Key Points and Reflections from a ‘State of the Nation’ Report
School grounds can afford opportunities for pupils and the wider school community to interact with peers through leisure and play, connect with nature, enhance mental wellbeing and be physically active, and facilitate learning across the curriculum. Is this potential being realised in Scotland today?
In early 2025, over 1000 schools in Scotland, including primary, secondary and specialist schools, and those with early years provision, showed how much they value school grounds by responding to a voluntary invitation to share their experiences of using these vital spaces for nature, play, learning, and sport.
The research and report led by Professor John McKendrick, and commissioned by Play Scotland, Learning through Landscapes, and NatureScot replicated the 2005 national survey of school grounds in Scotland.
