Outdoor Learning

At Peebles High School we are fortunate enough to be surrounded by a wealth of wonderful environments for outdoor learning – and very soon we will also have our newly landscaped campus to provide further opportunities. In this blog, we will share our practice and celebrate some of the outdoor learning our young people have experienced.

Outdoor Learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime. Integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through in the immediate grounds or adventures further afield, provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors. Learning outdoors can be enjoyable, creative, challenging and adventurous and helps children and young people learn by experience and grow as confident and responsible citizens who value and appreciate the spectacular landscapes, natural heritage and culture of Scotland. The journey through education for any child in Scotland must include opportunities for a series of planned, quality outdoor learning experiences.

Curriculum for Excellence through outdoor learning (education.gov.scot)

S3 Curricular Mountain Biking

In S2, S3 and the Senior Phase, students have the opportunity to choose Mountain Biking as part of their curriculum. These courses focus on personal performance, coaching, maintenance, fitness and event management and are a fantastic step towards a career in the mountain biking industry. We are lucky enough to be able to make use of the trails in Cademuir, South Park Woods, Glentress and beyond. Below are some photos of the S3 class practicing track stands, berms and body position on steep descents as well as making skills videos using the features we have in school.

National 5 Biology Fieldwork September 2025

Within the National 5 Biology course, young people learn skills in sampling environments, including the use of quadrats, pitfall traps and kick sampling. This year, we chose to walk to a nearby stream environment, Crookston Burn at the bottom of Gypsy Glen, to practice those techniques.

A key aim for our morning was to assess the water quality and environmental health of the burn, by sampling the invertebrates which could be found. Fortunately, there was good news – a healthy number of stonefly larvae, mayfly larvae and shrimp were found, and even a stickleback was spotted!

Although the cohort which attended on the first day experienced some typically dreich Scottish conditions, all the young people displayed a real enthusiasm for the task and were gobsmacked at the diversity of life we found . ‘I run past here all the time and never knew those insects were in the river’ said one student!