Frequently asked questions

How do I change my password?
How do I change details for my organisation that are viewable through the searchable database?
Who can apply for the Quality Badge?
Can schools apply for the Quality Badge?
Do providers have to get the Quality Badge?
Who awards the Badge?
What are the benefits to schools?
Is the Badge supported by teaching unions and local authorities?
What are the benefits to providers?
Is the Quality Badge a safety badge?
What is the difference between Route 1 and Route 2?
Any specialist activities my organisation provides are contracted out to experts. Can I apply via Route 1?
Farms are obliged to apply for the Quality Badge via Route 2. What is the LOtC definition of a farm with regard to Route selection?
How are providers assessed?
What happens at an assessment visit?
Who are the external agencies carrying out the Route 2 checks?
How were the Awarding Bodies selected - is there any danger of a conflict of interest with them awarding badges to their own organisations?
What criteria must providers meet in order to receive the Badge?
Are the quality indicators different when referring to Route 1 and Route 2?
Will the quality criteria be reassessed at any point?
Will CRB checks be carried out on those applying for the Badge?
Will organisations’ details be held on a central database? If so, what data protection checks are in place to ensure my personal information is secure?
Will all providers get the Quality Badge at the same time?
What if I have more than one site?
My provision doesn't have a permanent site, are we still eligible for the Quality Badge?
Is there an expiry date for the Quality Badge?
What checks are in place to make sure people reapply at the end of the badge life?
What will the Quality Badge look like?
How much does it cost to get the badge?
Will there be financial assistance available for smaller organisations to apply for the Quality Badge?
What support is there for providers? Is every provider entitled to this support?
How do I get trained to achieve the Quality Badge as a provider?
Why was it necessary to develop a Quality Badge?
Who was involved in the development of the Badge?
What happens if the Quality Badge is awarded and then rescinded?
Does this mean that schools no longer need to fill in a risk assessment?
Isn’t there a risk that an organisation could just award themselves the badge through the Route 1 Self Evaluation Form?
I am an individual. How do I get the Quality Badge?
Can I apply for the Quality Badge if I have sites in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands?

Q: How do I change my password?

A: First log in, then choose either Route 1 or Route 2 on the How to Apply page. This will take you directly to your original registration form which contains a link to the ‘change password’ form.

Q: How do I change details for my organisation that are viewable through the searchable database?

A: If you need to change any of the details for your organisation that you supplied in the full registration form (and which are viewable via the searchable map), please log in and choose either Route 1 or Route 2 on the How to Apply page. This will take you directly to your original registration form.

Q: Who can apply for the Quality Badge?

A: The Quality Badge is available to large and small organisations providing learning outside the classroom experiences. For the purpose of the Quality Badge we define Learning Outside the Classroom as "the use of places other than the classroom for the teaching and learning of young people aged 0-19" This includes experiences that take place in:

• School grounds: for example gardening
• The local environment: for example land and streetscapes, sites of special scientific interest or places of worship
• Places further afield: for example museums and galleries or field study and environmental centres
• Residential places: for example summer camps or expeditions

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A: This is a non-statutory scheme and as such, there is no legal requirement for providers to achieve the badge. However, we hope that providers will see the benefit of the Quality Badge and in reviewing and improving their own offering. Schools will also be receiving advice on learning outside the classroom and so providers should expect schools to increasingly ask if they have the Quality Badge.

Q: Who awards the Badge?

A: Although the DCSF has funded the development of the Quality Badge, from April 2009, responsibility for the badge will be taken on by the independent Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, which is the ‘awarding body’ for the Quality Badge.

Q: What are the benefits to schools?

A: The Quality Badge should provide huge benefits for schools and other educational establishments, cutting red tape and making it easier to identify those organisations providing quality, safe educational experiences. Using ‘badged’ providers will help schools, teachers and other leaders to plan more effectively learning outside the classroom experiences that meet their needs and those of their young people.

For users, the Quality Badge provides an assurance that a provider:

• Offers ‘what it says on the tin’;
• Takes account of the needs of users;
• Has an emphasis on ‘learning/skills outcomes’; and
• Operates in a healthy and safe environment.

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Q: Is the Badge supported by teaching unions and local authorities?

A: Yes, most of the teacher unions, many local authorities and the Outdoor Education Advisors’ panel (OEAP) were consulted about the need for a badge and were involved in its development. All see great benefits for schools and teachers (see above).

Q: What are the benefits to providers?

