The Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge provides for the first time a national accreditation scheme combining the essential elements of provision - learning and safety. Widespread consultation with those involved with children and young people’s services revealed the need for a common scheme which could provide an assurance as to the quality of the educational experiences on offer.
Users of badged providers have the assurance that a provider:
- Offers ‘what it says on the tin’;
- Takes account of the needs of users;
- Has an emphasis on ‘learning/skills outcomes’;
- Ensures the quality of the learning process; and
- Operates in a healthy and safe environment.
Providers considering applying for the Quality Badge will:
- Accredit the quality of their educational provision;
- Increase their own risk management by following current good practice on safety management;
- Have access to the marketing opportunities the Quality Badge brings;
- Better enable ‘fast tracking’ for client approval;
- Improve consistency in educational provision; and
- Provide a useful development tool for themselves.
Which activities fall into our sector?
The STF is the Awarding Body for providers of educational and study residential and day visits, where they are organised by third parties on behalf of schools, colleges and youth groups including:
- Study visits
- Foreign exchange visits
- Concert tours
- Sports, skiing and snow sport trips
- Educational conferences
- Cruises
- Pilgrimages
Our sector is designated Route 2 – see Quality Badge Routes - LOtC Quality Badge for more information on whether you should follow Route 1 or 2.
The STF’s Code of Practice sets operating standards based on UK tour operators whose travel related business is to promote and sell inclusive school or college tours as packages, as defined by the Package Holiday Regulations 1992.
The integral Safety Management System covers the provision of accommodation, transport, sports, snowsports, activities and other excursions that form the package. In addition, it specifies requirements for emergency support, client information, training, accident monitoring and process reviews.
Note:
Within its Adventurous Activities Annex, the STF covers the provision of adventurous activity excursions in packages which are supplied by third parties. For the avoidance of doubt and by reason of the fact that the following types of activities are covered by other awarding bodies, including those of the AAIAC and the EPA, the STF does not cover:
Where the majority of a tour is composed of elements with a more specific "Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge" sector awarding body.
Where the provision of adventurous activities, in the UK or overseas, is by the member’s own staff.
Where there is an expedition element which is defined as involving a deliberate and significant element of challenge, requiring pre-tour participant evaluation, specialist technical skills in the leader and preparatory activities in the UK consistent with sections 8, 9 and 10 of the Expedition Providers’ Association Code of Practice for the Provision of Overseas Expeditions (2.3) for its safe management.
For more information on LOtC Quality Badges go to www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk.