House of Commons - Education and Skills

Select Committee on Education and Skills Written Evidence

Memorandum submitted by the National Trust

INTRODUCTION

1. The National Trust welcomes the Committee's inquiry into education outside the classroom and the opportunity to contribute to the debate in this area. The National Trust is Europe's largest conservation charity and a major provider of out-of-classroom learning—indoors and outdoors. We currently welcome 540,000 formal learning visits by school students and a further 450 working holidays to our built and natural properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our practical experience in welcoming 50 million people to our countryside properties every year and a further 13 million to our houses, museums, gardens and pay for entry properties, means that we have the infrastructure and experience to facilitate safe but not "sanitised" experiences across the curriculum. Many of these visits are by families with school age children. Although the motivation for informal visits is not often for learning, research in 2003 suggests the vast majority (as many as 93%) deliver informal learning outcomes. Likewise out of hours activities for school age children—for example through summer clubs supporting transition between the different key stages for those at risk of disaffection, or youth club projects—are an important tool in supporting formal learning. A number of National Trust case studies are included with our submission.

2. The Trust believes that there is no substitute for learning outside the classroom with real people, whether that is in the great outdoors, a museum or a historic building. Our practical experience, evaluation and research suggests that young people of all ages derive enormous benefits from such experiences and that when these experiences are structured and sustained they can have lasting impact on the individuals and support teaching[21] We are partners in the Real World Learning Campaign which believes that out-of-classroom learning should be an integral part of every child's education. The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the benefits of out-of-classroom learning and to address the barriers which prevent us from growing our potential to reach more young people.

3. School hours account for a tiny fraction of our lives. Learning is a lifelong process and a source of fun, inspiration and physical and mental well-being. We believe education outside the classroom is a powerful catalyst for creating a lifelong thirst for learning and for building a knowledge economy grounded in creativity and an understanding of the world around us. Whilst there is increased awareness and support for out-of-classroom learning, not least due to the Real World Learning Campaign, much more could be done to make the most of the opportunities out there. We believe this inquiry provides a welcome vehicle to encourage this to happen—both through challenging current misconceptions (eg risk) and by finding solutions to barriers to growth. In particular we recommend the Committee calls for:

— A statutory entitlement in schools for every child to have regular, structured out of classroom experiences to support curriculum work.

— A clear and unambiguous statement from the Government that out-of-classroom experiences are an important and integral part of every child's education and should be integrated across the curriculum. This could take the form of a Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom developed in partnership with the relevant sectors.

— DCMS and DfES should work in partnership with the historic environment sector to develop a specific heritage and learning proposal.

Growing Schools

— A scheme to address transport costs in schools where parents are unable to contribute—schools should be able to bid into a fund supplemented by private sponsorship.

Growing Schools

— Cross-curricular entitlement to these experiences embedded in guidance to schools and Local Education Authorities.

— The introduction of out-of-classroom learning across the curriculum as a key part of every Ofsted school inspection.

— Development of universal guidance to schools encouraging them to develop a whole school policy on out-of-classroom learning which recognises its multiple benefits across the curriculum.

— Support for resources such as education visits co-ordinators, to be made available where possible, perhaps for a cluster of schools.

— Sufficient opportunities being made available during initial teacher training and through continuous professional development to build confidence, competence and experience amongst teachers in planning and undertaking out-of-classroom learning.

— Providers to work in partnership to raise public awareness of the benefits of education outside the classroom to challenge misconceptions.

— The Government, teacher trade unions and providers to work together to address issues of concern over taking children out of the classroom. This should involve the development of a common template for risk assessment as proposed by the Real World Learning Campaign and a recognisable standard such as the farm education standards being piloted by the Access to Farms Partnership.

