Outdoor Classroom

Why Choose the FSC?

Our safe and caring environment

During 2007 there were only two reportable accidents in over 4.5 million visitor contact hours.

Health and Safety is paramount to the FSC and codes of practice exceed the government’s and Local Authorities’ guidelines. Codes of Practice and our Parents Guide give teachers support in setting up a fieldwork trip.

Our staff

During 2007 our teaching staff spent a combined total of over 15,000 working days delivering fieldwork courses to students across all key stages for both geography and science/biology.

Every FSC Centre has a qualified team of highly trained, and CRB checked, teaching staff. The thing that really motivates our staff is the opportunity to share in the fun and enjoyment of being in some of the UK’s most spectacular places; our staff are the reason why many schools return year after year

Our commitment to lifelong learning…the FSC Stepping Stones

Our network of day and residential centres, open all year around with full-time teaching staff, gives us an opportunity to work with all age groups – from primary and secondary schools to university level. We also run professional development courses for teachers. This, allied to our adult professional and Individuals & Families courses, enables us to build skills, knowledge and understanding in a progressive programme of fieldwork, using a variety of experiences at different ages in contrasting environments.

Our fully equipped and staffed Centres in stunning locations

The FSC has a national network of 17 fully-equipped and staffed Centres set in some of the most stunning locations in the UK. 14 Centres offer day and residential courses and three offer dedicated day courses. FSC Centres offer a safe, secure and caring atmosphere, designed to create the best conditions to encourage learning. Centre locations have been selected to ensure access to a range of superb teaching sites which form the basis of a successful field trip. After 65 years of providing field courses we know that keeping dry, warm and well fed is a key to our success.

Our environmental ethos

Staff at Blencathra have reduced carbon dioxide emissions from heating and lighting the Centre from 337 to 232 tonnes per year. Even the reduced total would require the planting of over 300 trees to offset, but the Centre made a start by planting the first fifty!

Environmental understanding is at the heart of the FSC. That is why all of our Centres are involved in the Eco-Centres programme which is allied to the Eco-Schools project. Our work with energy, water, waste and grounds development provide strong links with Eco-Schools, citizenship and education for sustainable development.

Our resources

The FSC is a leading publisher of resources and guides which support the teaching in our Centres. You may already be familiar with our identification guides – including the ever-popular FSC fold-out charts – but you will also have access to our growing range of web-based resources which support our courses and can help you to prepare
for your visit.

fieldwork activity

Our proven commitment to fieldwork

We believe that fieldwork is under threat. That is why we are working with many like-minded partners (such as Association for Science Education, British Ecological Society, Geographical Association and Royal Geographical Society) to support teachers. Information about your own fieldwork experiences will help us to build up a better picture. What is happening in your school...more fieldwork... or less? Why? You can let us know through our campaigns website, and get a free identification chart at the same time!

What are benefits of an FSC residential course?

  • Full board and accommodation
  • Access to a full range of specialized field equipment not usually available to schools.
  • Access to well equipped teaching rooms and laboratories.
  • Access to paper and ICT resources.
  • Access to long-term secondary data sets are available to give context to student data.
  • Option of expert tuition by fully trained staff
  • 24hour emergency cover.
  • Rigorous and proven health and safety procedures
  • Access to risk assessments
  • Exclusive access to specially developed resources
  • Access to specialist equipment
  • Free places for visiting staff (FSC taught courses)
  • E-mail support before and after the course (on request)