The Arboretum Trust’s Education Development Officer, Dr Katherine Forsey |
The Arboretum Trust, Kew at Castle Howard is one of the first organisations in the country to be awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, recognising it as a provider of quality, safely managed educational experiences for young people.
The Quality Badge is a brand new scheme, combining for the first time learning and safety into one easily recognisable badge for all organisations providing learning outside experiences.
The Arboretum Trust’s Education Development Officer, Dr Katherine Forsey said “I am immensely proud of The Arboretum Trust being awarded the Quality Badge. It is a real stamp of approval that the activities we offer young people are recognised as being of high quality. We have always worked closely with local schools and youth groups to provide quality learning in a safe environment. We know that children really benefit from these important experiences and it’s great to have all our hard work acknowledged in this way.”
The Quality Badge was developed as part of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto, a national initiative to ensure young people are given more opportunities to have these experiences as part of the curriculum. The Quality Badge scheme is part of the Government’s £4.5m Out and About package which, in addition to the badges, provides guidance and information to teachers on how to plan and organise high quality activities. The badge is designed to make it easier for teachers to identify providers of quality educational visits. Organisations will display the badge to show schools that their venue has met required standards, so teachers do not need to carry out their own risk or quality assessments.
Ed Balls, Secretary of State Children, Schools and Families, said: “Educational visits are among the most memorable experiences in a child’s school life. Quality Badges offer teachers a guarantee that not only is a venue providing the sort of educational value that they can build on in class long after the visit but they also have the appropriate risk management structures in place.
“It is a significant victory in our battle to move away from the misguided perception that learning outside the classroom is a potential minefield for teachers. I want to see teachers using Quality Badges as practical decision making tool. It should ensure that many more young people have memorable, exciting and valuable learning outside the classroom experiences. I congratulate The Arboretum Trust, Kew at Castle Howard on being awarded the badge.”
The Quality Badge is available to large and small organisations providing quality learning outside the classroom experiences and managing risk effectively. The Arboretum Trust, Kew at Castle Howard provides a full menu of outdoor activities to visiting groups and welcomes thousands of children to its beautiful site, located just 30 minutes north east of York in the Howardian Hills, every year. Organisations already awarded the badge include museums, adventurous activity and field study centres, places of worship, art galleries, visitor attractions and farms, with many more starting to apply.
The Quality Badge was developed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Badges are awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.
February 17th, 2009
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Ed Balls, Secretary of State Children, Schools and Families |
