Learning Away, a consortium 18 organisations and advisors campaigning for more school residential opportunities, is delighted to hear of the Department for Education’s recognition of the value of school visits and trips with the announcement of funding for 2,900 overseas school exchange visits.

This investment in school foreign language exchange experiences will have a major impact on the 2,900 students who will benefit, however millions of children across the UK will continue to miss out on the life-changing experiences that school residentials offer.

Asa Gurden, chair of the Learning Away Consortium and Head of Scout Adventures, said: “Learning Away research has produced overwhelming evidence on the numerous positive impacts a residential experience can have on students, staff and the wider school community, which is why the Consortium continues to campaign to encourage more schools to organise and run more residential experiences for children of all ages and backgrounds such as foreign language exchanges, outdoor adventure trips and UK cultural experiences.

“Through our research, we know that residential experiences improve students’ engagement with learning as well as their knowledge, skills and understanding. They improve relationships, resilience, self-confidence and wellbeing and boost cohesion and a sense of belonging.

“This is a very welcome announcement from Damian Hinds MP, however just one in five pupils currently have the chance to take part in a school residential experience, so £2.5m funding is just a drop in the ocean. We would like to see more children benefiting from these opportunities.”

Kim Somerville, Chief Executive Officer of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, said: “Our vision is simple, we want more children and young people from all backgrounds to benefit from the life-changing experiences a residential, be it in the UK or overseas, can offer. Our research provides hard evidence of the profound benefits that school residential experiences can bring. We hope this funding is the start of an increased focus on the value of the wider education experience beyond the classroom walls.”