There are many reasons you might be involved with the decisions within a school. You could be a member of staff, a parent, a volunteer, a governor, or even a student. If you have a say in the future of a school and how it's run, one of the things you might consider is the physical environment of the school. The environment can make a big difference in learning outcomes and the health and happiness of the students. There are various things you might want to do to help make the school a better place for everyone to be, including focusing on outdoor spaces.

Getting students to spend time outside is good for their health, but it's not always easy when they might not want to be outside in all kinds of weather. If it's too wet or cold, or too hot, they might be reluctant to venture outdoors. Installing some kind of shelter can make it more appealing to be outside in all weather. Providing school canopies is a good idea if you want to get students outside more and ensure they're getting fresh air. They provide shelter from wind, rain, and sunshine to make it more comfortable to be outside.

Outdoor spaces around schools can easily get untidy if they are not cared for properly. It's important to make it easier to keep outdoor spaces tidy by providing plenty of bins so that people can throw away their rubbish. Of course, you also have to make sure that students use the bins provided. Encouraging them to throw away rubbish using signs or certain incentives can help. It's important to foster a sense of pride and caring so that they feel a responsibility to keep it clean and tidy for their own enjoyment.

Getting students to be more active outside, especially once they reach secondary school, isn't always easy. Younger children are often encouraged to play by having access to different equipment or toys to play with. Older children and teenagers might be less likely to spend their breaks running around, but there are still ways to encourage them to exercise more, whether it's going for a walk or playing a game. Girls, in particular, can benefit from more encouragement and inclusion when it comes to playing sports and being active. Programs such as Girls Active and This Girl Can can help with encouraging girls to exercise more.

Many students just want somewhere to sit and socialise. If they're not provided with somewhere to go, they can end up hanging around in places where you don't want them to be. The outdoor space around a school can provide perfect places to place seating and create places that are designed for socialising. Having places for both large and small groups of people will allow students to gather in the ways they prefer.

Improving a school's outdoor space can encourage students to spend more time outside and be more active and social.