Canal & River Explorers is the education team of the Canal & River Trust. Learning in the great outdoors is at the heart of what we do, and we’re thrilled to announce that three more of our sites have been awarded the ‘Quality Badge’ by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC).

 The Quality Badge is awarded to providers that demonstrate excellent learning and safety provision. It aims to reduce the red tape associated with organising a school trip outside the confines of the classroom. Teachers can look for the Quality Badge and instantly know that the trip has been given the seal of approval by an external accreditor. Learning outside the classroom 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.  School trips shouldn’t be viewed as a non-learning day – quite the opposite. Many school trip providers are constantly adapting their trips and activities to tie in with the curriculum and reinforce what children are learning at school. With this approach, school trips can be a valuable addition to classroom topics and help children see theory take place in real life. Canal & River Explorers is no exception. Including the three new additions, we now have 24 sites across England and Wales which have been awarded the Quality Badge. Our volunteers lead inspiring school trips to canals and rivers, running activities that tie in with multiple areas of the curriculum, from History to Art. All waterside visits are free of charge. Visit our website to book a visit for your school or uniformed group today.