THE NATIONAL TRUST: LEARNING AND DISCOVERY

4. The National Trust's strategic plan puts lifelong learning and education at the heart of everything we do. Our approach is to foster learning through self-discovery. We enable pupils to enjoy practical activities, encouraging them to experience the "real thing" and to care for the built and natural environment around them. The Trust has 300 experienced learning staff and 1,300 dedicated education volunteers whose passion and professional knowledge for their subjects is contagious. We support learning and teaching across the curriculum, with particular strength in History, Science, Arts, Geography, Citizenship and Education for Sustainable Development. This activity occurs at a huge variety of locations across the UK: local or remote, built or natural, indoor or outdoor, work-based or recreational, rural or urban. In each case real issues—past or present—are used to inform debate and discussion.

5. The Trust runs a number of significant education programmes, including:

— School Guardianships which builds long term "stewardship" relationships between schools and their local properties. Some Guardianships have been running as long as 15 years and are mentioned in schools' Ofsted reports as playing a significant part in supporting the curriculum.

— The Redrow School Partnership linking schools in rural and urban communities to explore the curriculum together.

— A highly subsidised Education Group Membership open to all schools.

— Specialised outdoor/environmental activity centres at Stackpole in Pembrokeshire and Brancaster in Norfolk.

— The National Trust Touring Theatre which has been running for 25 years and engages people in complex issues through performing arts.

— Untold Story—a three year interpretation project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund that brings non-traditional audiences to interpret our properties.

Further details are attached.

6. Further property-based programmes include:

Sutton House, Hackney:

Morden Hall Park, Merton:

Osterley Park, Hounslow:

Hughenden Manor, High Wycombe:

7. It is our experience that participants in these programmes make return visits and tend to bring their family and friends with them, spreading the benefits to those who might not have had such experiences previously. In addition those pupils visiting regularly as children are more likely to return as adults and play an active role in caring for their historic and natural environment.

GROWING THE POTENTIAL; MEETING THE DEMAND

8. In a recent survey of schools, nine out of 10 teachers said they do not take as many school trips as they need to[22] They would like to take their pupils out more but budgets and curriculum timetabling get in the way, even though 80% of the same sample cited the curriculum as the primary reason for going on trips. This is reflected by our own experience, with some programmes oversubscribed or even influencing parents' choice of schools. A mapping exercise of National Trust learning provision in 2003 suggests that there is significant potential to increase opportunities for school-children to visit our properties if these, and other barriers, are overcome. Typically, these barriers include: the limited ability of voluntary sector bodies to subsidise learning programmes; an increasingly crowded and prescriptive curriculum leading to fewer opportunities; fear of accidents and subsequent litigation; low status of out-of-classroom teaching; defensive attitudes of some teaching unions; and cost (including transport) to poorer schools.

9. The need to make the most of the educational potential of our rich cultural heritage through structured visits for young people is a clear Government message[23] This includes access to both our built and cultural heritage as well as the natural environment. In 2002, in response to Government recommendations in its vision for the historic environment, A Force for our Future, the National Trust published proposals for providing free access for all children to heritage sites (see Making History Matter, copy enclosed). This sets out initial thoughts on how such a scheme might be funded and administered. Our preferred option is to develop a dedicated programme of activity which supports schools in undertaking structured school visits, rather than a voucher scheme.

10. Despite this potential, and the clear objectives of A Force for our Future, we still have a long way to go. Whilst free access for children to national museums and English Heritage sites (about which we have some concerns), has made some progress, little has been achieved for the wider historic environment sector. In addition to addressing the specific barriers to growth explored below, we believe a clear and unambiguous statement is needed. This could take the form of a Manifesto for Education Outside the Classroom developed in partnership with the relevant sectors.

11. We also believe DCMS and DfES should work in partnership with the historic environment sector to develop a specific heritage and learning proposal. Similar scope exists in relation to the natural environment and we would like to see the potential to do this explored in greater detail by the Growing Schools initiative.

COSTS AND FUNDING

12. The Trust currently subsidises formal learning outside the classroom to the tune of £2 million per year and levers in a further £3 million in external funds and generous sponsorship. We make a nominal charge to schools under our Education Group Membership scheme which does not reflect the true cost of the experiences. This pattern is repeated elsewhere in the voluntary sector. The costs borne by the National Trust are very high and mean that we are unable to offer more opportunities despite having the infrastructure to do so—which is what makes it cheaper for others to use our resources in the first place.

