South Ribble school top of the class for outside classroom learning

Climbing as part of the outdoor learning

Ashbridge Independent School in Hutton has received national recognition for its commitment to taking learning outside the classroom (LOtC) and has been awarded the national LOtC Mark (Gold) by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, the highest award of its kind.

Karen Mehta, Headteacher at Ashbridge Independent School, said: “Being awarded the LOtC Gold Mark is a fantastic achievement and one that we are rightly proud of.

“We have always believed that taking learning outside the classroom, both in our extensive grounds and around the whole country allows our children to reach their full potential, develop character and become confident future citizens, ready for life in modern Britain.

“We are delighted to receive national recognition for this key part of our school’s ethos and look forward to continuing to develop our programme of learning outside the classroom.”

As part of the further development of outdoor learning, a challenging low ropes course has just been completed in one of the school’s private woodlands.

The course contains both individual and team challenges suitable for all ages and the children are looking forward to using this new addition to their school experience in the coming term.

LOtC Mark is awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, the national voice for learning outside the classroom. LOtC is known to contribute significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social & emotional development. It also contributes to the quality and depth of learning (OFSTED, Learning Outside the Classroom – How far should you go? 2008).

Dr Anne Hunt, Chief Executive of CLOtC said: “Learning outside the classroom has many proven educational benefits as well as providing some of the most valuable and memorable experiences in a child’s school life.

“Achieving LOtC Mark (Gold) demonstrates Ashbridge Independent School is a leader in providing learning experiences outside the classroom and that these sessions are a genuine part of the everyday life of the school, are available to all of their children and young people. I congratulate them on achieving this award.”