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What is learning for sustainability?

Learning for Sustainability (LfS) is an approach to life and learning which enables learners, educators, schools and their wider communities to build a socially-just, sustainable and equitable society. An effective whole school and community approach to LfS weaves together global citizenship, sustainable development education and outdoor learning to create coherent, rewarding and transformative learning experiences.

LfS is an entitlement for all learners within Curriculum for Excellence. LfS is embedded within the General Teaching Council of Scotland Professional Standards for practitioners and permeates How good is our school? [Fourth edition]. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are central to Scotland’s national vision and are at the heart of the Scottish Government’s National Performance Framework.

Target 2030: A Movement for People, Planet and Prosperity - Scotland’s Learning for Sustainability Action Plan 2023-2030

The refreshed Learning for Sustainability Action Plan, which places sustainability at the centre of the Scottish education system, has been launched. The new plan includes an ambitious commitment to ensure that every school and early learning setting in Scotland will be sustainable by 2030. Further actions in the new plan include development of new LfS related qualifications, commitments to outdoor learning, setting up a new online LfS portal, establishing a LfS Mentor Network for educators and a children and young people LfS Leadership Group.

Launching the strategy at Grove Academy in Dundee, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said:

“Perhaps more than any other group, our children and young people recognise the importance of climate and social justice. The new Target 2030 ambition within the strategy is about placing sustainability at the heart of the education system, revolutionising what and how students learn. This strategy is about building a powerful movement for change. I look forward to seeing how children, young people, learners and educators embrace this new strategy and how the Scottish education system changes to meet the challenges of tomorrow as a result of this inspirational work.”

Download the refreshed Learning for Sustainability Action Plan 2023-30.

See the Scottish Government Press release: Learning for Sustainability - Action plan published

Consultation reports:

• Children’s Parliament Investigates Learning for Sustainability
• Learning for Sustainability: Young People and Practitioner Perspectives (Dundee University)

Start or accelerate your LfS journey using our Whole School, setting and community approach to Learning for Sustainability.

Key policies and resources

• Vision 2030+ Report: Concluding report of the Learning for Sustainability National Implementation Group (2016)
• Learning for Sustainability - Report of the One Planet Schools Working Group (2012)
• Scottish Government response to the One Planet Schools Working Group (2013)
• GTCS Learning for Sustainability Hub
• SDS Green Jobs in Scotland
• PISA 2018 Global Competence Report: Scotland Highlights
• OECD Big Picture Thinking: How to Educate the Whole Person for an Interconnected World
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
• UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development Roadmap 2020
• Scottish Government National Performance Framework
• How good is our school? [Fourth edition]
• General Teaching Council for Scotland Professional Standards
• SQA – Learning for Sustainability
• Building better schools: investing in Scotland’s future
• Educational outcomes of Learning for Sustainability: literature review (2020) – Literature review exploring the impact of Learning for Sustainability on educational outcomes
• Educational outcomes of Learning for Sustainability: literature review (Summary version) (2020)
• SDS: Climate Emergency - Skills Action Plan 2020-2025
• Opening Up Great Learning – Learning for sustainability
• Conversations about learning for sustainability
• Whole-setting and community approach to learning for sustainability
• Scotland’s Outdoor Play and Learning Coalition Position Statement
• Policy briefings: learning for sustainability and outdoor learning

Professional learning

• OECD seminar – Are Students Ready to Take on Environmental Challenges? An International Perspective from PISA
• GTCS professional learning modules on LfS
• Leading Learning for Sustainability - free online training
• Outdoor learning professional learning
• Learning for a Sustainable Future - Massive open online course
• Making Connections through Learning for Equity and Sustainability online course (29 Oct – 10 Dec 2021) - free online training

Additional resources

• Children’s Parliament Learning for Sustainability Report
• Policy Scotland - Outdoor Learning Briefing Paper (June 2020)
• Support for Professional Development in Outdoor Learning
• Managing Risk in Outdoor Learning
• Going Out There – Health and Safety guidance on leaving the school grounds
• Playtime revolution
• Forest Kindergarten approach – learning outdoors with confidence
• Citizen Science and Curriculum for Excellence
• Learners International: international learning opportunities
• You decide – a political literacy resource
• Scotland in the world: how others see us in film
• Community Resilience and Curriculum for Excellence
• Recognising and realising children’s rights: A professional learning resource to promote self-evaluation and improvement planning
• Heritage and Inclusion project – Supporting Young Women from BME backgrounds in secondary school
• Glasgow Girls – Campaigning for the rights of asylum seekers (learner participation): Glasgow City
• Better Eating, Better Learning
• Ag ionnsachadh mu Alba Cùis Smaoineachaidh / Learning about Scotland Food for Thought (Gaelic version)
• Learning about Scotland – Food for Thought (English version)
• A summary of food education resources
• Food education – the Good Food Learning Resource

Case studies and exemplars

Early years

• Westercraigs Nursery School (LfS Award - Winners)
• Learning outdoors with confidence: Newmains Family Learning Centre, North Lanarkshire
• Science across the school – early level at Strathallan Primary School, Fife
• Building the ambition at Cowgate Under 5s Centre, City of Edinburgh
• Developing nurturing relationships in the early years, Dundee

Primary

• Dunblane Primary School (LfS Award - Winners)
• Stow Primary School (LfS Award - Winners)
• North Rhins Partnership Schools (LfS Awards - Highly commended)
• LfS in action: St Eunan’s Primary School, West Dunbartonshire and Oakgrove Primary School, Glasgow
• LfS through food: St Eunan’s Primary School, West Dunbartonshire
• Distributed leadership: Shortlees Primary School, East Ayrshire
• Outdoor Learning as a context and an approach for learning: Middleton Park School, Aberdeen City
• Cycle Co-operative, East Dunbartonshire
• Better Eating, Better Learning: St Joseph’s Primary School, East Renfrewshire

Secondary

• St Ninian’s High School (LfS Award - Winners)
• Renfrew High School (LfS Awards - Highly commended)
• Stirling High School (LfS Award - Winners)
• International partnerships: Bannerman High School, Glasgow

ASN

• Supporting young learners with ASN through outdoor learning

CLD

• The Intergenerational Forget Me Not Gardening Group (LfS Award - Winners)
• Glasgow Science Centre (LfS Award - Winners)
• St Paul’s Youth Forum (LfS Awards - Highly commended)
• North Lanarkshire Youth Climate Ambassadors (LfS Awards - Highly commended)
• Family Fresh Air Club, Dundee
• Around the World in a Week: Barrhead, East Renfrewshire