The Department for Education’s (DfE) has released new Guidance on Health and safety on educational visits.
The guidance, which links to Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel National Guidance, also endorses the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom’s LOtC Quality Badge, the national accreditation which ensures providers have the appropriate safety standards and liability insurance in place.
Kim Somerville, Chief Executive Officer, Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), said: “We want more schools to take learning beyond the classroom walls but understand that can be a daunting prospect for time-strapped schools. Our LOtC Quality Badge provides peace of mind for teachers.
“We are pleased that the Department for Education has recognised the value of this accreditation and is encouraging schools to seek it out when planning their educational trips and visits.”
Adam Milford, Founder and Director, Theatre Workout, said: "Learning outside the classroom is a fantastic way to experience the world through exposure to new people, places, and activities. Theatre Workout provides many students with their first theatre experience and it is always a pleasure to see them grow in so many ways even in a short theatre workshop. They could not do this in the classroom!"
The new DfE guidance provides links to OEAP’s National Guidance for the management of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom http://oeapng.info, which gives comprehensive advice on all aspects of educational visits.
The new guidance recommends that every school should appoint an Educational Visits Co-ordinator.
OEAP provides comprehensive training programmes for Educational Visit Co-ordinators. Details can found at http://www.outdooreducationadvisers.co.uk/training.