Schools using nature for education and wellbeing: Burford School

Report

This practice-led case study is part of a research project looking at Nature-based programmes in secondary schools for mental health and wellbeing. Four case studies were produced in 2025 with secondary school teachers who use nature-based programmes.
Burford School is a large state mixed secondary school in a rural location at the edge of Burford in Oxfordshire. The school has large grounds with plenty of green space, mature trees and hedgerows, a small woodland, a copse, ponds, an orchard and allotment space. The school has built on experiences of the impact of green space on particular students over the last five years to build a school-wide and routine use of green space for education and wellbeing.

Authors: Bassett, S; Polgreen, K; Wilhelm, K

• Publication status: Published
• Publisher: Agile Initiative, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
• Place of publication: Oxford
• Publication date: 2026-02-16
• DOI: 10.5287/ora-xqzrzoqmr
• Language: English