A changing approach to education: why practical learning matters
The education landscape is finally changing. The Government, having announced plans to introduce new vocational GCSEs, gives young people more opportunities to embrace vocational subjects alongside core GCSE’s and thrive as a result.
The new qualifications are intended to offer pupils far greater choice and strengthen the connection between education, practical skills and the world of work. For Fishing for Schools, this recognition of the value of practical learning is particularly relevant.
For almost 20 years, we have seen first-hand what can happen, when young people are given an opportunity to learn in a different environment. Our programme uses angling and the countryside to help this younger generation develop confidence, communication, teamwork, problem-solving and other vital life-skills, while connecting learning to connect with the natural world.
A qualification built on practical learning
At the heart of our Angling and the Countryside qualification, being piloted with schools and education settings during the 2026–27 academic year, are the embodiment of the all the values that we believe resonate with young people.
The pilot is an important natural step for Fishing for Schools. The qualification now takes the approach we have developed through our twenty years in outdoor education, extends it, and gives young people the opportunity to work towards a formally recognised qualification while learning both in the classroom and in the countryside.
More choice, different ways to learn
The Government's announcement forms part of wider changes to vocational and technical education in England, with new pathways being developed for young people from the age of 14.
For schools, this creates opportunities to consider how different forms of learning can complement one another.
Not every young person will be motivated by the same environment or respond to learning in the same way. Practical experiences can provide a different route into learning — one where young people can apply their knowledge, develop skills through experience and gain confidence from achieving something for themselves.
That is what Fishing for Schools has been doing for twenty years. Through the Angling and the Countryside qualification, we are taking that approach a step further.
As education continues to evolve, we believe there is an important place for learning that happens both inside and outside the classroom — with the countryside itself becoming part of the learning environment.