In partnership with:
Funded by:
This project that began in December 2021 aimed to help students connect with the natural environment, enhance their wellbeing, and support schools to embed all learning beyond the classroom across the curriculum.
Through this project we offered FREE CLOtC membership to 500 schools in the West Midlands. Of these 500 schools, 250 were offered FREE mentoring and 50 were selected to receive FREE face-to-face environmental activities from the Canal & River Trust.
This project ended in March 2023. View the Impact Report (published June 2024).
Free CLOtC Membership to any school in the West Midlands
500 schools in the West Midlands were given free CLOtC membership. As well as being part of a welcoming and supportive community, they gained access to training, information and discounts to help you take teaching beyond the classroom walls, including:
- Downloadable resource packs
- Free access to live and recorded online CPD masterclasses
- Discounts on face-to-face training and CLOtC conference (subject to COVID)
- Discounts from other organisations
- Access to CLOtC network and advice
Free Mentoring and Environmental Activities
As part of this project, schools have been supported through bespoke training and personal mentoring to build staff knowledge and confidence to develop learning beyond the classroom. The bespoke support package was tailored to the school’s needs and included a selection of the following options:
- Online training with CLOtC to establish the school’s learning beyond the classroom vision and an introduction to the LOtC Mark as a framework for tracking and evaluation.
- Access to the Learning Beyond guides and other support resources.
- One to one online mentoring.
- Online CPD including: Embedding LOtC delivery across your school; Monitoring, reviewing and evaluating your LOtC; Balancing the risks for LOtC; Using your school grounds for learning and Nature Connectedness through LOtC
- Training on water safety and accessing a local canal.
- Assessment for the LOtC Mark.
Some of these schools have now signed up to the LOtC Mark programme, submitting their progress tracker to be assessed.
Free Environmental Activities & Face-to-face Training
In additional to the support mentioned above, 50 schools were offered the opportunity to work with the Canal & River Trust to help students connect with nature and their local canal. This was through face-to-face practical environmental and wellbeing activities, delivered through the Trust’s established projects such as Pocket Adoptions, Plastics Challenge and Young Rangers.
Schools were also offered the opportunity to sign up to take part in free face-to-face teacher training – OEAP (Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel) accredited Visit Leader Training (VLT) and ‘Using your School Grounds’ training – at various venues around the region.
Further questions
For any questions about the Waterways, Wildlife and Wellbeing project, please contact enquiries@lotc.org.uk.
This project was delivered by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and Canal & River Trust with thanks to our funders: the Department for Environmental, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Environmental Agency and Natural England.
