LOtCM Dec07 news

Learning Outside the Classroom

Updated 17 March 2008

December 2007 News

Summary of developments

From the launch of the Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto in November 2006 a great deal has happened. Peter Carne and Mike Tones have been selected as the Manifesto champions. Eight partnerships have been formed representing the following sectors: School Grounds; Adventurous Activities; Farming and Countryside; Natural Environment; Built Environment; Heritage; Creativity and the Arts; Places of Worship.

A National Advisory Group (NAG) has been created with representatives from all eight sectors, to oversee the implementation of the Manifesto. Finally, a Manifesto action plan has been drawn up and contractors have been appointed to deliver on that action plan. Those contractors will have delivered a significant portion of the action plan, in draft form, by March 2008 and it is hoped that by September 2008, key elements of the Manifesto action plan will be formally launched.

The Manifesto in Action

The key aims of the Manifesto are:

To develop guidance for schools on “how to” provide learning outside the classroom opportunities and the development of a LOtC training/CPD framework for schools and provider organisations (LOT1)
To develop a safety and quality accreditation scheme for provider organisations (LOT2)

These LOTs have been assigned to independent contractors.

LOT 1 has been assigned to the CfBT Education Trust. The structures of the “how to” guidance and the CPD modules have been formulated by CfBT and the appointment of expert writing teams is underway. The content will be developed over the course of January 2008.

LOT 2 has been assigned to PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and they are now well underway with the development of the safety and quality accreditation scheme. The NAG met with PwC on 17 December 2007 and discussed three options for the scheme. PwC will now work to enhance the preferred option and ensure that it is ready for trial in early 2008.

PwC has also been appointed to consult on the formation of a LOtC Council that will oversee the long-term development and implementation of LOtC activity.

A PR and Communications agency called Band & Brown is in place to promote LOtC across a large audience including teachers, pupils, parents, carers and providers of learning outside the classroom opportunities.

For more information on the LOtC Manifesto, please visit:

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/resourcematerials/
outsideclassroom/

HSP Activity

The Heritage Sector Partnership (HSP) is chaired by John Stevenson, Director of GEM. Fenella Hunt works alongside him as Coordinator for the HSP and acts as a link between the heritage sector, the contractors, Band & Brown and the government.

What has been happening in December:

Meeting the contractors - The HSP has been in regular contact with CfBT and PwC to review the progress they are making on their assigned LOTs. It has also been able to give the input of the heritage sector to ensure that the end products cater, as much as possible, for the needs of the heritage organisations it represents. The HSP is keen to help with any queries from the sector regarding the Manifesto (please contact lotc.gemoffice@btinternet.com)
The Communications Working Group - The HSP has been developing a close working relationship with Band & Brown, the PR agency. Fenella Hunt is now a member of the Communications Working Group (CWG); a body established to help streamline and coordinate the communications activity of the sectors and the government.

Fenella attended the second CWG meeting on 11 December 2007. The meeting was attended by sector representatives, representatives from the DCSF and government communications, Band & Brown and representatives from key audience groups such as local authorities (Association of Directors of Children’s Services) and parents, teachers and carers (National Council of PTAs, Continyou). The meeting reviewed communications activity to date, identified new routes for communications activity and confirmed an action plan for early 2008. Some key outcomes were:

- the heritage sector will be the focus of PR activity in January and February 2008 and as such key events, research projects and LOtC case studies need to be brought to the fore

- an agreement to develop greater coherence to government communications surrounding LOtC and other related policy initiatives

- to ensure that case studies have a human focus and demonstrate the transferable nature of LOtC

- to ensure that key messages surrounding LOtC are widely communicated to all key audience groups

- key stakeholders such as parents, teachers, carers, local authorities will be comprehensively targeted in the communications campaign.

The next CWG meeting will be in March 2008.

Collecting case studies - A considerable element of the HSP’s work in conjunction with Band & Brown is the collection of case studies of best practice in LOtC in the heritage sector. This best practice can focus on any number of the characteristics of good LOtC activity. For example working with early years, youth groups, pre and after-school clubs, secondary or primary learners, one-off projects, on-going programmes of learning, partnerships between organisations, teacher training in LOtC, family learning initiatives etc. If you think you have an exciting project in learning and education, Fenella Hunt, HSP Coordinator would be delighted to hear about it. She can provide a pro-forma document that gives guidance on what sort of information to include in a case study (please contact lotc.gemoffice@btinternet.com)
Publicity through publications - It is important that the LOtC Manifesto is publicised as widely as possible in the sector media and amongst learning and education professionals. If you are aware of any newsletters, magazines or journals that might usefully include some information about LOtC, please do let the HSP know (lotc.gemoffice@btinternet.com
Involving your PR department - Band & Brown are also working hard to ensure a consistent set of messages about LOtC is put out to key audiences and are seeking to make sure they are aligned with the individual publicity departments of all organisations involved. If your PR department would like more information about LOtC publicity, please ask them to contact Fenella Hunt, HSP Coordinator on lotc.gemoffice@btinternet.com)
Publicising LOtC activity - The focus of the LOtC communications campaign on the heritage sector in January and February 2008 will provide an excellent opportunity for more widely publicising forthcoming events, conferences, publications and education projects related to LOtC with the support of Band & Brown. Please contact the HSP Coordinator if you would like to raise the profile of any of your projects or events (lotc.gemoffice@btinternet.com)
HSP Meeting - The HSP met on Wednesday 5 December 2007. They reviewed progress to date and established next steps, with particular focus on: the 2008 LOtC HSP conference; the strategy for collecting case studies and developing an audit of LOtC activity in the heritage sector; managing the relationships with contractors. The next meeting will be on Friday 14 March 2008. If you have any particular points that you would like raised at that meeting, please do email Fenella Hunt at lotc.gemoffice@btinternet.com

The heritage sector network is a network of interested organisations, individuals and smaller networks through which a free flow of information surrounding LOtC in the heritage sector can be established. If you know someone who would like to be part of it, please ask them to email lotc.gemoffice@btinternet.com and we will ensure that they receive the next copy of the newsletter.