Save Outdoor Education - Update
The DfE review of guidance to schools on overnight visits started last week with the arrangement of meetings for this week between sector representatives and DfE staff. Staff at DfE are taking this very seriously and will spend the first part of the review gathering information and understanding the position of the sector on several key issues. We expect this review to be complete and to inform a report for the Secretary of State before the end of November.
A very important aspect of this review is a sector rebuttal of the PHE position on the covid-safety of overnight visits to outdoor centres.
There has been considerable MP support for our campaign and we're happy to announce that an All Party Parliamentary Group on Outdoor Learning is to be set up. In the short term of course the focus is on saving the residential outdoor education provider base but this is a very significant development for Outdoor Learning more widely and in the long term.
The APPG will be chaired by Robin Millar MP with vice chair Tim Farron MP and several others.
We have put together updated materials for you to use in communications this week, see below for the downloads.
- Response to the PHE position (ie the 5 points that we all received in reply to letters to MPs). This should support your conversations with the media and provide consistency in messaging.
- A template letter to your MP that provides an update on the DfE review (now started), an update on the formation of the APPG for Outdoor Learning and information on how they can support and where to find our petition, social media campaign, etc. Please use this to write afresh to your MP.
- A trustee outreach letter template. Do please use this to leverage the support of your trustees, patrons and high profile supporters.
Thank you all very much for applying continued pressure as we move into the DfE review and a huge thank you to the #saveoutdoored team for ongoing and developing social media narrative.