A: The Quality Badge provides a national benchmark for the provision of educational visits and recognises organisations delivering good quality teaching and learning experiences and managing risk effectively. It provides a framework for working in partnership with schools, youth groups and local authorities and aims to reduce red tape, making Quality Badge holders a more attractive prospect for those organising educational visits.

For providers, the Quality Badge will:

• Accredit the quality of educational provision;Provide a marketing opportunity;
• Better enable ‘fast tracking’ for client approval;
• Improve consistency in educational provision; and
• Provide a useful development tool - enabling organisations to improve their practice so that they are confident of providing meaningful and inspirational experiences for young people.

Q: Is the Quality Badge a safety badge?

A: The Quality Badge brings together all existing safety and quality badges. Whilst safety is a very important component – and only organisations which have robust safety management systems in place will be awarded the badge – the quality of the educational experience provided is also key to receiving the badge. Safety is seen as one element of a quality experience.

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Q: What is the difference between Route 1 and Route 2?

A: Most learning outside the classroom activities fall within the scope of everyone’s experience, such as visits to theatres, art galleries, museums, historic houses, science learning centres, botanic gardens or places of worship. Here the risks are of an ‘every day’ kind and are well within the experience of well trained school staff. Organisations providing these types of activity will follow a ‘Route 1’ process where the Quality Badge is awarded when the all criteria can be met. There will be an annual quality assurance visit of a proportion of providers to ensure standards are maintained at an appropriate level. And, of course, there will also be appropriate processes for schools to raise concern should they feel that a provider is failing to maintain the agreed standard.

Other activities require a degree of technical knowledge and experience that are beyond the lay person, such as knowing which beaches are safe to conduct studies on at certain states of the tide, or how to ensure a group of children are operating safely on a high ropes course or a circus trapeze. Risk assessments used by these providers would not be sufficiently understood by a lay person, so there is little point in teachers asking for them. These providers will follow ‘Route 2’ where their safety management systems have to be assessed by external agencies approved by the Awarding Body before they can be awarded the Quality Badge. They will still have to meet the same criteria for ensuring quality as the providers in Route 1. All providers who fall into Route 2 will be assessed on all quality indicators at all visits.

Providers are not able to choose which route they take; it is determined by the activities they offer.

Q: Any specialist activities my organisation provides are contracted out to experts. Can I apply via Route 1?

A: No. Schools using the Quality Badge as a guide to choosing a LOtC provider will expect the provider to have been assessed for every activity they provide. Your organisation is responsible for all activities it sub-contracts, in line with Package Tour Regulations. If your organisation provides any kind of Route 2 activity then your provision will have to be assessed to ensure the quality and safety of that service, whether it is delivered directly or through a sub-contractor.

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Q: Farms are obliged to apply for the Quality Badge via Route 2. What is the LOtC definition of a farm with regard to Route selection?

A: For the purposes of the LOtC Quality Badge it is the active involvement of children in farming practices or the handling of livestock in a farming environment that determines whether a provider should be accredited through Route 1 or Route 2.

There will be situations where a provider has agricultural equipment or livestock on site but can apply for the Quality Badge through Route 1 because the LOtC activities provided do not involve children coming into contact with livestock or handling agricultural equipment or products.

Examples include:

• An arable or livestock farm hosting educational groups and using the farm’s resources as part of the visit is Route 2
• A commercial horticulture facility where hands-on activities are provided is Route 2
• A large estate which has a house, gardens and farm is Route 1 if the activities take place only around the house and gardens but Route 2 if farm activities are included
• A rural museum which has farm animals is Route 1 if the activities take place only around the historical artefacts but Route 2 if farm activities are included
• A farm providing hill walking or other adventurous activities, but no interaction with farming operations or livestock, should register through Route 2 via AAIAC
• A garden centre which schools visit to study the plants on display is Route 1
• A garden involved in small-scale growing activities should register through Route 1
• A farmer taking livestock into schools should register through Route 2
  

A: Route 1 providers will self assess against the quality indicators. To do this you will need to complete the online Self Evaluation Form (having read the accompanying Guidance Notes). A proportion of organisations awarded the badge will receive a random quality assurance visit from a member of the LOtC Quality Badge Assessment Team. These visits are intended to ensure that standards are maintained at an appropriate level. If selected for a quality assurance visit you will be contacted by an assessor. The visit will take place within three months of the awarding of a badge and you will be given at least two weeks’ notice of the visit by your assessor.

Organisations providing activities assessed through Route 2 will go through a full assessment, carried out by one of the five Route 2 Awarding Bodies. A full list of activities covered/assessed via Route 2 and the appropriate Awarding Body can be found here. Full details of each Awarding Body’s assessment processes are available from their websites.