13. In addition schools in disadvantaged rural and urban areas struggle to pay for transport costs. The Trust has a number of pilot bursary schemes for transport costs, such as the North West Minibus Scheme where funds are raised by local members groups and private sector sponsors. The scheme has so far benefited 8,000 students, but despite an alliance with a commercial operator continues to run at a loss. We would like to see better provision made nationally to address this inequality and propose that where parents are unable to contribute, schools should be able to bid into a fund supplemented by private sponsorship. Our research suggests that, based on five visits to a property, transport costs are estimated at £25 per child over three years, although this could be significantly reduced if more capacity for outreach was developed and pilot phases adopted in key areas[24]

14. Though cost is a barrier, it is not prohibitive for many schools and our survey suggests it is not the deciding factor in taking a school trip. This is particularly the case for secondary schools where timetable considerations were the deciding factor for 50% of the sample schools[25] Those teachers who have developed long-term relationships with our properties are overwhelmingly supportive of the wide benefits and cost effectiveness of such experiences, in both curriculum and pastoral terms, for their schools. Where teachers do not have the confidence or experience to plan and undertake school visits, other barriers are cited. This could be addressed through the development of an information gateway for subjects across the curriculum, drawing on the Growing Schools model, which would promote better sharing of information on the opportunities available, and the cost-effectiveness and benefits of visits.

THE PLACE OF OUTDOOR LEARNING WITHIN THE CURRICULUM

15. Where out-of-classroom learning is a statutory requirement, take up is strongest, for example in Geography. A strong statutory requirement is also reflected in the content of Ofsted inspections. According to Ofsted's recent report, "good and very good teaching in outdoor education shares the same general characteristics as teaching in normal classrooms but some of these are particularly important including . . . crossing subject boundaries to broaden students' understanding". Despite this there is no statutory requirement to undertake school visits in many curriculum subjects or to meet cross-curriculum objectives. The Trust's experience suggests that carefully planned trips can address more than one subject and engender much wider benefits in students' basic and key skills such as creativity, motivation and confidence:

Teacher participating in Dance in Trust.

Child with special needs.

16. Where teachers are inexperienced in taking classes on school trips, they may not understand the extent to which it can be a substitute for class work or meet the demands of more than one curriculum subject at any one time.

Head teacher of school visiting Sheffield Park Garden, East Sussex

In addition to a Government statement on the value of learning outside the classroom, we would like to see cross-curricular entitlement to these experiences embedded in guidance to schools and Local Education Authorities.

EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT OF PROVISION

17. Many teachers are not aware of the positive outputs and outcomes of out-of-classroom learning. These typically include improvement in social and communications skills, increased motivation, positive changes in the relationship between pupils and accompanying teachers, and improved behaviour being transferred to the classroom.

Head of art department, Derby

Being inspected for these benefits would raise awareness and promote best practice, while taking the pressure off other curriculum burdens. We believe that out-of-classroom learning should be introduced as a key part of every Ofsted school inspection and integrated across the curriculum and that the broad benefits this would bring would offset the cost of implementation.

ORGANISATION AND INTEGRATION WITHIN EXISTING SCHOOL STRUCTURES

18. Learning outside the classroom is not only a powerful and creative antidote to the target driven and academic focus of school work, if done well, it can have a lasting impact. Research by the NfER suggests that this impact increases with time and in particular if there is a choice of activities and regular follow up work[26]

19. Putting enjoyment back into learning is a stated aim of the current Government, yet our experience suggests that schools and teachers need more incentives to undertake successful trips, especially where they have little experience or there is no requirement to do so. As Ofsted state, "Outdoor education continues to thrive where head teachers and individual enthusiasts provide leadership . . .They recognise the importance of outdoor education experiences in giving depth to the curriculum and to the development of students' personal and social development". If such experiences are poorly integrated into the whole school curriculum or as an "end of year activity" many children lose precious opportunities to develop and prosper during their school years and teachers forgo opportunities to build strong relationships with their class. We would like to see universal guidance to schools encouraging them to develop a whole school policy on out-of-classroom learning which recognises its multiple benefits. Support for resources such as education visits co-ordinators, should be made available where possible, perhaps for a cluster of schools.

