With teachers increasingly asked to justify the educational benefits of
overseas trips, Elaine Skates, Acting Chief Executive of the Council for
Learning Outside the Classroom, explores the impact and practicalities of
school travel in raising attainment and aspirations.
This article was originally published in issue 3.7 of Teach Secondary magazine www.teachsecondary.com
Every year,
thousands of teachers give up their own time, not to mention significant energy
and sleepless nights, to extend their pupils’ learning beyond UK shores.
These teachers
are not doing it because they fancy a nice ‘holiday’. They do it because want
to make a difference to the young people they work with, broaden their horizons
and inspire learning. Because they can
see that it works.
Learning outside
the classroom (LOtC), whether it happens in the school grounds or the Southern
Hemisphere, raises attainment, improves behaviour and engages all pupils. Overseas
visits offer varied and powerful opportunities for learning.
As Ian Pearson
of School Travel Forum (STF) puts it:
“Everybody remembers their school trips and I think it is because the
dynamic experience you get from them fits how people have learnt from time
immemorial. This simple reflection may make the answer to “Are school
trips beneficial?” self-evident, but the facts and positive opinions that came
in from our recent survey are another powerful confirmation of the beneficial
impact educational visits can have in education.”
The 2014 survey,
undertaken by STF in partnership with the Education Company Ltd (EdCo), found
that a massive 97% of secondary schools offer residential trips in the UK and
overseas, with schools with good or outstanding Ofsted ratings being the most
likely to offer these experiences.
The survey also
reported that the most predominate reason for residential visits is “to
illustrate and enhance classwork”, a fact that seems at odds with the notable
trend towards residential trips happening in school holiday periods.
Why overseas?
When planning
any learning experience, the first question to ask is “What are we trying to achieve?”
Learning outside the classroom is about choosing the best place for impactful
learning. Sometimes this can be achieved in the classroom or local community,
but often there are major gains in taking learning further afield.
The teaching of
the curriculum can be enormously enriched by studying geographical and
historical characteristics that can’t be seen in the UK, immersing students in
a language or culture, or understanding other people’s lives and beliefs
thorough first-hand experience.
Memorable
experiences enthuse learning with adventure and engage students in science,
maths or English. This is evidenced by a 2014 study from the Education Endowment
Foundation (Using self-regulation to improve writing), which has found that
giving pupils "memorable experiences" to write about can improve literacy
skills by nine months on average – and 18 months for disadvantaged pupils on
free school meals.
There is also a compelling
case around social, moral, spiritual and cultural education, from broadening
horizons to building independence and improving social skills. As one teacher
responding to the EdCo survey commented:
“For our 13 year olds, it is often the first time they've spent a week
away from their family. The fact that our trip is abroad gives added
excitement.”
Whatever your
reasons for leading a visit overseas, focusing on learning objectives and undertaking
a cost/benefit assessment will help you make the case to management, governors and
parents alike.
Cost and
equality
Disadvantaged
students may lack experiences beyond their own housing estate or town, let
alone further afield. However, with most schools relying on parental
contributions to fund visits, the pupils who stand to benefit the most are
often the least likely to access these opportunities. The STF/EdCo survey found
that schools with high numbers of pupils qualifying for Free School Meals had
lower numbers of students participating, but were more likely to place value on
the educational content.
“Cost of trips and equality of access are the biggest barriers we have
to the organisation of trips. We are often encouraged to take trips in our own
holiday time and little to no recognition is given.”
Tips
- Take a whole school approach to budget planning. What will have the most
value for learning – new computers or a well-targeted educational experience?
- Consider cross curricula opportunities to improve the value of the visit
and free up curriculum time.
- The government has stated its belief that LOtC is an
effective use of pupil premium funding. Pupil premium can fund contributions
for disadvantaged pupils and resolve equality of access issues.
- Offer payment plans to collect parental
contributions in smaller installments.
Planning and safety
Conducting a thorough risk/benefit assessment and
careful planning is vital. This will take time, but should not be excessively
onerous. Ensure that planning time is proportionate to the level of risk.
Tips
- Use a specialist school travel company or expeditions provider to reduce
planning time and help you identify opportunities for learning.
- Look for the LOtC Quality Badge when selecting a school travel,
expeditions or any other LOtC provider. This national accreditation will help
you identify providers offering good quality educational experiences and
managing risk effectively www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk
- Free guidance on planning, running and evaluating effective LOtC
experiences is available www.lotc.org.uk
- Access advice from your local outdoor education adviser. Search for an
advisor or access the national guidance at http://oeap.info/
Notes
The Council for Leaning Outside the Classroom is a registered charity (UK) existing to champion learning outside the classroom (LOtC).
'We believe that EVERY child should be given the opportunity to experience life and lessons beyond the classroom walls as a regular part of growing up. These experiences expand the horizons of young people, opening their eyes to the wonders of areas such as art, heritage, culture, adventure and the natural world. We ensure that more young people have access to these life changing educational experiences by providing support on the ground, facilitating the sharing of best practice and promoting the benefits of LOtC in raising attainment and aspirations, reducing truancy and re-motivating those who are disengaged from their education.' www.lotc.org.uk
To find details on Xplore's LOtC Quality Badge please use the LOtC search tool: http://lotcqualitybadge.org.uk/search
We started out in Marakesh just before New Year’s eve. As New years is not vastly celebrated in Morocco it was a pretty quiet evening. However there was a lot of excitement about being able to experience the famous Marrakesh souk. It is a large outdoor and indoor market selling pretty much anything you can think of from carpets to spices, jewellery to lamps! An experience for sure with street artists, snake charmers, and so many sights, sounds and smells! I came away with spices and herbs and memories of a very fun few days. 