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Q: What happens at an assessment visit?

A: During an assessment you will be asked to provide evidence to show how your organisation meets each indicator. If you are able to show all this evidence the badge will be confirmed. If you cannot show the evidence and it is therefore clear to the assessor that you do not meet the indicators than the badge will be withdrawn. You will not be able to re-apply for the badge for another 6 months from the date of withdrawal.

Q: Who are the external agencies carrying out the Route 2 checks?

A: DCSF has nominated Awarding Bodies for each activity sector, primarily using existing awarding bodies that have been working on the EVAC safety badges scheme. Awarding bodies have incorporated the Learning Outside the Classroom quality indicators into their existing indicators and put quality at the heart of assessments. The five Awarding Bodies are: School Travel Forum (STF), Expedition Providers Association (EPA), Access to Farms (ATF), Field Studies Council (FSC) and Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC).

Q: How were the Awarding Bodies selected - is there any danger of a conflict of interest with them awarding badges to their own organisations?

A: The five Awarding Bodies for Route 2 were selected because they had already been working with the DCSF on the EVAC safety badges scheme or had successful and well established schemes already in place.

Their processes and procedures for awarding the Quality Badge have already been vetted and agreed/signed off by both the DCSF and the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. They will continue to be moderated annually by the Council.

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Q: What criteria must providers meet in order to receive the Badge?

A: The criteria are determined by a small number of generic quality indicators. How these indicators could be achieved will vary according to whether a provider has staff to work with users or not. Behind each indicator sit a number of sub indicators and sector specific exemplars.

The six high level generic quality indicators are:

• The provider has a process in place to assist users to plan the learning experience effectively.
• The provider provides accurate information about its offer.
• The provider provides activities, experience, or resources which meet learner needs.
• The provider reviews the experience and acts upon feedback.
• The provider meets the needs of users.
• The provider has safety management processes in place to manage risk effectively.

The sub-indicators are viewable here.

These generic indicators assess the process by which the organisation/setting attempts to provide a quality learning experience, e.g. the way in which the provider works with the user to plan the experience and set learning objectives. They do not assess directly the quality of the learning experience but use indicators of quality which, if all are met fully and consistently, should result in the organisation providing young people with good quality learning. Of course, the success of planned learning outcomes depends as much on input from the user as it does on the provider of an experience.

The criteria were piloted between August and September 2008. The aim of this pilot phase was to give the quality indicators a trial run to see how they worked – minor changes were made as a result. The pilot involved 28 organisations from both Route 1 and 2.

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Q: Are the quality indicators different when referring to Route 1 and Route 2?

A: The quality indicators are the same for Route 1 and Route 2 – the only difference being that for Route 2 providers, each Awarding Body has a more detailed set of safety indicators which sit below the four headline safety indicators.

Q: Will the quality criteria be reassessed at any point?

A: Once the scheme has been operating for a while, the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom will review the whole scheme including the quality indicators.

Q: Will CRB checks be carried out on those applying for the Badge?

A: Organisations achieving the Quality Badge will have to have relevant safeguarding procedures in place (i.e. they must maintain Child Protection Standards and provide child secure venues). They will therefore need to have carried out CRB where appropriate and necessary.

Q: Will organisations’ details be held on a central database? If so, what data protection checks are in place to ensure my personal information is secure?

A: Organisations may be asked to supply personal information to the LOtC Quality Badge website (i.e. anything which enables them to be identified in some way, such as name or email address). The Quality Badge contractor, 4Children is legally bound by the Data Protection Act 1998 to ensure that it is only used for the purpose for which it was first requested and to ensure that the data is held securely. Personal information will never be supplied to external parties without first obtaining consent, unless 4Children is obliged or permitted by law to disclose it.

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Q: Will all providers get the Quality Badge at the same time?

A: Not all providers will be able to apply for the Quality Badge at the same time. Indeed, it may take up to two years or so for the badge to be embedded and for providers to have applied for the badge. This means that during this time, just because a provider does not hold the badge, it does not mean that they do not offer a quality experience.

For Route 1, providers may apply for their Quality Badge from 30 January 2009 onwards. For Route 2, however, there will be a phased approach. This is because:

• The badge fits in with the normal application and renewal cycles for all Route 2 Awarding Bodies’ schemes. This means that it is only when a provider’s existing quality/safety accreditation is due for renewal that they can be assessed for the Quality Badge. The exception to this is if a provider does not currently hold a badge from one of the Awarding Bodies’ schemes. They will be able to apply from 30 January 2009 onwards; and
• Some schemes are in the development stage due to their complexity or the fact that some Awarding Bodies have created new schemes. AAIAC, for example will be looking to approve the 24 adventurous activity accreditation schemes that sit within its sector. This will be done on a phased approach and will take some time to complete.

