Outdoor Classrooms was founded in 1992, guided by a simple yet profound principle from the Rio Earth Summit: ‘To meet the needs of the present without jeopardising the needs of the future generations.’ This has been our North Star ever since.
Our purpose from the very beginning has been to develop sustainable models that support the healthy development of children and families. We achieve this by providing education and childcare settings with high-quality information and truly natural resources.
We began as a voluntary organisation, driven by a passion to put the needs of the next generation, our communities, and the environment first. This founding ethos remains at the core of everything we do today. It is reflected in the exceptional quality of our low-impact, natural resources and in the generous support we have received over the years from dedicated volunteers and educational professionals who share our vision.
At the heart of Outdoor Classrooms is an unwavering belief: natural is best.
A key part of our mission is to champion a change within the education sector. We aim to educate decision-makers on the serious problems associated with toxic components found in many resources placed in schools and playgrounds. Our goal is to highlight the safe, natural alternatives and encourage an industry-wide shift away from materials that increase the toxic burden in children’s bodies.
This philosophy is why we are so passionate about our timber. We use the right timber for outdoor use, which means there is absolutely no need to pressure treat the wood with toxic chemicals designed to kill life. Our naturally durable timber not only safeguards children’s health but also lasts longer, providing a truly sustainable and resilient solution.
We believe in taking responsibility for our resources from the very beginning.
The material for our products originates from our own sustainably managed, wildlife-centred woodland projects right here in the UK.
We carefully plant and manage naturally durable tree species to ensure we have the best possible wooden materials to create high-quality, long-lasting educational resources.
In the mid-1990s, we embarked on an ambitious project to bring nature directly to schools.
We established ‘The Schools Native Tree Project’ (SNTP) with the simple goal of growing and giving away trees to educational settings.
Over the years, we have donated hundreds of thousands of trees, many of which have now matured into the beautiful woodland areas, forest schools, and orchards being enjoyed by children today. We continue to provide nursery stock, particularly willow for weaving, den making, and creating living structures.
Outdoor Classrooms has proudly set up numerous school farms and organic food growing systems.
We provide solutions like our untreated, naturally durable planters and have developed unique “people ploughing” systems, which allow children to be fully and safely involved in the entire process of food production.
These projects provide fantastic hands-on activities for curriculum learning, produce healthy, organic food for the school kitchen, and make any surplus available to families, strengthening community ties.
Every product that leaves our workshop is a testament to our commitment to quality. Our resources are made to last, often using traditional joinery techniques to ensure they can withstand the rigours of daily use in a busy educational environment.
All our wooden resources are sustainably made in-house, in our own manufacturing facilities in Yorkshire. This allows us to oversee the entire journey, from seed to finished product.
Our core team is a collective of passionate professionals with decades of experience in forestry, joinery, child development, education, and artistic design. Every member is committed to producing skilfully made, quality-checked resources that we can be proud of.
With over 33 years of experience in creating children’s education gardens, we are constantly innovating in collaboration with teachers and education experts. We listen to your changing needs to create unique and inventive solutions, offering the flexibility in design and manufacture needed to produce exceptional resources built for generations of play and learning.
