In this article it will explain about an initiative that has shown overwhelming statics, towards the positive impacts to why it is important for children to go away on school trips.
In 2009, Paul Hamlyn Foundation invited a number of primary, secondary and special schools across the UK to work with ‘Learning Away’ to develop and pilot original residential learning programmes. A residential trip is understood by schools and education establishments as an overnight trip.
What is Learning Away?
Learning Away was an initiative set up by Paul Hamlyn Foundation, looking at supporting schools to notably enhance children’s learning, well-being, and achievements by utilizing residential experiences as an integral part of their curriculum.
Residential trips don’t have to be based around outdoor learning. The first phase ‘action research’ lasted from 2009 to 2015, which showed compelling evidence of positive outcomes and impacts that a residential trip had on children, teachers and schools.
Impacts of Residential Experiences
All the evidence that was compiled, came under a number of impacting areas. These were:
- Relationships
- Resilience, Self-confidence and Well-being
- Engagement with Learning
- Achievement
- Knowledge, Skills and Understanding
- Cohesion
- Leadership, Co-design, and Facilitation
- Transition
- Pedagogical skills
To see why residential experiences are essential of children’s development, click here to see all the statistical evidence.
Positive statistics show how beneficial and important residential experiences are.
What is Happening Now?
The second phase known as the ‘campaign phase’ has been underway since 2016, with another 2 years funding (2018) from Paul Hamlyn Foundation. Learning Away now has a collection of organisations, which are coming together to help make sure young people have opportunities to have enjoyable residential experiences.
Their tasks for the second phase are:
- continue to gather evidence around ‘brilliant residential trips’
- to keep sharing their findings of what works when on residential trips
- measuring how successful this phase is, once the baseline has been established
- to create more resources for schools to help them deliver great trips
Tips on how to Provide ‘Brilliant Residential Trips’
These residentials should be:
- fully integrated within the school curriculum
- designed and led by teachers and children
- inclusive and affordable for all
- meets childrens specific learning needs
- learning is reinforced back at school
- part of a progressive programme of experiences
- includes a wide range of new and memorable experiences
- allows space for developing relationships
- evaluated rigorously
- supported by senior leadership and school governors
Let’s give our learners brilliant residential experiences! For more information on the evidence provided click here .
Learning away has given schools hard data explaining how beneficial it is to provide residential trips for children. To be effect, the theme of trips away should be combined with the current curriculum. In this way, it is clear that this form of teaching, gives the child deeper learning experiences, which will support their learning throughout school life.