by Anna Portch

most vivid childhood memories”.

‘LEEFlet’ The Newsletter of the London Environmental Education Forum October 2008

Learning outside the classroom manifesto Quality Badge scheme launched for providers of out-of-classroom learning By Anna Portch (LEEF Coordinator) A new Quality Badge scheme for providers of out-of-classroom learning has been launched as part of DCSF (The Department of Children, Schools and Families) “The Out and About package”. The Quality badge will be awarded to organisations that provide high quality experiences for visiting school groups and manage safety effectively, this will include all sites that schools visit for environmental education, including parks, environmental education centres, nature reserves and recycling centres. “The Out and About package”, was launched at first ever Learning Outside the Classroom National Conference held on Thursday 2nd October 2008 and backed with £4.5 million of funding, it is designed to give schools much clearer information on how to organise effective learning outside the classroom activities for all pupils. At the Conference Ed Balls said: “It is wrong to wrap children in cotton wool as they grow up. Trips and getting out of the classroom should be part and parcel of school life and always form people’s

“Learning outside the classroom is not some optional extra. It should excite young people, deepen their understanding of classroom subjects and is vital for young people to become independent, confident and motivated”. The package includes the new Quality Badge scheme for providers of out-ofclassroom learning which will help teachers to identify organisations provide high quality experiences and manage safety effectively - from field study centres and outdoor activity centres to museums and historic houses, this will include all sites that school visit for environmental education, including gardens and city farms. The first badges will be awarded this year. The scheme is non-statutory but in practice, if a local authority were to tell its schools only to go to places that had the badge, it could effectively become compulsory. It is important that site based environmental educators make sure that their organisations are aware of this scheme. Otherwise they could potentially lose school visits to. To find out more look on the new Learning Outside the Classroom web site. http://www.lotc.org.uk/ Organisations can register their interest in the Quality Badge scheme online: www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk/ Reference; Nigel Flynn, Sussex Wildlife Trust

News Woodberry Down Primary School wins award for Learning outside the Classroom At the Learning outside the Classroom National Conference the first ever national Learning Outside the Classroom Awards rewarding outstanding provision in

schools, colleges and early years providers were awarded. Woodberry Down Primary School in Hackney was the London Regional Winner. http://woodberrydown.moonfruit.com/# All schools to get “Teach your Granny how to Text” book The book ‘Teach Your Granny to Text and Other World-changing Ideas’ was launched on 2nd October 2008 and a free copy will be sent to every maintained school in England. “We Are What We Do” is a social-enterprise charity which aims to get people to change the world through their everyday actions. DCSF has been working with “We Are What We Do” to produce a book for young people to raise awareness and inspire action on sustainable development. The book has been produced using children's entries from last year's ‘Small Actions x Lots of People = Big Change’ competition. Much work has been done with schools to ensure that the book works as a practical resource for use in the classroom. http://www.wearewhatwedo.org/ The Big Tidy Up – website now live! Is your neighbourhood in need of a Big Tidy Up? Are you tired of seeing litter scattered on the streets and spoiling your local area? Well now’s your big chance to do something about it. In September, Keep Britain Tidy launched England’s first ever Big Tidy Up - the country’s biggest ever clean up. School can register for the Big Tidy Up to teach young people about the problem of litter in their local environment. Getting involved in a tidy up gives young people the opportunity to become part of their local community. Not only will they be making a positive contribution to their local area but they can also be learning at the same time. Visit www.thebigtidyup.org for more information. The high price paid for a £3.50 uniform Teachers are being urged by charities to explain to pupils what cheap clothing means to poverty-stricken foreign workers.

Competition between supermarkets in Britain to sell ever-cheaper school clothes risks worsening the exploitation of factory workers abroad, charities have warned. The anti-poverty charities War on Want and Labour Behind the Label are urging teachers to talk to pupils about the impact low prices of uniforms can have on workers trapped in poverty in countries such as Bangladesh. This month Asda is offering parents the “lowest ever priced school uniform” for £4, while Tesco and Marks & Spencer are offering them for £3.50 and £6.50. http://www.tes.co.uk/2655268 The Mayor’s Priority Parks The Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to invest £6 million, spread over four years, to support improvements in a number of parks to make them clean, safe and attractive green spaces. The scheme expects to improve about 10 sites with up to £400 000 funding each. Subject to securing match funding, one or two large parks that are in need of major restoration may be supported, with a larger grant of between £1 and £2 million. The selection of parks is to be made primarily through a public vote via the Mayor’s web site. A short-list for voting will be developed for each sub-region of London and Londoners will be invited to vote for their preferred park to undergo improvement. http://www.londongardenstrust.org/ Mayor welcomes environment advisor to ‘clean and green’ London Isabel Dedring has taken charge of the environment brief at City Hall. Isabel was previously Director of the Policy Unit for Transport for London, overseeing over the last four years the development and delivery of a wide range of strategies covering climate change, low carbon transport, low carbon building retrofits and sustainable travel planning. She has previously worked for McKinsey and Ernst and Young. The Mayor of London said “I am hugely excited that Isabel Dedring will take forward this vital agenda. Isabel is a huge asset”

