The Government’s drive to promote achievement in education will fail unless there is a focus on the engagement of young people, a national education charity has warned.
The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom says that the constant pressure on schools to adapt to curriculum changes, the new Ofsted inspection framework and the drive towards academy conversion will result in less time for planning inspiring lessons and improving the quality of teaching in schools.
The charity argues that Learning outside the classroom (LOtC), in the school grounds, local community and during educational visits, is proven to raise attainment, improve behaviour and engage all pupils in their learning. In a statement, issued as it launched its national LOtC accreditation scheme for educational establishments, the Council says that, in order to be most effective, frequent, continuous and progressive opportunities to learn beyond the classroom walls should be offered to all pupils.
“Most teachers recognise that learning outside the classroom makes learning more enjoyable and memorable, but we are hearing many teachers and heads say they have less time to develop their provision due to the pressure of responding to changes in education policy,” says Beth Gardner, the charity’s Chief Executive. This is counterproductive because LOtC is a highly effective tool for engaging young people with different learning styles and improving results in all subjects including maths, English and science.”
