Our Education Officer Susan, Assistant Bethany and mascot Billy Jr. recently travelled to the West Midlands Safari Park to attend the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Conference.
This was the first in person conference since 2019, and with 280 delegates from across the UK participating in a variety of workshops, seminars and talks, it was a packed day!
Billy Jr getting ready for a busy day of talks, presentations and workshops!
The day started with a welcome and key note speeches from Paul Rose (Explorer), Prof. Mick Waters (former Headteacher, Author and advisor on the curriculum) and Jon Clarke (Shadow Headteacher). Each shared they’re own journeys in Learning Outside the Classroom, highlighting key moments where taking pupils out of the classroom has had a big impact, not only on those pupils but also on staff.
It is all too easy to forget that there are some in this country who have never visited a beach, or climbed a mountain, and these three speakers really inspired everyone in the Treetops Marquee to make positive changes to improve everyone’s accessibility to the outdoors.
After a short break, delegates were then taken to the impressive Safari Academy, where there were a number of different workshops for providers and schools. Susan attended one looking at how we can better support our users learning objectives, which considered the “menu” of options or a more bespoke offering. This session also allowed opportunities for networking and Susan picked up lots of useful hints and tips from the other providers in the room on how to collect feedback (from teachers and pupils), what questions should be asked at the booking stage and how to manage expectations of teachers, pupils and providers staff.
Bethany attended a workshop run by the National Trust about making venues inclusive, not only for visitors but also staff. There was a big emphasis on trying to make sure workplaces and venues offer appropriate adjustments before people ask for them. This was followed by a group discussion about the benefits of diversity and how it can improve the overall atmosphere of a centre. Having multiple perspectives and cultures represented in a place helps create a more welcoming environment and allows others to feel more committed to your centre. Having these inclusive measures already in place reduces any anxieties people may already have about visiting. It was highlighted how important it can be to ensure any difficulties someone may encounter have already been considered and adjustments put into place before they step through the door, which Bethany thought was very relevant to us, as many of our visitors come to reflect and improve their mental health.
Susan then attended another workshop which featured teachers from several schools from around the UK explaining what they are looking for from an educational visit. Accessibility for pupils who have additional needs, particularly those who are neurodivergent, was a key point which was raised multiple times through out the day, and again, Susan picked up lots of notes on how we can improve on this to make Suffolk Owl Sanctuary a safer and more welcoming place for groups to visit.
Whilst Susan was in the classroom with teachers, Bethany was outside on a Safari Guided Tour with one of the West Midlands Safari Guides.
During the lunch break, they had a brief opportunity to explore some of the indoor houses on the foot safari area of the Park. Susan visited the Twilight Zone, featuring bats, invertebrates and fish, as well as some delightful Owl-faced Monkeys, and stopped off to see the Penguins on her way back while Bethany visited the Reptile House.
After lunch, there was a presentation of awards for schools who had achieved LOtC Mark Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards, before the last workshops of the day. Susan opted for the Safari Tour, and took Billy Jr with her to “meet” some of the animals that call West Midlands Safari Park home. The Guide drove them through all the reserves, pausing to chat about the Buffalo, Rhinos, Cheetahs, Lions, African Hunting Dogs, Elephants and Giraffe. Some of the herbivores on the tour were very keen to see the tour bus, as they know there is food, so Billy Jr had a close encounter when one of the Giraffe stuck it’s head through the window!
While Susan and Billy Jr were exploring outside, Bethany attended a workshop by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust all about wellbeing. It started off outside and got them participating in a few of their activities which help children connect better with nature. A small 5 minute activity such as standing with your eyes closed and listening to what noises are going on around you, selecting which noise is the most prominent and favourite then thinking about why it had an impact on you. They explained that very simple low effort tasks with no to very little rules were the most beneficial and really helped to engage childrens interest to explore nature further. Bethany found this session the most engaging as it isn’t often we get the opportunity to participate in the activities we run ourselves and it gave her a better understanding of how important small interactions with nature can be for some who have never experienced any or even have some anxiety around nature.
Upon their return to the Treetops Marquee, there was a networking event with several themes or topics for discussion. It was at this point that Susan and Bethany made contact with a few other providers from East Anglia, and their conversations were continued at the end of the conference. The conference closed with a poetry reading by Roy McFarlane.
Overall, it was an inspirational event, and both Susan and Bethany returned with lots of ideas on how to improve our educational offering. Some of these will be rolled out over the coming months and should offer changes for schools, groups and home educating families, as well as general visitors.