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Q: What if I have more than one site?

A: The LOtC Quality Badge is awarded to a site or specific provision rather than to an organisation as a whole, even where that organisation applies standardised policies and procedures across all its sites. Providers who own and manage more than one site will have to submit a separate application for each site in order for them all to achieve the Quality Badge and be listed on the searchable database.

Route 1 providers who own and manage 10 or more sites that are centrally administered have the option of submitting a ‘multiple site’ application. The provider will need to identify a lead site contact to arrange the self assessment and registration of each site as well as to complete online payment for the organisation as a whole.  In all cases, organisations will need to provide evidence that they have adequate quality assurance and monitoring processes to ensure the same level of quality assurance across all of their sites. At least 10% of the provider’s sites will receive an assessment visit and the head office or central administration will need to be involved in the assessment process.

For providers with multiple sites, some of which would fall into Route 1 and some into Route 2, the provider, if wishing to submit a 'multiple site' application for all of its sites, will need to:

A. Draft a list which shows which of its sites fall into Route 1 and which into Route 2 and send a copy to both contact@lotcqualitybadge.org and the appropriate Awarding Body;
B. Submit 2 applications – one to Route 1 on the Quality Badge site here to cover all Route 1 sites and the other to the Route 2 Awarding Body;
C. For Route 2 only, the provider (usually through an assessor visiting the provider’s head office) will need to demonstrate to the assessor that it has safety management systems in place to cover all of its sites and that these are monitored on a timely basis. The provider will also need to provide evidence to show that all of its sites have the relevant NGB certificates, AALS licenses and other safety documentation as per the headline safety indicators in the full list of quality indicators;
D. Be compliant across both Routes 1 and 2 before the Quality Badges for the whole organisation are awarded.

When a ‘multiple site’ application has been made, if any one site fails the assessment, the whole organisation will not achieve the Quality Badge. The provider will have two weeks to provide any evidence remotely if any of the sites have been judged as ‘needs to provide further evidence’. Alternatively, if the provider has ‘not yet met all of the indicators’, a notice to develop will be issued for a 3 month period, until such time as the provider has demonstrated that it has addressed any issues.

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Q: My provision doesn't have a permanent site, are we still eligible for the Quality Badge?

A: Yes. Organisations do not have to have their own site or venue to gain the Quality Badge. Some will work with schools on their site, or will use local sites, or will be providing cultural/study visits to a variety of sites and locations, or will broker arrangements between arts professionals and schools. To gain the Quality Badge the provider will need to demonstrate that they can safely manage these non-specific sites.

Q: Is there an expiry date for the Quality Badge?

A: Yes, for Route 1 providers the LOtC Quality Badge expires two years from the date of certification. For Route 2, the accreditation period depends on the Awarding Body.

Q: What checks are in place to make sure people reapply at the end of the badge life?

A: It is made clear in the Quality Badge Terms and Conditions that an organisation may only use the badge (i.e. display the certificate, use the logo for marketing purposes, etc.) for the award period (e.g. two years for Route 1). The database will flag up organisations as they come towards their expiry date and they will be reminded to reapply.

Q: What will the Quality Badge look like?

A: Badged providers will receive a Quality Badge certificate by email. They will also receive an electronic version of the Quality Badge logo to use in their marketing and communications.

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Q: How much does it cost to get the badge?

A: Route 1:

• Route 1 application: £100
• Route 1 provider organisations with 10 or more sites (see a detailed definition above) can make one payment for all of their applications at the discounted rate of £75 per site
• Payment for Route 1 providers is by credit or debit card via a secure online payment gateway

Route 2: The cost of registration for Route 2 organisations will vary depending on the degree of assessment required and also any licenses already held. See the relevant Awarding Body’s website for details:

• Access to Farms (ATF)
• Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC)
• Expedition Providers Association (EPA)
• Field Studies Council (FSC)
• School Travel Forum (STF)
  

Q: Will there be financial assistance available for smaller organisations to apply for the Quality Badge?

A: No. The DCSF conducted extensive consultation among LOtC Manifesto partner organisations. The consensus was that a £100 registration fee for Route 1 providers (lower risk activities) was reasonable to cover the costs of administration and assessment visits. The badge will last for 2 years, so this represents an outlay of £50 per year.

