Data from English primary school teachers in 1995 and 2017 illustrate the sustained value they place on outdoor learning in a period of curriculum and governance reform. With emphasis on a prescribed curriculum, metrics and performativity, and decreased expertise, these data show the strength of teachers' aspirations and values for developing provision in outdoor learning. Teachers use their autonomous space as curriculum makers to achieve different practices and their 'personality of change' accommodates this non-mandatory curriculum area. These strategies are relevant to beginning teachers and in international settings, to identify how teachers might respond to change and deconstruct their practice.