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UK Outdoors welcomes Government’s roadmap to restarting Outdoor Education at Easter 2021

Press Release - 30 November 2020

UK Outdoors to work with Government to finalise framework for safe restart
National Association of Head Teachers stresses benefits of outdoor education to children’s mental health
Decision comes after completion of Department for Education’s November review
Easter restart still threatens the future of some centres and additional financial support must be explored

UK Outdoors, the industry body for outdoor learning, today welcomes the Government’s decision to put a roadmap in place to restart the sector in Easter 2021.

From next week, UK Outdoors, as part of the newly formed School Travel Sector Stakeholder Group (STSSG), will be working with the Department for Education and building the roadmap for the restart of residentials in Easter 2021, including:

1. A full framework for the safe reintroduction of domestic residential visits
2. Approval of sector COVID-safe protocols
3. Public Health England’s scientific guidance
4. Interim holiday cancellation insurance
5. Raising the profile of outdoor education’s positive contribution to children’s wellbeing across Government Departments and External Organisations
1. A full framework for the safe reintroduction of domestic residential visits
2. Approval of sector COVID-safe protocols
3. Public Health England’s scientific guidance
4. Interim holiday cancellation insurance
5. Raising the profile of outdoor education’s positive contribution to children’s wellbeing across Government Departments and External Organisations

UK Outdoors also welcomes the recognition of the contribution of outdoor education in the Government’s updated guidance, which stated: “we recognise the enormous benefits overnight residential educational visits can provide and the expertise and skills of those working in this sector that enable students to benefit from those visits.”

By the time of restarting, the outdoor education sector will have gone for over a year with no meaningful revenue, unlike almost every other industry in the UK through this pandemic. Over 6,000 permanent jobs have already been lost, with some centres and the other 9,000 jobs still at risk without additional support. UK Outdoors will be making representations to Government about the extent of those at risk and proposing options for further support for some centres.

Andy Robinson, CEO of the Institute for Outdoor Learning, commented on the Easter restart:
“The Government are clearly listening and having a target for restart is positive. I am hugely encouraged that we have put in place an open and collaborative process for getting the industry going. It is also great to see an acknowledgement of the value and expertise our sector brings to education provision in this country. Some centres are still at risk and we must look at the best way to support them, but for many I hope this news will provide clear light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel and give more certainty to our clients and beneficiaries.”

Paul Whiteman, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said:
“The potential loss of outdoor education could have a profound impact on the education and mental wellbeing of the nation’s young people, particularly after the challenging year that they have just endured. Today’s decision is a big step forward on the road to saving that provision and securing the benefits it can deliver for future generations of children.”

Recent campaigning work from outdoor education centres across the country and #saveoutdoored campaign has highlighted the plight of outdoor education centres in the UK. A newly formed Parliamentary group of MPs, the APPG for Outdoor Learning led by Tim Farron MP and Robin Millar MP, has also supported the campaign to restart the outdoor education sector and residential visits.

UK Outdoors represents over 5,000 organisations and individuals providing formative educational experiences for schools and students both domestically and overseas. The industry contributes over £700m to the economy every year, and employs over 15,000 people around the UK.

Media Enquiries

UK Outdoors
Andy Robinson
Jim Whittaker
c/o Montfort Communications

Nick Bastin bastin@montfort.london
+44 (0) 7931 500 066

Woolf Thomson Jones woolf@montfort.london
+44 (0) 7376 392 693

Notes to Editors

About UK Outdoors
UK Outdoors is the industry body for outdoor learning, representing over 5000 individuals and organisations in the outdoor & environmental education and adventure world. We deliver one voice and the best support for individuals and organisations throughout the sector.

Outdoor learning changes lives and provides opportunities for all students, regardless of background. The sector holds a pivotal role in supporting schools to develop students’ social and mental health wellbeing through adventure and engagement with the natural environment.

The outdoor learning sector delivers formative educational experiences to at least 5m students across the UK every year. The sector provides over 15,000 jobs and £700m to the UK economy.

About the School Travel Sector Stakeholder Group (STSSG)
Following the review of guidance on overnight educational visits (the “Review”), the Department for Education (“DfE”) has convened a School Travel Sector Stakeholder Group (the “Stakeholder Group”) to continue to represent the sector’s interests and address potential challenges ahead of the sector’s restart in Easter 2021. The Stakeholder Group is made up of representatives drawn from the educational visits and travel sector and come from industry bodies, trade associations and providers. The participants invited by the DfE are:

· ABTA – The Travel Association

· AHOEC – Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres

· AITO – Association of Independent Tour Operators

· BAPA – British Activity Providers Association

· CLOTC – Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

· EPA – Expedition Providers Association

· IOL – Institute for Outdoor Learning

· Outdoor Council

· OEAP – Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel

· PGL

· STF – School Travel Forum

· Tall Ships Youth Trust

The Stakeholder Group expects all its members to understand the views of their constituents and ensure they are fully represented.

The Stakeholder Group is clear that building school confidence to plan overnight educational visits for the Summer term is now our priority, to ensure that students can access this vital educational asset now and in to the future. Supporting the residential sector to restart at Easter will save thousands of jobs, livelihoods and educational visits providers. Such educational visits – well evidenced for supporting physical and mental health, socio-emotional and cognitive outcomes - have a huge role to play in the recovery of our society and our children and young people from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DfE and Stakeholder Group will focus on the following workstreams in the coming months:

▪ Developing a Road Map for the safe reintroduction for overnight educational visits.
▪ Raise the profile of the overnight educational visits and the unique contribution they make to children’s education
▪ Build confidence among schools to reengage and plan residential educational visits
▪ Build stronger relationships with PHE to better understand the science and explore a greater range of safe working practices and procedures to support the opening of the sector
▪ Work to address issues around insurance for school educational visits
▪ Identify and enable providers to access the necessary financial support to enable them to re-open for Easter 2021
Developing a Road Map for the safe reintroduction for overnight educational visits.
Raise the profile of the overnight educational visits and the unique contribution they make to children’s education
Build confidence among schools to reengage and plan residential educational visits
Build stronger relationships with PHE to better understand the science and explore a greater range of safe working practices and procedures to support the opening of the sector
Work to address issues around insurance for school educational visits
Identify and enable providers to access the necessary financial support to enable them to re-open for Easter 2021

For further details of the work of this group please contact: info@ukoutdoors.org.uk

UK Outdoors: c/o IOL Office (01228 564580)

Or, your appropriate member organisation above.

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Who to contact at IOL

▪ Andy Robinson, CEO
▪ Louise Keir, Operations Manager
▪ Fiona Exon, Media/Lstings (Event bookings, Web listings, Advertising with IOL)
▪ Steve Ullyart, IT Manager (Accounts payable, IOL IT)
▪ Dave Brooks, Member Services Admin (Membership, Bookshop)
▪ Neal Anderson, Professional Standards Manager
Andy Robinson, CEO
Louise Keir, Operations Manager
Fiona Exon, Media/Lstings (Event bookings, Web listings, Advertising with IOL)
Steve Ullyart, IT Manager (Accounts payable, IOL IT)
Dave Brooks, Member Services Admin (Membership, Bookshop)
Neal Anderson, Professional Standards Manager
 
         
 
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