‘LEEFlet’ The Newsletter of the London Environmental Education Forum Summer 2009
The Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge is now being awarded The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) have started awarding the first new LOtC badges . These badges provide the first national accreditation combining the essential elements of provision – learning and safety – into one easily recognisable and trusted Quality Badge for all types of organisations that provide learning outside the classroom. The Quality Badge is for all organisations and venues that provide learning outside the classroom experiences for children and young people aged 0-19 and offer safe, high quality teaching and learning experiences (i.e. managing risk effectively). Local authorities, employers, the education workforce and parents will be able to recognise and have confidence in the Quality Badge scheme.
everyone’s experience, such as visits to theatres, art galleries, museums, historic houses, science learning centers, botanic gardens or places of worship. Here the risks are of an ‘everyday’ kind and are well within the experience of well trained school staff. These providers will follow a Route 1 process in which the Quality Badge is awarded when all the quality indicators can be met following the completion of an online Self Evaluation Form and the signing of a Code of Practice declaration form. There will be annual quality assurance visits to a proportion of badged providers to ensure standards are maintained at an appropriate level. And, of course, there will also be appropriate processes for visitors to raise concerns should they feel that a provider is failing to maintain the agreed standard. The second route is for those activities that require a degree of technical knowledge and experience, such as visits to farms, knowing which beaches are safe to use for field studies at certain states of the tide or how to ensure a group of children are operating safely on a high ropes course or a circus trapeze. Providers of these activities will follow Route 2, in which their safety management systems will be assessed by external agencies before they can be awarded the Quality Badge. They will still have to meet the same criteria for ensuring quality as the providers following Route 1. Five sector-specific Awarding Bodies will be undertaking the onsite assessments on behalf of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. For most LEEF members it will be ‘Access to Farms’ and ‘The Field Studies Council.’
For the purpose of the Quality Badge, Learning Outside the Classroom is defined as "the use of places other than the classroom for the teaching and learning of young people aged 0-19." This includes experiences that take place in: • School grounds, for example gardening • The local environment, for example land and streetscapes or places of worship • Places further afield, for example museums and galleries or field study and environmental centers • Residential places, for example summer camps or expeditions
The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust is one of the first London based environmental organisations to get a badge. Their Centre's learning manager Michelle Pennell said: “The assessment was a really valuable experience as it made us take a fresh look at the work we do with school groups, particularly how we evaluate their learning. I am very proud of WWT London being awarded the Quality Badge. It is an acknowledgement of the hard work we put in to ensure each individual learner has a high quality, memorable experience exploring the natural world in safe surroundings."
Depending on the kind of activity you provide there are two routes to getting your Quality Badge. The first route is for those activities and venues that fall within the scope of
The LOtC Quality Badge’s are now being awarded. Visit the link below to find out how to apply for a badge for your site: http://www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk/home