Southeast Communities Rail Partnership is celebrating national recognition for its education and youth engagement provision.

The partnership’s education service has been awarded the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge.

Held by some of the leading providers of educational visits, the LOtC Quality Badge is endorsed by the Department for Education and recommends schools use awarded providers for their educational visit or trips.

The badge is the only scheme that recognises quality of learning and effectiveness of risk management and is awarded by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Maddy Mills, senior education officer at Southeast Communities Rail Partnership, said: “Being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge is a fantastic achievement for all the education staff. It shows that we offer young people high quality school workshops and railway station visits which bring learning to life and equips them with the skills for safe and independent train travel.

“We’re thrilled to get official recognition for our efforts, and we look forward to welcoming even more children and young people to our railway stations across Sussex and parts of Surrey, Hampshire, Berkshire and Kent.”

Dr Anne Hunt, chief executive of Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, said: “Educational visits are among the most memorable experiences in a child’s school life. The LOtC Quality Badge offers teachers the reassurance that providers have appropriate risk management structures in place and supporting teachers in organising their railway station visits, meaning less paperwork for schools and peace of mind for teachers.

“I congratulate the Southeast Communities Rail Partnership Education Service on being awarded the LOtC Quality Badge.”

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