add-on - for lots of young people, it can be the key that unlocks everything π
A young person climbing a tree, supported by an OutLET staff member. The young person is holding onto the tree trunk, with one hand holding a branch and the other arm wrapped round the trunk. the OutLET staff member has her hands out in front for support, and is smiling at someone past the camera.
This week is #ChildrenMentalHealthWeek
Wellbeing is shaped every day, by the spaces young people learn in and the adults who support them. Through our training, we help create safe, inclusive environments where young people can thrive. Our next #ForestSchoolLeader course starts May. DM us for info.
Two children are in the woods sharing a tree swing. One is is laughing and looking at the camera, the other is smiling and looking past the camera.
π± #ThisIsMyPlace π±
Not every young person finds belonging easily. Outdoors, something different happens.
Through shared experiences, quiet moments and play without pressure, groups become 'tribes'.
This #ChildrenβsMentalHealthWeek, weβre celebrating spaces where young people belong.
A reminder during #ChildrensMentalHealthWeek that giving young people a space where they feel they truly belong goes a long way to supporting positive wellbeing β€οΈ
A young person wearing a pink and purple winter jacket, an orange woolly hat and flowery welly boots is hanging from a low tree branch and swinging, with her feet clinging to the lower end of the tree. She is smiling and looking at the camera. We can see it is winter time as there is no greenery on any of the trees in the woods behind her.
Things outdoor practitioners say in February: "It'll warm up once we get moving." π₯Ά
(It does. Eventually.)
#OutdoorLearning #OutdoorPlay #NaturePlay #NatureConnection #ForestSchool #OutdoorsInScotland #ScottishWinter #OutLETScot
Yes to this! βFollowing the planβ can often run the risk of getting in the way of connection. Truly child-led play is about going with the flow, even when the flow isnβt what you expected π
