The Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto

Discovery Visit The Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto partnership was launched by the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on 28th November 2006. The Manifesto is a ‘movement’ or joint undertaking that many different stakeholders have helped to create and to which anyone can sign up. Its aim is to ensure that all young people have a variety of high quality learning experiences outside the classroom environment.

Government departments (including DfES, Defra and DCMS), LOtC providers, local authorities, schools, youth groups and many other supporters are in the process of signing up to or ‘endorsing’ these common aims and making ‘pledges’ of practical action to support them.

Discovery Visit at Tintagel Castle Consultation and research has identified key barriers to learning outside the classroom. These include: time and cost considerations; fears about pupils being injured and schools/teachers facing legal action; bureaucracy; low awareness of the benefits and the opportunities available; and a lack of confidence and training for teachers. The Manifesto’s proposals, together with its pledges from partners, are designed to tackle these barriers.

By endorsing the Manifesto, signatories have agreed that they will work collectively to:

• Provide all young people with a wide range of experiences outside the classroom, including extended school activities and one or more residential visits;
• Make a strong case for learning outside the classroom, so there is widespread appreciation of the unique contribution these experiences make to young people’s lives;
• Offer learning experiences of agreed high quality;
• Improve training and professional development opportunities for schools and the wider workforce;
• Better enable schools, local authorities and other key organisations to manage visits safely and efficiently;
• Provide easy access to information, knowledge, expertise, guidance and resources;
• Identify ways of engaging parents, carers and the wider community in learning outside the classroom.

Only then will the Manifesto ‘make a difference’ to the amount and quality of learning outside the classroom.

Other key proposed measures of the Manifesto include:

• The creation of a new, independent Learning Outside the Classroom Council to bring together providers from the public, private and voluntary sectors, in order to take ownership of and achieve the aims of the Manifesto;
• The development of an Out and About package to support schools and others with guidance on planning and funding; staff training and development; and risk management including a new family of ‘safety badges’;
• Learning Outside the Classroom will be part of the revised OFSTED Self Evaluation Form, in order to encourage schools to evaluate and develop their current activities.

As one of the principal signatories, English Heritage is looking forward to working with schools, local authorities, the Learning Outside the Classroom Council and all of the many organisations who have endorsed the Manifesto, to ensure that all children and young people have a chance to develop their learning in exciting and fulfilling ways outside the classroom.

The Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto document and the full list of signatories can be downloaded from the following website:

www.teachernet.gov.uk/learningoutsidetheclassroom