Chailey School tops County for Learning Outside the Classroom

Chailey School has become the first secondary school in the county to be awarded a national Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Mark (silver).

Awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, LOtC Mark (Silver) accredits those schools that have policies in place to ensure that high quality LOtC is available to all pupils across all areas of the curriculum to benefit their learning and personal development.

Tim Dudgeon, Assistant Headteacher at Chailey School, writes: 

"We are very fortunate to be in a fantastic rural location and learning outside the classroom is an integral part of life at Chailey School.  LOtC is all about planning and implementing approaches to learning that take place beyond the usual four walls of the classroom and includes as many students as possible, not just a few. This involves everyday use of our school surroundings, the local area, and further afield including abroad to support the curriculum and what we hold as valuable in young people’s education. We have found it really engages and inspires the students, and helps broaden their understanding.  We are delighted with this award as it recognises the whole school’s commitment to LOtC."

Learning outside the classroom is known to contribute significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and emotional development by providing them with challenging, exciting and different experiences to help them learn. It expands the horizons of young people, opening their eyes to the wonders of areas such as art, heritage, culture, adventure and the natural world. National bodies such as Ofsted have also recognised how it contributes to the quality and depth of learning.

Elaine Skates, Acting Chief Executive of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom said:  “Learning outside the classroom provides the most memorable experiences in a child’s school life.  LOtC Mark (Silver) demonstrates that the school is committed to delivering genuinely valuable learning outside the classroom experiences to all of their children and young people, and to continuing to develop that provision.”

Examples of our students enjoying Learning Outside the Classroom can be seen in the photographs below.

Year 10 Battlefields Trip

Year 9 Wales Camp 2014

Year 8 trip to the Science Museum