A LEADING UK environmental education charity, which manages Dale Fort Field Centre, has called directly on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to allow overnight school residential trips to take place from the autumn.

The Field Studies Council (FSC), which welcomes 150,000 school pupils each year to its network of residential centres, lost £9.7million of business overnight when it was forced to close all of its sites in March due to the nationwide lockdown.

The Dale Fort site, situated at the tip of Dale peninsula offers primary and secondary school trips as well as University visits, and art, walking, natural history and health and wellbeing courses and holidays.

The FSC acted quickly to make sure the Dale Fort is Covid-secure; reconfiguring dormitories, putting new systems in place and undertaking detailed risk assessments.

However, the charity's core revenue stream remains under threat because the UK government is yet to provide a clear signal on when it might be able to resume overnight school provision and start delivering vital environmental education at its sites.

The charity was dealt a double blow when in July the UK government released new school guidance stating domestic trips could go ahead from autumn but overnight stays could not. On the very same day, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) announced proposals to remove huge chunks of fieldwork and practical science from the 2021 summer exams and assessments.

"In many ways the government is actively encouraging outdoor education because it's easier to maintain social distancing, reduces the risk of infection and improves wellbeing," said Mr Castle.

"But if the current restriction on overnight stays continues throughout the autumn and into next year, it will severely limit opportunities for young people to learn the practical science they need to develop skills for further study and employment."

He has now appealed directly to the Prime Minister to rethink the guidance on residential school trips.

In his letter to Mr Johnson he said:

"We have now reconfigured all our centres so that they are Covid Secure. However, our core business, which is delivering curriculum-based courses where GCSE and A-Level students come to us to develop their environmental and fieldwork skills, is dead in the water.

"We would like you to look again at school guidance for the autumn term and Ofqual's proposal to remove large parts of fieldwork and practical science from 2021 exams and assessments.

"My staff know how to enthuse and motivate students disengaged from school, by reconnecting them with the real world and engaging all their senses after weeks of lockdown and digital learning.

"There is no substitute for the real thing. By providing extended time with their own teachers as well as our tutors the most disadvantaged learners can start to level up.

"Currently the guidance prevents these opportunities, even though we at the FSC can offer Covid-secure accommodation.

"Ofqual's proposals risk depriving these learners of the very practical science and fieldwork skills needed. These clumsy proposals risks letting down this already disadvantaged cohort even further at a time when we need to be levelling up."

For further information about FSC, its courses and educational work visit field-studies-council.org/about-us/.