The former geography teacher reflects on receiving the first Outstanding Contribution Award and his mission to ensure every young person experiences learning beyond the classroom walls.
What Peter Carne doesn’t know about learning outside the classroom isn’t worth knowing and it was only right that he was recognised for his incredible work.
Reflecting on what it meant to him to receive the Outstanding Contribution to LOtC Award at the School Travel Awards ceremony in 2024, Peter said: “It’s a huge honour. I was quite surprised when it was announced because I’m in a field where you don’t necessarily get recognised. It’s a really nice feeling to think that hopefully I have helped to make a difference to thousands of young people.”
The impact that Peter has had on learning outside the classroom has been significant, not least being a Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto Champion.
“I’m a great believer in every young person having experiences outside of the classroom and in lots of ways I have championed that entitlement over the years.”
Peter Carne, OBE
Starting out as a geography teacher, working at two comprehensive schools in London, Peter jumped into the unknown when he took on part-time secondment to manage a residential centre in Scotland. He then left teaching to set up Greenwich’s Environmental Curriculum Service working with primary aged children for the first time.
He recalled: “I remember walking around the nine-acre wildlife site with as many as ten excited children, one holding each finger, looking for signs of spring. Sadly I also saw the young people who would say my mum’s going to kill me because these are my best trainers and I’ve got mud on them.”
Peter was then head-hunted to work for Learning through Landscapes as Head of LtL in London. He then became their director of operations before being asked to become a Manifesto Champion. He said: “This role was completely out of my comfort zone, but it was brilliant because it got me to realise the breadth and importance of learning outside the classroom while working within the Department for Education to influence policy and to work alongside a range of different providers.”
He then decided to set up as a consultant which he admitted “was scary, but I’m so pleased I did it” and was asked to manage the Learning Away programme for the Paul Hamlyn Foundation which he described as a “great end to my career”.
Personal experiences of LOtC
Peter’s own experiences as a youngster played a huge part in his focus on LOtC throughout his career. He told us: “I didn’t have my first residential until Sixth Form, and that was because I was doing A-Level geography and we had to go on a field trip. There were lots of opportunities, but the letters went in the bin because my family couldn’t afford the trips. That stayed with me all my life.
“I was a teacher for 14 years and I recognised that taking young people out of the classroom had a massive impact on my teaching and on them, and I wanted to do more of it.”
Exciting developments over the years
Playing such a pivotal part in shaping LOtC and how it is viewed, Peter is pleased there has been an “increased recognition of its value and importance” over the years. He added: “When I started teaching, I didn’t really know why I wanted to get involved in these kinds of experiences other than, I could see that it made a difference to the young people I was working with and the teachers that I looked up to.
“Now I know that the feeling is backed by huge amounts of evidence of its impact, and that’s been one of the most exciting things that’s happened over the years.”
When asked what else has changed significantly, Peter said: “There is an increased understanding from schools about the quality of the experiences they provide and initiatives like the Quality Badge (Council for Learning Outside the Classroom) has made a massive difference in the way in which schools plan, and what they think about.”
Challenges for LOtC and hopes for the future
Peter recognises we still have work to do around how LOtC is viewed.
“It musn’t be seen as an added ‘extra’ but an essential part of everyday teaching and learning. We still face the challenge of getting that message across.”
Peter Carne, OBE.
He added: “The Learning Away programme showed that the impact of residentials was the social experiences that took place; the confidence that was built, the self-esteem that was raised, the way in which young people who struggled in the classroom blossomed on a residential because they were doing more hands-on experiential learning.”
Other challenges acknowledged by Peter include school budget cuts and enthusing new teachers to get involved with LOtC and recognise the impact it has.
His hopes for the future? “I’d love schools to think about why they provide these experiences. To sit down and think about what a particular group of young people need, the learning objectives, best time of year, best venue to use etc.
“It would be great for more schools to fully embed these experiences back in school rather than see them as a one-off. If these experiences are so powerful, what should we be learning about them that enable us to teach differently?”
Congratulations again Peter, very well deserved!
