YHA Hostels – LOtC Quality Badge & Confidence for Teachers

We wanted an official accreditation that recognised the quality of our learning sessions, as well as our health and safety processes. The LOtC Quality Badge framework ensures we keep up to date with best practice and regularly review standards. We also know that holding the LOtC Quality Badge would make it easier for schools to book a residential visit to their chosen hostel – it’s trusted and respected by teachers and groups. We support the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom’s mission and want to be better connected to other organisations with similar beliefs.

As a national organisation with hostels across England and Wales, it can be a challenge to ensure all meet the same standards but the LOtC award frameworks give us confidence that our 86 LOtC award holding hostels demonstrate that they meet the needs of teachers/schools. Some hostels have the LOtC Site Provider Award whilst others are LOtC Quality Badge Route 1 or 2 accredited, depending on the activities offered. The CLOtC team are always on hand to answer any questions or give advice.

The LOtC Quality Badge and Site Provider awards are respected quality marks. It shows that we go beyond the minimum that is required. It gives us a connection to other like-minded organisations and an opportunity to get involved with CLOtC events; we were proud to sponsor the CLOtC National Conference in 2019 and are sponsoring again in 2023.