QUALIFICATION AND MOTIVATION OF TEACHERS AND THE EFFECT ON TEACHER WORKLOAD

20. Negotiating timetable cover and paying for supply cover, are a major barrier cited by teachers who are trying to organise trips. This appears to have become more of a problem as courses have become increasingly modularised, reducing flexibility. The Trust has run a successful Guardianship programme for over 10 years which develops long-term relationships with local schools, taking much of the burden off teachers whilst building their confidence to take part. We are currently undertaking research to explore the long-term impacts of these relationships[27] but believe them to be very profound. At Errdig near Wrexham, our estate maintenance costs which were high because of vandalism, have reduced as a direct result of involving young people in working alongside our estate staff. We would like to see these lessons picked up in any dedicated heritage or natural environment learning programme sponsored by DfES.

Community Education Volunteer, Windermere and Troutbeck

21. There is added value for children and teachers in working alongside other adults of varying ages, backgrounds and professions, such as museum staff, countryside wardens or community education staff and volunteers, who can share their passion and enthusiasm for a subject. Measures should be taken to ensure that sufficient opportunities are available during initial teacher training and through continuous professional development to build confidence and experience amongst teachers in planning and undertaking out-of-classroom learning.

THE FEAR OF ACCIDENTS AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LITIGATION

22. There is a very real climate of fear surrounding school trips triggered by recent tragic accidents and stoked to some extent by media coverage. In reality, the number of incidents occurring on visits with quality providers is very small. It should be recognised that curriculum pressures or costs are more significant in deciding whether to take trips.

23. Most providers take responsibility for providing safe and secure environments for school trips very seriously. All directed activities at National Trust properties have first been checked for safety through rigorous risk assessments. We also recommend that all schools undertake their own risk assessments and provide guidance to them on the types of risk or hazard participants are likely to encounter. As far as possible, developing an understanding of risk is integrated into the learning objectives of a visit. All pre-booked educational trips to National Trust properties are also entitled to a free planning visit to support teachers in preparing for risk and build their confidence.

24. Providers should continue to work in partnership to raise public awareness of the benefits of education outside the classroom and to challenge current misconceptions. However, they should also seek to work closely with the Government, and teacher trade unions to address issues of concern over taking children out of the classroom. As the Real World Learning Campaign suggests, this could involve the development of a common template for risk assessment that is recognised by unions and schools alike.

25. At National Trust countryside properties we are developing largely science based field work programmes such as our Plot to Plate initiative (see attached case studies). We are a member of the Access to Farms Partnership which is piloting new farm standards for schools so that schools can be reassured that the farm they choose to visit has passed certain Health and Safety standards and where the farmer has the necessary training and accreditation.

October 2004

21 FDS International (2003), Teachers Needs and Wants: research for the National Trust. Back

22 FDS International (2003), Teachers Needs and Wants: research for the National Trust. Back

23 "England's historic environment is one of our greatest national resources . . . The historic environment is something from which we can learn, something from which our economy benefits and something which can bring communities together in a shared sense of belonging. " Tessa Jowell and Stephen Byers, Foreword, The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future, DCMS/DTLR, December 2001. Back

24 Making History Matter: how children can discover heritage, National Trust 2002. Back

25 FDS International (2003), Teachers' Needs and Wants: research for the National Trust. Back

26 Rickinson, M. et al (2004), A review of research on outdoor learning, National Foundation for Educational Research. Back

27 A recent survey of schools working in partnership with the Trust revealed that over 90% recorded satisfaction rates with our programmes as "good" or "excellent". Back



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