Education Outside the Classroom Manifesto and Consultation Document

The manifesto for Education Outside the classroom aims to improve the quality and quantity of education outside the classroom. It seeks to help and support schools and parents to gain the most out of learning outside of the classroom to expand each child's education and personal development.

The aims of the manifesto are as follows:

1. Giving all children a wide range of high quality experiences outside the classroom, including at least one residential experience.
2. Supporting schools and local authorities in managing visits safely and efficiently, with key recommendations for keeping pupils and staff safe.
3. Supporting teachers with easily accessible advice, guidance and resources to organise visits.
4. Encouraging schools to join with other schools and organisations such as the National Trust to get the best from education outside the classroom.
5. Encouraging parents to support education outside the classroom to ensure that their children can get the most out of their school experience.

Education Outside The Classroom Consultation Manifesto:

"We are consulting on the vision and aims that will underpin the Education Outside the Classroom Manifesto that was announced by Ruth Kelly earlier this year. Like the successful Music Manifesto, it is intended to be a 'movement', to joint undertaking which many stakeholders create and which anyone, including providers, voluntary organisations, youth groups, schools and local authorities can sign up to. The main aim of the Manifesto is to provide all children and young people with a variety of high quality learning experiences outside a classroom environment, whether that be during school, after school or during holidays. We welcome responses from all interested parties on the draft framework for the Manifesto in the consultation. The consultation ends on 30th January 2006. We aim to publish the final Manifesto in Spring 2006."

The consultation is issued to:
Parents, Carers, Schools, Early Years Settings, Teachers, School Support Staff, Head Teachers, School Workforce Unions, Governors, Local Authorities, Youth Groups, Voluntary Groups, Providers of Out-of-Classroom learning and other interested parties.

Enquiries and Questions:
If your enquiry is related to the policy content of the consultation you can contact Adrian Gough on
Telephone: 020 7925 5929 or
E-mail: adrian.gough@dfes.gsi.gov.uk

Any questions about the consultation exercise should be sent by
e-mail to eotcmanifesto.CONSULTATION@dfes.gsi.gov.uk
or posted to Adrian Gough at DfES, Area 4C, Sanctuary Buildings, Great Smith Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3BT.