external affairs and policy iconExternal Affairs / Policy / Consultations

Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto :
Adventurous Activities Communications Working Group

Karen Brush (Institute for Outdoor Learning) is the representative for Adventurous Activities on the Communications Working Group.

What is the Communications Working Group?

  • The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has appointed Band & Brown to promote the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Manifesto and to bring LOtC messages to a number of different audiences:
  • Users i.e. teachers and the wider workforce, headteachers, governors, LAs, young people, parents and the general public
  • Key influencers and opinion formers
  • Providers (as represented by the eight different sector partnerships).
  • From June 2007 to April 2008, Band & Brown will be managing a proactive ‘LOtC press office’, working with sectors and schools to deliver a multi-faceted media relations campaign. It will also produce three creative projects for the following sectors/themes:
  • School Grounds (Growing Schools Garden for Hampton Court Palace Flower Show)
  • Adventurous Activities (TO BE ANNOUNCED IN OCT O7)
  • Places of Worship (activity TBC)

What messages are we trying to get across?

The two key messages we are trying to get to the audiences are that:

“Every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and personal development, whatever their age, ability or circumstances.”

“Learning Outside the Classroom adds value to classroom learning, helping to provide a deeper understanding of difficult concepts and to develop life- skills”

What Next?

In the forthcoming weeks there will be a regular e-newsletter sent out, a comprehensive website offering resources, publications and news on the progress of the Manifesto, and there is a plan to hold a focused media campaign around any outdoor learning events you may have happening in October and November this year.  Additionally, there is a limited amount of funding available for an innovative programme of work during October and November, which will be used to highlight the benefits of Learning Outside the Classroom.

We urgently require Case Studies, Good News stories, bylines, events, calendars of activities and of course, suggestions for the funded programme of work to be sent to Karen Brush – initially by 7th October 2007.  Karen will also be asking for regular contributions beyond this date.

Examples of good case studies are as follows:

  • Teachers to show how LOtC has developed young people’s personal and social development and helped to raise attainment (e.g. improving self esteem, motivation, academic achievement)
  • A young person to show how LOtC enabled him/her to have a deeper understanding about a certain subject
  • Young people from a variety of different backgrounds who are able to talk about their LOtC experiences
  • A young person with learning or physical difficulties to show how he/she has excelled at activities outside the classroom
  • Psychologist or other expert to prove how after school LOtC activities improve long-term memory and enable higher order learning
  • Teacher to show how residential visits help the development of gifted and talented young people (e.g. social skills and leadership skills)
  • Ofsted to show how LOtC provision impacts on school improvement

It is vital that our sector gets involved in this and we need your ideas and input to make this a success.

For more information on the Manifesto please go to www.teachernet.gov.uk or see the IOL website www.outdoor-learning.org

 

For background and info. on the Manifesto click here