For the Route 2 providers a far greater degree of assessment, and specialist knowledge on the part of the assessor, is required to ensure that the activities offered are safe and of good quality. Route 2 registration will cost more for this reason; however the price will vary widely to take into account any approved schemes that the applicant already belongs to.

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Q: What support is there for providers? Is every provider entitled to this support?

A: DCSF has developed a Quality Badge support package for LOtC providers (of advice, exemplars, case studies and training) to support organisations/settings wishing to provide high-quality learning outside the classroom experiences for young people and interested in gaining the Quality Badge. Any organisation needing developmental support they will be able to access these materials online on the LOtC website here.

There are very comprehensive Guidance Notes for all organisations self assessing via Route 1 which must be read prior to an organisation completing the Self Evaluation Form (SEF).
Providers applying for the badge through Route 2 can contact the relevant awarding body for advice on meeting the requirements for the badge before they are assessed.

Q: How do I get trained to achieve the Quality Badge as a provider?

A: Quality Badge training for providers is being cascaded by the eight sectors and supported by the Council for British Teachers (CfBT). Providers wanting assistance with meeting the Quality Badge indicators will be referred to the CfBT who will then refer them to the relevant sector.

Q: Why was it necessary to develop a Quality Badge?

A: Until now, there have been a huge number of safety and quality badges and accreditation procedures. The current plethora of badges is very confusing for schools who cannot be expected to understand the underlying technical and legal requirements and considerations that apply to different activity sectors. The Quality Badge was therefore developed to create one system only that brings these ‘badges’ under one umbrella. The Quality Badge tells the whole story – this venue offers good quality experiences, manages risk effectively, and is responsive to the needs of young people.

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Q: Who was involved in the development of the Badge?

A: An initial consultation phase was completed in December 2007 and included workshops with all eight sector partnerships, many other stakeholder groups, including Outdoor Education Advisers Panel (OEAP) and the Educational Visits Advisory Committee (EVAC), and speaking with over 40 individuals, including teachers and groups of young people. Views elicited from this consultation phase fed into a shortlist of options, all of which met pre-agreed scoring criteria, which included the need for the option to: meet the needs of end users; be self financing and low cost; be of minimum burden; be feasible; be accessible; build on current badge schemes to avoid duplication; be robust but take into account the degree of risk of activity; and be supported by stakeholders.

These options were then discussed with OEAP, EVAC and the LOtC National Advisory Group. This resulted in a preferred option, which involves two routes for providers to achieve the Quality Badge. It builds on existing schemes, avoids duplication of effort for providers and allows providers in sectors with no current awarding bodies to apply for the Quality Badge.

Q: What happens if the Quality Badge is awarded and then rescinded?

A: If there is reason to withdraw the Quality Badge, then the name of that organisation will be removed from the website directory and they will no longer have the right to display their badge award (i.e. display the certificate or use the logo). This might occur as a result of their failing to offer what their Self Evaluation Form stated they did, and a complaint being made by a school or a number of schools. If these complaints could not be resolved locally, then the Council for LOtC would review the case and decide whether the Badge should be withdrawn.

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Q: Does this mean that schools no longer need to fill in a risk assessment?

A: Teachers and others leading activities should follow the procedures laid down by either their school or local authority. The ‘How to’ guidance, available from http://www.lotc.org.uk/ has more advice on this. However, because one of the Quality Badge criteria addresses the management of risk, one of the aims of this new scheme is to streamline the paperwork that schools and LAs will need before sanctioning visits to badged organisations and venues.

Q: Isn’t there a risk that an organisation could just award themselves the badge through the Route 1 Self Evaluation Form?

A: There are very comprehensive Guidance Notes for all organisations self assessing via Route 1 which must be read prior to an organisation completing the Self Evaluation Form (SEF).

Organisations will then have to answer a series of in depth questions in order to prove that they have the correct processes and procedures in place to warrant the badge – organisations which are not up to scratch simply will not be able to answer these questions. 10% of organisations proceeding through Route 1 will receive a quality assurance assessment visit. All organisations which provide activities that have a significant risk management aspect must proceed through Route 2 and will have their practices assessed by a qualified expert from one of the awarding bodies with experience in the sector.

Q: I am an individual. How do I get the Quality Badge?

A: Consultation is currently in progress with DCSF on the question of extending the Quality Badge scheme to individuals.

Q: Can I apply for the Quality Badge if I have sites in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands?

A: For Route 1, providers based in these parts of the UK can apply for the Quality Badge. Providers which have sites in these regions can also apply for the Quality Badge.

    For Route 2, please check with the relevant Awarding Body.

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