We were thrilled to be an Awards Partner for this year’s School Travel Awards, organised by School Travel Organiser magazine. The awards celebrate the schools and organisations who go above and beyond to ensure children and young people have access to life changing opportunities to learn beyond the classroom (LOtC). On Tuesday 6th June, our CEO, Dr Anne Hunt, and our LOtC Quality Badge Advisor, Andy Taylor, went to London for the awards ceremony.
It was a fantastic event held at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London and hosted by Olympian and broadcaster Katharine Merry with School Travel Organiser publisher, Rob Yandell. The afternoon was complete with a fabulous lunch and a captivating performance of Circle of Life from the Lion King Musical. There was also plenty of opportunity to catch up with some familiar faces and meet new people at the event.
“It was an absolute pleasure to attend the School Travel Awards ceremony. The educational visit sector continues to experience real challenges as a result of the pandemic and the financial crisis, so the recognition and celebrations of the awards reflect back on everyone who continues to work tirelessly (sometimes literally without sleep if on residentials!) to enable LOtC experiences for our children and young people. Effective partnership between those working in educational settings and those providing services to them creates the powerful high quality learning experiences we shared in at the event. We were delighted to see so many of the winners were LOtC Quality Badge holders and that one of our Gold Mark Schools, Langdale CE Primary School, won the award for My Best School Trip, which we definitely would have liked to have gone on too!
In a week when Schools Week highlighted the damaging legacy of Covid on a whole generation of children, and the retention crisis in the teaching profession too, let’s not forget that evidence now strongly supports the positive impact of quality learning outside the classroom on a wide range of the learning, health and wellbeing outcomes for our pupils and our teachers.”
Dr Anne Hunt, CEO, Council for Learning Outside the Classroom
Worthy winners
Gold LOtC Mark School, Langdale CE Primary School in Ambleside, Cumbria, won the ‘My Best School Trip’ Award with the judging panel selecting its Key Stage 1-2 Our Place in Space trip to Liverpool. It was truly inspiring to hear about an experience that left a lasting impression on the pupils and staff. As well as a shiny trophy, the school took home £1,500 in prize money to spend on future educational visits.
“As a staff team we were overwhelmed with gratitude to have been selected to receive the ‘My Best School Trip Award 2023’. The entries this year were incredible, and we were in awe of all of the learning opportunities the other entrants had given to the children within their settings. Attending the award ceremony and having the opportunity to celebrate and share in the success together was incredibly important to me as Headteacher. It is testament to the team culture within our school and our collective commitment and dedication to learning beyond the classroom.
As a school, we place huge emphasis on offering learning opportunities beyond the classroom and this particular trip was superb at encapsulating so many curriculum areas. We were so incredibly proud of our KS1 & KS2 learners who embraced each learning opportunity with great enthusiasm throughout the day.
Our school governing board support the vision and values of our curriculum approach and have always provided inspiration. We feel extremely humbled and appreciative. Thank you to those on the panel of judges who selected us as the winners. We truly are delighted.”
Rachel Underwood, Headteacher, Langdale CE Primary School
Langdale Primary School were awarded the Gold LOtC Mark in March this year after working hard to develop their learning outside the classroom practice and embed it across their school curriculum. They were guided by CLOtC staff throughout the process to create a lasting culture of LOtC, benefiting both students and teachers.
Our Learning Beyond programme provides tailored support to schools depending on the stage of their LOtC journey. With three pathways to choose from – Membership, Mark Direct and Mentoring – there is an option to suit all types of educational settings.
The impact of the LOtC Quality Badge
Providers who hold the LOtC Quality Badge made up well over half of the winners at this year’s awards. A credit to those organisations who have dedicated time and resources to ensuring their educational programmes deliver high-quality learning experiences.
The LOtC Quality Badge holder winners:
Bletchley Park – Best Heritage Venue
Chessington World of Adventures Resort – Best UK Attraction
LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort – Best Education Workshops
Celtic Harmony – Education / Learning Team of the Year
The Living Rainforest – Best Geography Learning Experience
Royal Shakespeare Company – Best Venue for English Learning
The Roman Baths – Best Venue for History Learning
West Midland Safari Park – Best Wildlife Attraction
Conway Centres – Best Residential Experience
For the full list of winners, click here.
West Midland Safari Park were crowned Best Wildlife Attraction for a record third time, highlighting their ongoing commitment to providing high-quality learning experiences. We enjoyed the use of their fantastic purpose-built learning areas, including their outdoor classrooms, when we visited the park for the CLOtC National Conference in March.
“It means a great deal for WMSP to be nominated for this award when up against such tough opposition. Winning the ‘Best Wildlife Attraction’ award again is a testimony to the hard work of the staff in both Education and Wildlife departments demonstrating their commitment to providing school children with a memorable day out.
We are proud to hold the LOtC Quality Badge, which is an indication of the high quality of risk management and educational provision we deliver within our sector. It is also a reassuring award school trip leaders believe in when planning visits for their students.
I would certainly advise any provider who welcome learners to consider attaining the LOtC Quality Badge. There is a fantastic network of support and guidance and ticks all boxes for schools planning a visit. WMSP would not be without the accreditation now.”
Nicola Anslow, Education Manager, West Midland Safari Park
The LOtC Quality badge is the only national award assessing both the quality of risk management and educational provision across all types of learning outside the classroom providers, both indoor and outdoor, big and small. It is recognised by the Department of Education and Welsh Government, and therefore by schools as an indication of quality.
Enter next year’s awards for your chance to win
Follow the School Travel Organiser Magazine for all the details on entering next year’s awards. We’ll also be keeping you posted via our termly e-newsletters and social media channels.
