Outdoor learning
From Nursery and Reception through to the Sixth Form, our girls are encouraged to embrace the great outdoors, whatever the weather.
Outdoor adventure
Taking part in outdoor activities helps build character, stamina and resilience, while promoting leadership and teamwork skills – it’s also a lot of fun!
A lot of what we cover in Outdoor Learning revolves around re-connecting with nature.Carly Whitehead, Head of Outdoor Learning
Something for everybody
There are no gender stereotypes at NGHS. There is nothing girls can’t do and no opportunities are out of bounds. Our Outdoor Learning provision is outstanding and continues to grow from strength to strength.
Upnah Wood and climbing wall
Upnah Wood was developed in a green space behind our Sports Hall. It’s a safe, exciting and fun outdoor area for girls of all ages to enjoy.
The wood incorporates a low ropes course, cargo nets and the very popular fire pit, mud kitchen and pizza oven. This is where team building, physical challenges, den building and special themed days happen. The girls love the opportunity to get some fresh air and do something so exciting.
The same can be said for the climbing wall, another great use of space of our Sports Hall’s huge outdoor wall. You’ll see girls from across the school challenging themselves on this wall in absolutely safe and supervised conditions. Our Infant and Junior School girls are not only encouraged to embrace the outdoors as part of the curriculum, but also as part of our enrichment programmes and extracurricular learning.
Nottingham Girls’ High School is now part of Archery GB’s Archery Activity Partner programme.
As such, we have agreed to form a partnership with Archery GB, act as ambassadors for the sport of archery and actively promote campaigns and events.
Archery Activity Partners will always use trained, Archery GB qualified and competent staff, to deliver our archery sessions.
To find out more about what it means to be part of the programme click HERE.
Duke of Edinburgh
Our Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme is extremely well attended, all the way up to Gold level. Our Gold Duke of Edinburgh completion rate is always phenomenal and we’re always among the top achieving schools in the area. Our most recent Gold success rate is 88%, one of the highest in Nottingham City, with the highest level of attendance.
Exploration Society
Our outdoor activities are so popular that there’s demand for even more adventures for the girls. They feel the benefits and their parents can see how much they enjoy themselves, and so our Exploration Society was created.
Provided for year groups 7 – 9 and 10 – 13, opportunities include weekends and whole weeks away, locally and nationally, offering anything from canoeing to climbing and caving.
Even more exciting is the possibility of achieving recognised leadership qualifications as part of these activities.
Overseas expeditions
There’s a big world of adventure out there and we want our girls to experience it. Overseas expeditions take them to other countries and cultures, where they pursue various physical activities and learn about geography, history, religions and foreign affairs, first hand.
This equips our girls with academic knowledge and empathy for those in other countries, some less fortunate than themselves, and they return with memories they’ll always treasure. Recent trips have taken the girls to Morocco and Norway, and there’s an exciting Borneo trip on the horizon.
We’re thrilled to be able to offer our girls these extraordinary opportunities. By the time they leave NGHS they will have so much knowledge and experience of the world around them.
Join us in the outdoors
Arrange a tour to explore Upnah Wood and see our amazing facilities yourself.
Visit us 
Call us