Ely College and Bishop Laney Sixth Form, both part of Meridian Trust, have received national recognition for their commitment to taking learning outside the classroom (LOtC) and have been awarded the Gold LOtC Mark by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Jason Coe, Assistant Principal at Ely College said: “Being awarded the Gold LOtC Mark is a fantastic achievement for all the staff here as it shows that we have really put in the work to ensure our students have access to vital opportunities to learn outside the classroom. We're thrilled to get official recognition for our efforts, and we look forward to continuing to embed LOtC within our main school and Post-16 curriculums to help more students achieve their maximum potential.”

The LOtC Mark is awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, the UK-wide charity that champions all learning that happens beyond the classroom. Their work supports educators, schools and organisations who are dedicated to ensuring more children and young people have opportunities for life-changing learning experiences beyond the classroom, whether these happen indoors or outdoors, close to home or far away. Providing students with more opportunities to access high quality learning beyond the classroom experiences can open their eyes to the world around them and allows them to develop into well-rounded citizens. The many benefits of LOtC are now well-evidenced and include improving academic attainment, physical health, emotional well-being, self-esteem, and resilience.

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 memorable experiences in a child’s school life. Achieving the Gold LOtC Mark demonstrates that Ely College and its Sixth Form at Bishop Laney, are committed to developing and delivering genuinely valuable learning outside the classroom experiences for their children and young people and I congratulate them on achieving this award.”

For more information about the LOtC Mark, please visit www.lotc.org.uk