New LOtC Quality Badge Holders

The Peter Ashley Activity Centres, Fort Purbrook Gets Top Marks For Educational Visits

The Peter Ashley Activity Centres, Fort Purbrook has shown itself to be at the top of the class for educational visits by being awarded a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge.

Awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), the LOtC Quality Badge combines for the first time learning and safety into one easily recognisable badge for all organisations providing learning outside the classroom experiences.

Fort Purbrook’s Activities Manager, Jake Phillips said “Being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge is a real triumph for all the staff here as it shows that we offer young people the type of high quality learning experiences they really benefit from. We’re thrilled to get official recognition for our efforts and we look forward to welcoming even more children and young people from the local area to our activity centre”

The LOtC Quality Badge was launched in 2009 as part of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto, a national initiative to ensure young people are given more opportunities to have these experiences as part of the curriculum. The LOtC Quality Badge is awarded by CLOtC, the national voice for Learning Outside the Classroom. CLOtC also provides free online guidance and information for teachers on how to plan and organise high quality activities. The LOtC Quality Badge is designed to make it easier for teachers to identify providers of quality educational visits. Organisations will display the LOtC Quality Badge as a signal to schools that their venue has met required standards, so teachers do not need to carry out their own risk or quality assessments.

Elaine Skates, Chief Executive of CLOtC said: “Educational visits are among the most memorable experiences in a child’s school life.  The LOtC Quality Badge offers teachers a guarantee that not only is a venue providing the sort of educational value that they can build on in class long after the visit but they also have the appropriate risk management structures in place.

Learning outside the classroom has many proven educational benefits. The LOtC Quality Badge will reduce red tape and provide assurance for schools, thereby ensuring that many more young people have memorable, exciting and valuable learning outside the classroom experiences. I congratulate [insert venue] on being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge.”

The LOtC Quality Badge is available to large and small organisations providing quality learning outside the classroom experiences and managing risk effectively. Almost 1,000 organisations currently hold the LOtC Quality Badge, including museums, adventurous activity and field study centres, places of worship, art galleries, visitor attractions, student travel companies and farms.

For more information about the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, please visit www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk

About the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) was launched in April 2009 and is the leading voice on learning outside the classroom issues. CLOtC champions learning outside the classroom and encourages young people to get out and about because research shows that children learn best through real world experiences. We want every child to have the opportunity to experience life and lessons beyond the classroom walls as a regular part of growing up.

CLOtC offers free support and guidance on planning and delivering LOtC through its website www.lotc.org.uk