FSC Campaigns and Research

Real World Learning

The campaign is a partnership between the Field Studies Council, RSPB, National Trust, PGL, the Wildlife Trusts and the Wildfowl and Wetland Trust. Although a number of the partners are from the environmental sector the Campaign objectives includes the promotion of Heritage and Arts education, Outdoor and Adventurous activity as well as first hand sustainability and development issues.

The campaign partners and supporters recognize that many schools are reporting barriers to out-of-classroom learning:

• Lack of time through the perception of a crowded and prioritised curriculum
• Fear of accidents and subsequent litigation
• Cost – staff cover, insurance, transport etc
• Low status of out-of-classroom training and teaching
• Senior managements’ negative view of what is often seen as a ‘disruptive’ activity.

Key Campaign objectives

• Government and Opposition Parties to provide a clear steer as to the benefit of out-of-classroom activity as an integral part of a broad and balanced curriculum for all children
• Ofsted encouraged to inspect out-of-classroom activity at first hand and not just the outputs of out-of-classroom activity
• Government and Opposition Parties engage with Teacher Trade Unions to address well-aired concerns over out-of-classroom activity
• Press the Teacher Training Agency to review the training provided for out-of-classroom activity
• Creation of a fund to undertake further research into out-of-classroom activity.

Further Information

Contact: Campaign Co-ordinator, Anna McCann at rwl@field-studies-council.org