Corby, Northamptonshire, was buzzing with energy on 14 November 2024, as the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) hosted its annual National Conference at Weldon Village Academy, the newest school belonging to Meridian Trust. This year’s event, themed “Supporting Students to Thrive,” welcomed over 300 educators, school leaders, and learning beyond the classroom (LOtC) practitioners from across the UK.
The conference provided ample networking opportunities throughout the day, with dedicated time slots for attendees to connect with peers, share experiences, and visit exhibitor stands.
Dr Anne Hunt from CLOtC opened the conference with an inspiring welcome. Martin Campbell from Meridian Trust shared insights about his leadership of a Trust wide commitment to extending the boundaries of learning, and highlighted that all Secondary* and Special schools within Meridian Trust now hold the LOtC Mark award, with all Primary schools soon to be assessed. Martin shared that between 2023 and 2024, over 3,500 Meridian Trust students participated in LOtC experiences across 13 schools.
(*The only exception is the new school Weldon Village Academy who chose to apply for the award when they have a full cohort of students.)
Thanks to CLOtC and the conference sponsors: Canal & River Trust, Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, and PGL Beyond, students from Weldon Village Academy enjoyed an engaging day of learning away from their classrooms. Groups participated in various educational activities at Grafham Water Centre (pictured right) and Nene Park Trust, both holders of the LOtC Quality Badge.
Dr Radha Modgil, a doctor, author and well-being and happiness expert, passionately discussed the connection between learning and student well-being. “The more we learn to manage challenges and discover who we are, the better equipped we become to navigate life’’ helping to reinforce the importance of using LOtC to foster resilience among students.
The highlight of the day was the session when 5 Meridian Trust students, from two different schools, shared their experiences of a residential experience with The Outward Bound Trust in Aberdovey earlier this year. Delegates were moved by their account and had the opportunity to ask questions. Accomplishment at overcoming fear and challenge, forming new relationships and working together came out as key themes in their narratives. ‘I never would have had the confidence to speak in front of hundreds of people like this before’ was one memorable comment.
When asked what they would say to students who had been invited to go on the residential this year…all agreed: Just do it!
Georgia White, Deputy Director of Creative Learning & Engagement from the Royal Shakespeare Company opened the second panel discussion of the day and illustrated how LOtC develops skills and can help showcase all the many different types of careers involved in, for example, one organisation or company. James Beighton (Skills Street) and Luke Bocock (NFER) helped discuss the essential skills that employers need now and will increasingly need in the future, and how the evidence is clear that LOtC has a really important role in developing skills such as teamwork, communication, critical thinking, in nurturing character and wellbeing, and in helping students discover what they are interested in and good at too.
25 engaging and interactive workshops took part throughout the day on a range of subject areas, delivered by experts from all LOtC sectors. Some were delivered by teachers from LOtC Mark schools, others from providers who hold the LOtC Quality Badge such as Field Studies Council, The Outward Bound Trust, The Roman Baths, Ely Cathedral, Farms for City Children and The Wave Project.
“SUPERB – what a brilliant conference. I thought it ran excellently and so well organised. The plenaries were brilliant, and programme was great.”
“Thank you to Council for Learning Outside the Classroom for a fantastic conference. It was a very special day packed with excellent learning and relationship building opportunities for everyone. We were so pleased to support the event and to contribute our expertise in our workshops and discussions.”
The conference concluded with attendees feeling inspired and equipped with new strategies to implement LOtC initiatives in their schools. As Martin Campbell aptly put it, “LOtC opens doors for our students and enriches their educational journeys in ways that traditional classrooms cannot.”
The CLOtC National Conference 2024 has once again proven to be a pivotal event in the UK education calendar, reinforcing the importance of experiential learning in supporting students to thrive both academically and personally.
See more photos from the CLOtC National Conference 2024 on our Facebook page.
Look out for more information (coming soon!) about the CLOtC National Conference 2025 due to take place on Wednesday 12th November at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
