Birmingham Boys & Girls Union ‘Woodlands Adventure’ accreditations

DBS checks (previously CRB checks)

The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevents unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).

All of our team members have current and enhanced DBS checks. The enhanced DBS checks for spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, final warnings, plus any additional information held by local police that’s reasonably considered relevant to the role.

Institute for outdoor Learning (IOL) - Organisational Member

The Institute for Outdoor Learning supports individuals and organisations who use the outdoors to make a difference for others.

Their mission is to increase participation in outdoor learning in the UK and to recognise and improve the quality of outdoor learning in the UK.

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom - Quality Badge

The Council for Leaning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) exists to champion learning outside the classroom (LOtC).

The CLOtC aims are:

• Influencing and challenging learning outside the classroom policy and practice
• Raising the profile of learning outside the classroom and promoting the benefits
• Providing support for education and LOtC professionals
• Aiming for good quality learning outside the classroom that meets the needs of young people

The benefits of LOtC are:

• Research shows that children learn best through real life experiences. Taking learning beyond the classroom walls makes learning more memorable and helps children who don’t thrive in a traditional classroom environment to achieve. 99% of teachers say that students are more animated and engaged when learning outside the classroom (Opinion matters survey on behalf of TUI Education Division, 2010).
• LOtC supports improved standards back INSIDE the classroom, raising attainment, reducing truancy and improving discipline.
• LOtC is known to contribute significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and emotional development. It also contributes to the quality and depth of learning (OFSTED, Learning Outside the Classroom, How far should you go?, 2008).
• LOtC enables children to interact in new ways with their peers and adults, improving relationships between teachers and pupils, particularly with those students who are hard to reach in the classroom environment.
• LOtC is effective in delivering learning outcomes across all areas of the curriculum including literacy, numeracy, science, history, geography and IT and has the most impact when opportunities to learn outside the classroom are frequent, continuous and progressive.
• OFSTED says that LOtC is crucial to delivering a broad and balanced curriculum (response to Select Committee review, October 2010).
• Download schools information sheet

Why teachers should look for the LOtC Quality Badge when organising educational visits

• The LOtC Quality Badge is a national benchmark that accredits providers of learning outside the classroom offering good quality educational experiences and managing risk effectively.
• The LOtC Quality Badge is recognised across all sectors offering LOtC experiences including overseas expeditions, adventurous activities, heritage, arts and farming and countryside so teachers only need to look for one badge when taking children out and about.
• The LOtC Quality Badge provides assurance to teachers and parents regarding safety and the quality of learning.
• The LOtC Quality Badge can cut red tape for teachers when planning LOtC activities.
• The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel has endorsed the award and asks that their Local Authority members request that teachers look for the LOtC Quality Badge when planning educational visits.

Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee – Adventuremark

Adventuremark is a non-statutory safety scheme devised by the Adventure Activity Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) accreditation for providers of adventurous activities that are outside the scope of the Adventure Activity Licensing regulations.

Adventuremark allows providers to demonstrate to their customers or users that the provider’s arrangements for managing the potential risks of adventure activities have been inspected and found to meet the necessary standards of good practice in the adventure activity industry.

British Canoeing

British Canoeing was established in 1936 as the British Canoe Union. In 2000, they federalised to become the umbrella organisation for the home nation associations in Scotland (Scottish Canoe Association), Wales (Canoe Wales) and Northern Ireland (Canoe Association Northern Ireland).

British Canoeing is responsible for leading and setting the overall framework for all the National Associations and includes areas such as coaching, competition and representing canoeing interests at a UK level.

Birmingham Association of Youth Clubs (BAYC) - Life Member

BAYC is dedicated to the personal and social development of young people. Supporting youth clubs, youth organisations and youth workers in Birmingham, the Black Country and the West Midlands.

BAYC works to create opportunities for positive change in the lives of young people and the communities they live in.

Disability Confident Committed

We are proud to be part of the disability confident committed scheme and we hold a level 2 award. The disability confident scheme has 3 levels and is a means of communication. It is intended to inform the people we employ, and any other disabled people who might be interested in our organisation, that we have a positive approach to employing disabled people and people with long term illness.