Educational Visits Award
sponsored by WST Travel
Presented to the educational establishment that can demonstrate a commitment to providing students with a range of subject specific educational visits in order to further their learning experience.
2011 Winner: South Bromsgrove High School, Worcester
South Bromsgrove school has operated the Duke of Edinburgh Award for over 25 years; and the scheme’s success led to them becoming the largest school-based centre for the Award in the country, with over 500 students taking part annually. Volunteering, physical activity, skills, and an expedition form the core programme leading through to the Gold Award. Planning is considerable, typically involving around 240 students, and completion rates are high. The Gold Award is available to Sixth Form students and is seen as a pinnacle of achievement. From practice camp they walk for four days carrying packs and provisions, and camping at sites they nominated in their planning. Students gain increased confidence, self-esteem; develop group skills including leadership, practical knowledge, camp craft and navigational skills.
Commended
Wey Valley School, Dorset
Wey Valley School has a reputation for producing intrepid leaders, which was highlighted recently by the Stephenson Award from The Young Explorers Trust bestowed upon the school’s PE head Mark Salmon in 2011 for leading youth expeditions. The achievement reflects individuals’ and teams’ involvement from the school, in the Dorset Expeditionary Society and the community at large. The expeditions help promote leadership in students and safe, responsible attitudes are inculcated. To succeed, Wey Valley’s participating students learn to work together and achieve a high degree of interdependence. That generates aspiring leaders who develop personal skills under expert guidance with positive attitudes and impacts across their school subjects.
St Martin’s School, Brentwood
St Martin’s School’s pupils have enjoyed exchanges with students in Germany for more than 30 years; and contact with the Bavarian grammar school, Roth Gymnasium, has received recognition from the Borough’s Mayor a certificate of appreciation. The twinning scheme allowed many pupils to visit one another’s homes, thereby enhancing language learning and fluency. The school has a sense of the broader experience beyond school – nationally and internationally – impacting learning development. Year 12 Drama and Theatre Studies students, for instance, took part in a trip to Stratford Upon Avon involving them in workshops, a director’s talk, street theatre and watching plays performed by the RSC. That helped them to study contemporary pieces enabling comparisons with original performances.
Seaham School of Technology, County Durham
Seaham School holds that learning outside of the classroom is a vital ingredient providing a successful educational experience that deepens student interest levels, hence their motto: ‘Engaging Minds, Broadening Horizons.’ Extra-curricular learning is embraced by raising student aspirations with eyes wide open. Given 130 education-related visits over the last year, quite apart from Key Stage revision trips, outward learning experience is extensive. Activities include an annual English trip to New York. Students visit the Empire State Building, Ground Zero and Broadway – also cross-curricular for those studying GCSE History as it incorporates a visit to Ellis Island and Wall Street. A Tall Ships event is arranged to promote good citizenship: pupils spend a week out at sea to develop problem solving and thinking skills.
