Ian Simmons, Science Communications Director at Life, said "We're passionate about providing high-quality, inspiring educational visits and science workshops here at Life and we're thrilled to get official acknowledgment for our efforts through the Quality Badge scheme. It is recognition that a visit to our centre isn't just fun for the students; it's also safe, has well thought out educational objectives and makes life easy for the teacher."
Life's schools' programme aims to provide inspiring science education that cannot be replicated in the classroom. The Centre delivers over 40,000 educational experiences to school students every year and offers curriculum enhancement and enrichment by providing access to equipment and expertise that is not normally available in schools.
Other venues in the city to have been given the badge include Discovery, Hatton Gallery (Great North Museum), Laing Art Gallery, Great North Museum: Hancock and Mobex North East.
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, along with the badges, provides guidance and information for 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.
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 Life Science Centre on being awarded the badge."
The Quality Badge was developed by the Department for Children, Schools and Families in conjunction with a wide range of partners. Badges are awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.
For more information about the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, please visit www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk
Further information:
The Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto was launched in November 2006, making eight specific pledges to expand access to educational opportunities outside the classroom for all 0 to 19 year olds.
The Quality Badge brings together a number of existing schemes that cover safety primarily; puts the emphasis on the quality of teaching and learning provided (of which risk management is a part); and offers a quality standard for sectors that hitherto have not had a scheme at all (e.g. museums and galleries, field study centres). The first badges were awarded in January 2009, with the new Council for the Learning Outside the Classroom acting as the awarding body Organisations can register online at: www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk/
The Quality Badge is available to all organisations providing learning outside the classroom experiences. There are two routes to the Quality Badge - the route an organisation takes to achieve the Quality Badge will be determined by the degree of risk management required to manage the activities offered.
Route 1 is for those organisations whose activities are considered relatively low-risk, such as environmental centres, art galleries, museums, visitor attractions and places of worship. Organisations applying through Route 1 will need to complete an online Self Evaluation Form to demonstrate that they have met a set of quality indicators; a sample of organisations will receive a quality assurance visit from a Quality Badge assessor.
Route 2 is for those organisations whose activities require a degree of technical knowledge and experience that are beyond the lay person, such as ensuring children are operating safely on a high ropes course, around livestock and farming equipment, or when entering rivers to make measurements. Residential and overseas visits are also included in Route 2, due to the unique risk management issues they present to teachers.
Providers proceeding through Route 2 must meet the same quality criteria as Route 1, but will also be assessed by the relevant awarding body. This is to ensure that they meet the quality indicators and have adequate safety management systems in place. There are five Route 2 awarding bodies: Access to Farms (ATF); Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC); Field Studies Council (FSC); School Travel Forum (STF); and Expedition Providers Association (EPA)
In October 2008 an Out and About package was launched to help teachers integrate more learning outside the classroom into the curriculum. Including advice, guidance, resources and training modules to support schools, colleges, early years' providers and youth groups provide learning outside the classroom opportunities. It is available at www.lotc.org.uk. The package aims to breakdown barriers to pupils getting out and about - with 'how to' guidance, including planning learning into the curriculum and information on where to go and who can help.
The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom was launched in April 2009 and is the leading voice on learning outside the classroom issues.