New Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge Launched

Submitted by Dan Hull on Thu, 2009-04-02 09:04
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This CBA-supported scheme provides a national benchmark for the provision of educational visits.

LOtC Badge leaflet" The CBA has been involved in the government-led Learning Outside the Classroom initiative for the last two years, working with a range of other organisations covering outdoor and creative activities - including those involving archaeology and the historic environment - to help shape the work of the new Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, responsible for the initiative from the 1st April.

Schools are being encouraged by QCA and OFSTED to make use of a variety of non-classroom learning environments, and take advantage of the benefits these offer for pupils. A key to making this a reality for all schools, not just those which have always taken pupils out on school trips, is to help schools feel confident that the sites they take their pupils to will offer a good learning experience. To help schools do this, there is now a Quality Badge that out of classroom learning providers can apply for. The Badge assures teachers that the organisations running the sites follow a range of procedures that allow the teacher to create good quality learning experiences, and feel secure that good health and safety practice is being followed.

The Badge will be useful for museums too, as well as visitor centres, historic houses and archaeological sites to help them attract more teachers, and to enable them to develop their own procedures from working with schools. The CBA fully supports the principles behind the scheme and we hope that organisations will apply to the Council and 4Children (the body administering the Badge on behalf of the Council) for the new Quality Badge.

If your organisation provides learning outside the classroom experiences for children and young people – from adventurous activities, field studies, expeditions and study tours abroad to learning experiences in museums, theatres, farms and places of worship – then visit the Learning Outside the Classroom website or download this leaflet [PDF|4.8MB] for more information about the Quality Badge.