The new Northala Fields Park in Northolt, Ealing, was officially opened this week. This new park is one of the most significant park developments in London in recent years and was created from recycled landfill. The project began in 2000 with Ealing Council's decision to transform the derelict land that was once Kensington and Chelsea's Playing Fields. Since August 2004 waste from the original Wembley Stadium and the White City shopping centre were used to create the new park. Its most dramatic feature is the four overlapping conical mounds - the tallest measuring 26 meters that shield the park from noise and visual pollution from the adjacent A40 http://www.ealing.gov.uk/services/environ ment/parks_and_open_spaces/new_devel opments/northala/index.html Fewer London pupils travel by car More pupils in London are walking, cycling or using public transport to get to school, a report says. Figures collected by Transport for London from 1,200 schools in 32 of the 33 London boroughs show an average reduction in car journeys of 6.4%. Transport for London (TfL) said such a reduction amounted to 3.3 million annual car journeys or nearly 12 million fewer car kilometres a year. The figures were released at the start of Walk to School Month. The TfL figures also showed 71% of schools in the capital had a school travel plan, which aims to reduce localised congestion and make the area around schools safer. http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Publications Report on teachers’ needs produced SEEd has published a report on Teachers’ needs produced by researcher Gillian Symonds: ‘Practice, Barriers and Enablers in ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) and EE (Environmental Education): A Review of the Research’. The full report is now available for download on the SEEd website:

www.se-ed.org.uk/news/practice-barriersenablers.html Countryside Job Service does Environmental Education special edition CJS (Country Side Jobs Service) is a subscription magazine for people looking for jobs in the environmental and countryside sector. Special Editions are quarterly supplements each featuring a different area of the countryside sector. They will be publishing their first special edition focusing on Environmental Education on the 24 November 2008. www.countryside-jobs.com

Awards Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy 2009 – now open for applications The Ashden Awards celebrate and reward champions who are finding solutions to climate change and bringing real social and economic benefits to their local communities. Schools that have been practising sustainable energy for more than a year and integrating it in their culture can apply for the Schools Award. They must be able to demonstrate they’ve made actual energy savings, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and possibly generated renewable energy. The competition awards prize money of up to £15,000 per project. Deadline for UK schools applications: 2nd December 2008. For more information go to: www.ashdenawards.org London Tree and Woodland Awards 2008 – including school award – deadline for nominations 17th October The first annual 'London Tree and Woodland Awards' will take place at the evening reception following the Capital Woodlands Conference on the 1st December 2008, and there is a special category for school related projects. The school-based award: ‘For the most effective project connecting schools with London’s trees and woodlands’

recognises good practice in projects to introduce the planting or management of trees, or to increase the awareness and understanding of environmental issues through trees, in schools. There should be evidence of increased benefits to pupils in learning and understanding the environment, and also how trees and woodlands have been incorporated into the curriculum. A judging panel will make the final decisions. You can self-nominate or nominate others. To request a nomination form, or for more information, contact Ron Melville at: ron.melville@forestry.gsi.gov.uk or telephone 0207 217 3125.

Government School's role in promoting pupil well being The Department for Children, Schools and Families has published a consultation for draft guidance on ‘School's role in promoting pupil well being’, an area which school governing bodies have a duty to promote. The consultation runs from the 25th September. For more information visit: http://www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conD etails.cfm?consultationId=1564

Useful Tools Students to use their mobile phones to learn outside the classroom? OOKL is a new mobile phone application that helps pupils to learn anywhere - in the classroom or school grounds, in the streets and parks of your town, at cultural venues and even zoos! With OOKL, they can discover knowledge, create personal memories and share their creations online. Students use mobile phones or pdas with a specially designed application that enables them to collect evidence in the field, learn about the physical world around them and have everything instantly uploaded to the OOKL webspace where they can collaborate with classmates to

create and share multi-media presentations. For more information please visit the website or ring. Dan Medicoff 020 7278 4044 www.ookl.org.uk

Events This Thursday, 9th October at 6pm Free Talk The first Swallow and Climate change (5:30pm for tea and cakes in the library) The Linnean Society of London Burlington House Piccadilly London W1J 0BF On the subject of Phenology (the traditional study of annual natural phenonmena such as the first appearance of a swallow or opening of a daffodil) and climate change. More details here: http://www.linnean.org/fileadmin/events2/e vents.php?detail=124 Saturday 11th October The Give and Take Day The Synergy Centre Location: The Synergy Centre, 220 Farmers Road, SE5 0TW. Time: 12.30pm – 3pm Please see www.thesynergycentre.org for more information on the venue location

