Information for Head Teachers

Life lessons – why launch an expedition?

The educational and personal development benefits to pupils going on expedition include the following:

• Allows pupils to discover and explore their own limits whilst learning about different cultures and extending their global horizons.
• Teaches pupils to be self-reliant yet have empathy whilst travelling in foreign places.
• Gives pupils first hand experience of conservation and sustainable development, promoting awareness of their environment.
• Develops leadership, teamwork, communication, organisational qualities and skills in a demanding environment.
• Develops academic and personal learning beyond the classroom to meet and extend upon the set educational objectives of subjects taught at school.
• To build self-confidence through activities that include a certain amount of stress or perceived risk such as sea kayaking, and other carefully planned activities.
• Sets their CVs apart from other university and job applicants.

Benefits for the school

Expedition groups often present their experiences at school assemblies on their return, so all staff and students can benefit from what they saw and learned and hear about the characters they met on expedition. Schools that adopt the expedition culture and have groups going overseas every year can build strong links with overseas conservation or education projects; these can be used throughout the spectrum of educational subjects.

Schools can also benefit greatly from the raise in profile that the related fundraising events bring amongst parents, the local community and in the press.

Offering an expedition programme can help differentiate one school from the next and may increase the number of applicants applying for sixth form places.

You don’t have to take our word for it...

“One of our pupils was accepted into university, The Royal Veterinary College London, due to the fact she had done something different, that is she stood out from the crowd due to partaking in an overseas expedition”  
Quote from Mrs Robinson, Head Teacher – Howells School, Denbigh, North Wales

“Learning outside the classroom should be at the heart of every school’s curriculum and ethos; educational visits and even outdoor classes in school’s own grounds bring learning to life, put their knowledge to the test and expand their minds”
Quote from Alan Johnson, Education Secretary, November 2006

Please refer to the Information for Schools, Governors & Local Authorities pack for information you will need to hand when considering launching an expedition with Outlook.  If you do not have a copy please contact us and we will be happy to send one to your school.

For more information about the benefits of becoming a Link Teacher please click on Information for teachers.