The value of the LOtC Mark
Written by: Staff at Silver LOtC Mark School St Giles, Derby.
St Giles School in Derby has received national recognition for its commitment to taking learning outside of the classroom.
Research shows that being taught beyond the classroom walls makes learning more memorable and appeals to different learning styles. It can raise attainment and contributes significantly to improving the personal, social and emotional development of pupils. And now St Giles School, the city’s only special primary school, have achieved the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Silver Mark for their commitment to providing this provision to all of its pupils.
Pupils routinely access learning beyond the classroom as part of the curriculum offer. This includes spaces such as their learning kitchen and sensory room, outside in the school grounds and individual classroom outdoor spaces too. They also regularly visit places in the local community, such as the park, supermarket or a place of interest, and have a dedicated outdoor team who promote the use of our outdoor spaces
All of the curriculum teams plan enrichment days throughout the year and these sessions always have an element of learning beyond the classroom. For example, Children at St Giles regularly attend sensory swimming lessons at Victoria Park Leisure centre and visit Carlyle Infant & Nursery School for ‘Forest School’ sessions with our specially-trained staff: Anna Young and Jakk Capewell, who are both passionate about outdoor learning
St Giles are thrilled to get official recognition for their efforts and look forward to building on this award to help more children achieve their potential.
What we’ve learnt from going outside the classroom
St Giles School worked hard to improve their outdoor learning experiences for all pupils after received Outstanding at its last inspection by OFSTED.
All staff at St Giles are enthusiastic and creative in the use of learning beyond the classroom as a key extension of the curriculum.
Learning outside the classroom has many proven educational benefits as well as providing some of the most memorable experiences in a child’s school life.
Achieving the Silver LOtC Mark demonstrates that St Giles School is committed to developing and delivering genuinely valuable learning outside the classroom experiences for their children.