Saturday 25th October Feed the Birds Day October 25th marks the end of British Summer Time, when we all lose hours of sleep. Imagine losing your local supermarket or food shop too. That's what happens to our native birds at this time of the year, so the RSPB is urging schools, teachers, youth groups and families to become wildlife rangers for this year's Feed the Birds Day. For more information www.rspb.org.uk/hfw Or please contact Tim Webb in the RSPB London Office: 020 7808 1260 or london@rspb.org.uk

October Walk to School Month The theme this year is health, specifically obesity so children all over the UK will be asked to Power Up! with energy by walking to school. The regular walking reward scheme, WoW, is a great way to encourage children to walk to school all year round. Final orders are now being taken for resources for September to December 2008. Visit the WoW pages to find out more: www.walktoschool.org.uk Thursday 13th November Around the World in 80 Ways Fundraiser for “Better transport” 7-9pm (Doors open at 6.30pm) Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, London Michael Palin talks about his travels and life. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster. Book online at ticketmaster.co.uk, on the phone (0844 844 0444) or in person at Ticketmaster ticket centres. Prices start at just £12. http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/take_acti on/see_michael_palin www.bettertransport.org.uk Friday 14th November Orange for Orangutan Day “Orange for Orangutan Day” is part of Orangutan Awareness Week (10-16th November 2008). The Orangutan Foundation is encouraging individuals, schools and companies to get involved. All you have to do is don an orange item (clothing, wig, even dye your hair) and pay £1. All the information is available to download on their Orangutan Foundation website. If you could help to spread the word it would be most appreciated. www.orangutan.org.uk Wednesday 19th November Head teacher Breakfast Briefing on Sustainable Schools LSSF (London Sustainable Schools Forum) will be holding a Head teacher Breakfast Briefing for London Heads, at

8.40am – 10am at the Government Office for London, Millbank The event aims to make London Heads aware of the aware of the emerging benefits of implementing the sustainable schools framework, and the link to whole school improvement. Leszek Iwaskow HMI, Specialist Advisor for education for sustainable development at Ofsted, is confirmed as a guest speaker. Please save the date for this event, and look out for the invitation which will be sent to school heads – places are very limited! http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainables chools

Thursday 20th November SEEd Launch event. SEEd (Sustainability and Environmental Education) is a Council for Environmental Education project with the primary objective of enabling more of the education sector to engage with Education for Sustainable Development and environmental education. The launch will be held at the House of Commons, from 4pm - 6pm. You will need to allow 45 minutes extra to pass through security. All guests attending the SEEd launch must be in possession of an official invitation. To register an interest please visit the web site; www.se-ed.org.uk November 26th - December 7th National Tree Week National Tree Week is UK's largest tree celebration annually launching the start of the winter tree planting season. The Week is a great chance for communities to do something positive for their local treescape. Each year, Tree Council member organisations such as voluntary bodies and local authorities, up to 200 schools and community groups, our 8,000 Tree Wardens and many others, support the initiative by setting up fun, worthwhile and accessible events,

inspiring upward of a quarter of a million people to get their hands dirty and together plant around million trees. Visit the website for more information: http://www.treecouncil.org.uk/?q=node/41 Friday 10th December LEEF Festive Party The Garden Museum 5:30 – 8:30pm then on to the pub. A great networking opportunity, there will be pies and punch, a resource swap, and festive activities. Invites will be sent out nearer the time. All LEEF members are invited so put the date in your diary now! 15th – 18th April 2009 The Fourth International Outdoor Education Research Conference La Trobe University, Beechworth, Victoria, Australia Outdoor education research and theory: critical reflections, new directions. http://www.latrobe.edu.au/oent/research_c onf_2009.htm For more information please contact Kathleen Pleasants: k.pleasants@latrobe.edu.au

Training Monday 13th October London Sustainable Schools Forum October event ‘Towards a Whole School Approach’ Details are now confirmed for the next London Sustainable Schools Forum event, the first of this academic year: London Sustainable Schools Forum – ‘Towards a Whole School Approach’ Monday, 13th October, 10am – 4pm The Resource Centre, Islington For further info visit: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainables chools/news/event_detail.cfm?id=213 Or email sustainableschools@gol.gsi.gov.uk. Please book early to confirm a place. Thursday 23rd October LEEF Networking Event ‘LEEFnet’

