Council’s Prospect Park Ranger Station Achieves Recognition For High Quality Educational Visits
Reading’s popular Ranger Station at Prospect Park has achieved national recognition for its educational visits and outreach work with vulnerable young people.
The Council-run facility has been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge. The LOtC Quality Badge is the only scheme that recognises quality of learning and effectiveness of risk management and is awarded for Learning Outside the Classroom.
Reading’s Educational Play and Support service provides learning opportunities and social experiences through play in schools, out of school and at the Ranger Station facility - building positive relationships with young people and providing a fun, welcoming environment with a specialist teaching offer, including for those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or excluded from mainstream education.
The outdoor education area at the Ranger Station includes a climbing wall and team building activities, such as den building, archery, an outdoor classroom and much more to support Reading Play’s educational outreach work with vulnerable young people.
Reading Educational Play and Support at Prospect Park’s Ranger Station strives to achieve the following through play:
- increase self-awareness, self-esteem and support with regulating behaviour
- improve and maintain physical and mental health
- give young people the opportunity to socialise, interact and build life skills
- give young people access to new skills and opportunities
- give young people positive role model play
- encourage inclusivity and provide opportunities to learn about environments and communities
- outside play can improve connections it can also allow young people to explore and understand nature, and through active play can build coordination skills and physical development.
Donna Pentelow, Reading Borough Council’s Assistant Director for Culture said: “Being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge is a fantastic achievement for all the staff here as it shows that we offer young people high quality play and learning experiences, helping young people access a range of activities that supports their wellbeing and helping them to achieve their potential. We're thrilled to get official recognition for our efforts, and we look forward to welcoming even more children and young people to the Ranger Station.”
Reading Educational Play and Support deliver important educational work with vulnerable children from across the borough, providing a significant and valuable extension to the council’s provision for vulnerable and SEND children in a fun, safe and welcoming environment. Income generated through paid activities helps support this vital work.”
Dr Anne Hunt, Chief Executive of CLOtC said: “Educational visits are among the most memorable experiences in a child’s school life. The LOtC Quality Badge offers teachers the reassurance that the venue is providing high quality educational experiences and have the appropriate risk management structures in place, meaning less paperwork for schools and peace of mind for teachers. I congratulate Reading Borough Council’s Ranger Station on being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge.”
For more information about the LOtC Quality Badge visit www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk
Notes to editors
The LOtC Quality Badge
Launched in 2008, the LOtC Quality Badge is awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC), although it is assessed by a number of Awarding Body with expertise in their sector. Providers who hold the LOtC Quality Badge have evidenced that they meet a set of Quality Indicators. The LOtC Quality Badge is designed to make it easier for teachers to identify providers of quality educational visits. Organisations will display the LOtC Quality Badge as a signal to schools that their provision has met required standards, so teachers do not need to carry out their own risk or quality assessments except those specific to individual needs of the students they are taking.
About the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom
The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) champions all learning beyond the classroom, both indoors and out, and encourages young people to get out and about because research shows that children learn best through real world experiences. We want every child to have the opportunity to experience life and lessons beyond the classroom walls as a regular part of growing up. CLOtC offers free support and guidance on planning and delivering learning outside the classroom through its website www.lotc.org.uk