Across schools, there is a growing recognition that movement is essential for learning. But transforming school environments to truly embrace movement isn’t something that happens in isolation, it thrives when we collaborate out loud. By sharing ideas openly, learning from one another, and building communities of practice, we can create spaces where movement supports not only physical health, but also creativity, social connection, and emotional development.
Using the principles of Collaborating Out Loud, we can rethink how schools embed movement meaningfully and sustainably.
Working Out Loud: Sharing Practice, Amplifying Impact
Creating movement-rich environments starts with making practice visible. When educators share what they are trying, whether it’s movement breaks, outdoor lessons, or flexible classroom setups, they invite others into the learning process.
By working out loud:
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- Teachers can amplify ideas that work, such as integrating drama into literacy or active maths strategies
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- Challenges (e.g. timetable pressures or space limitations) can be openly discussed and solved collectively
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- Successes can inspire others across schools and settings
This openness helps shift the narrative: movement is not an add-on, but a vital part of teaching and learning.
Community and Spaces: Building Trust to Enable Change
Encouraging movement requires a culture shift and culture grows through relationships. Schools need intentional spaces where staff, pupils, and wider communities feel safe to explore new ideas.
By nurturing community:
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- Staff can experiment without fear of judgement, trying new ways to encourage movement
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- Pupils can have a voice in designing more active learning environments
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- Schools can connect with families and communities to extend active lifestyles beyond the school gates
When trust and empathy are prioritised, movement becomes part of a shared purpose: supporting the whole child.
Difference and Democracy: Learning From Diverse Perspectives
There is no single way to create movement-friendly schools. What works in one context may look different in another. That’s why seeking diverse perspectives is essential.
Through a collaborative, democratic approach:
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- Educators can borrow ideas from different settings, including early years, secondary schools, and international practice
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- Pupils can co-create solutions, ensuring spaces meet their needs
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- Decisions about curriculum and environment can be shaped transparently and inclusively
This diversity of thought sparks innovation, opening up creative ways to embed movement into everyday school life.
Generosity and Kindness: Sharing What Works
At the heart of collaborating out loud is generosity. Schools that share their approaches to movement including resources, routines, and reflections help others move faster and more confidently.
In practice, this might mean:
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- Sharing lesson ideas that incorporate movement and creativity
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- Offering peer support or informal drop-ins to see active classrooms in action
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- Celebrating others’ contributions and recognising inspiration
Kindness also means recognising that change takes time. Encouraging movement is a journey, and every small step matters.
Making It Real: Testing, Learning, and Growing
Real change happens in the spaces between formal policy and everyday practice. Schools can create simple, social opportunities to test movement-based approaches and learn as they go.
For example:
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- Trialling short movement breaks across a week and gathering pupil feedback
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- Reimagining one lesson per day as an active lesson
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- Using outdoor spaces in new, creative ways
These small experiments help schools understand what works for their context. The key is to share those insights widely, amplifying what works and learning from what doesn’t.
Movement as a Catalyst for Whole-Child Development
When schools collaborate out loud on movement, the impact goes far beyond physical activity:
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- Creativity flourishes as pupils engage in dynamic, hands-on learning
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- Social skills develop through collaboration, play, and shared experiences
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- Emotional wellbeing improves as movement supports regulation, confidence, and resilience
By working together openly and intentionally, schools can create environments where movement is woven into the fabric of learning, supporting children not just academically, but as whole individuals.
A Collective Call to Action
Reimagining movement in schools is not the responsibility of one teacher, one leader, or one school. It is a collective effort.
When we share openly, build trusting communities, embrace diverse perspectives, act with generosity and test and learn together we create the conditions for meaningful, lasting change.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s keep experimenting.
Let’s keep collaborating out loud for the benefit of every child.
