School grounds are an important asset to any school. Managed and used properly, the site your school occupies can become not just a playground but also a rich source of teaching and learning opportunities covering topics ranging from art and history to sustainable development and biodiversity. Firstly, the grounds provide a recreational space for pupils where they can play, interact with each other and take part in exercise. The grounds often form first impressions of the school. Schools should involve as many people as possible in the development of the grounds: pupils, teaching and non-teaching, the governing body, parents and the wider school community have a role to play. In particular, pupils should be given plenty of opportunity to say what they think the grounds should contain, and how they should be developed and managed.

Concern for your school's grounds is concern for the wider environment. A school site that is well developed, in an imaginative way, does much to convey to the wider community the ethos and values of the school.