The Climate Change Game Olympics! A free event to meet other LEEF members, Sutton Ecology Centre The Old Rectory, Festival Walk, Carshalton, SM5 3NY, 4.00pm – 6.00pm Please bring your favourite Climate Change Games. Places are limited so it is essential to book, please email or phone: Anna Portch info@leef.org.uk Tel:020 7803 4281 5th – 7th November BGEN (Botanic Gardens Education Network) Annual Conference How do we Learn? Come to the world-renowned Eden Project and be inspired… three themes to ensure your garden’s learning programmes reach out to all your visitors. The conference will explore the latest research into environmental education, how to engage different audiences in learning in nature and wider learning strategies. For more details contact; Ann Walford (BGEN Administrator), c/o Museum 1, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AB. E-mail: bgen@kew.org; Or look at the website. www.bgen.org.uk Wednesday 12th November Training Course Introductory Earth Education Workshop The Bishops Wood programme in Worcestershire runs a series of short courses throughout the year all with an emphasis on creative ways of engaging learners in environmental learning. All of the courses provide the skills and tools for helping professionals involved with education for positive environmental change, and give participants a chance to make meaning of the experiences and apply them to their own settings. For more information visit: http://worcestershire.whub.org.uk/home/w cc-edu-bishopswood. Monday 17th November LEEF Training day “Playing with Fire” 10 – 5:00pm at Hackney City Farm.

A one day course on fire training it will cover, different ways to light a fire, cooking outdoors and fire health and safety. This course is for people who work outside with young people. £25 for LEEF members. Places are very limited so it is essential to book, please email or phone: Anna Portch info@leef.org.uk Tel: 020 7803 4281 Wednesday 3rd December One Planet One Day 9am - 5pm Join leading experts in delivering One Planet Living. One Planet Living is a global initiative based on 10 principles of sustainability developed by BioRegional and WWF. The website contains all the details of the day and will be regularly updated with new speakers and news items in the build up to this uniquely BioRegional event. www.oneplanetoneday.org Contact details: tickets@oneplanetoneday.com or call +44 (0)20 8404 4880

Jobs/ Vacancies Sustainable Schools Programme Manager Waste Watch Salary: £32,000 Closing date for applications is midnight 12 October 2008. Interviews will take place the week commencing 13 October 2008.Look on their web site to find out more. http://www.wastewatch.org.uk/page/3557/ Join-us/Articles/Sustainable-SchoolsProgramme-Manager

Learning and Outreach Officer The Cartoon Museum 3 days a week £29,000 pro rata Follow the link to find out more. http://www.gem.org.uk/jobads/job10Sep08 _cmlo.html Closing date for applications is; 1st November 2008

London Wildlife Trust is advertising a number of roles at the moment. Wildlink Development Officer For London Wildlife Trust £22,500 18 month contract London Wildlife Trust is seeking a dynamic individual to continue the development and delivery of its Wildlink project. Closing date for applications is; 5pm on 16th October 2008. Interview date, 21st October Corporate Partnerships Manager For London Wildlife Trust £28,000- £32,000 (pro rata) 2/3 days per week Are you passionate about the environment? Do you want to transform the face of London? As Corporate Partnerships Manager your main responsibility will be to manage and develop London Wildlife Trust’s programme of fundraising from companies, optimising our net income and benefits to the Trust. Closing date for applications: 12 noon on the 20th October 2008. Community Projects Officer, Southwark, For London Wildlife Trust Centre for Wildlife Gardening, SE15 £22,500 p.a Are you an experienced environmental voluntary sector/community worker? Are you keen to help develop participatory action, and conserve London Wildlife Trust’s people- focused work? Closing date for applications is; 12 noon 16th October 2008. How to apply to London Wildlife Trust: Look on their website: http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/Jobs/tabid/9 5/Default.aspx to download application packs. For more information email recruitment@wildlondon.org.uk or call 020 7261 0447 Manager for Spitalfields City Farm Fulltime, 37.5 hours per week £28,600 - £30,600 depending on experience

Application for is by CV and a covering statement that must relate to the Job Description and Person Specification. For a Job Pack:  Download one from our website – www.spitalfieldscityfarm.org  Request one by email from – joanne@spitalfieldscityfarm.org  Send a self addressed stamped A4 envelope with a note stating that you are requesting information about the Manager position: Spitalfields City Farm, Buxton Street London E1 5AR Closing date for completed applications: 5pm Wednesday 15th October 2008. Interviews Monday 20th October.

BBC Participant The BBC are looking to make a program about people who love wildlife, called “To The Ends Of The Earth” To receive an application or find out more information email your name to; endsoftheearth@bbc.co.uk

The next issue of LEEFlet will be produced and circulated in January 09. Deadline for submissions will be Monday 22nd December 2008.

The London Environmental Education Forum. C/O London Wildlife trust, Skyline House, 200 Union St, London, SE1 0LX. www.leef.org.uk info@leef.org.uk