Key takeaways from the Education and Enrichment Report 2024

The much anticipated Education and Enrichment report 2024, commissioned by our partners at the National Citizen Service (NCS) and researched by our friends at UK Youth, shines a light on the life changing benefits of enrichment activities and non-formal learning outside the classroom. Some of our key takeaways from this report are as follows:

Children and young people thrive in an experiential learning environment, where they can build strength-based behaviours and an adaptable skill set. Transferable learning gained from enrichment activities enables children and young people to trust in their own abilities and overcome hardship in life. The lesson in making it to the top of the climbing tower or successfully building a raft that floats, and gets to the other side of the lake, are powerful and lasting. Kingswood’s recently published research, in their peer-reviewed ‘Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning’, illustrates this. By measuring the experience of 400 students that took part in the NCS Live-It programme, 94% said they felt more self-confident after their trip.¹

The Education and Enrichment report highlights the growing interest in incorporating residential experiences and outdoor learning opportunities into the wider curriculum. From field trips to participation in programs like the National Citizen Service (NCS), these experiences foster those immediate and lasting personal growth opportunities that build both resilience and wellbeing, which directly impacts a person’s ability to learn and succeed. Students benefit in a profound way, from the adventure of a residential with their peers to being absorbed in outdoor adventure. The residential aspect of outdoor adventure experiences greatly adds to the impact of outdoor learning. By bringing groups of children or young people together opportunities to bond and improve social skills are unmatched.

‍There is a demand for a modernised curriculum. There is a growing desire for more practical life skills that are adaptable in the changing job market. This could mean anything from financial literacy to coding. What outdoor learning excels at is creating an opportunity for children and young people to develop 21stcentury skills, and the four Cs: communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. Whichever career path lies ahead, these attributes are widely recognised as essential life skills that lead to success both academically and in the workplace. Honing these skills is recommended from a young age, and opportunities to build these are integrated into Kingswood’s programmes.  

Blended learning is taking centre stage. Young people are responding well to a mix of online and in-person learning. Creating bespoke programmes that incorporate not only a school’s ethos but adapt to this hybrid approach are central to creating lasting and lifelong learning experiences. Whether that’s by measuring impact pre-and-post-trip with online assessment or supporting with lesson plans and activities post-trip. By adapting to this hybrid approach, Kingswood personalises learning experiences that can meet different learning styles and objectives.

The Education and Enrichment report emphasises the need to close the equity gap to ensure all students have access to quality education and enriching activities, regardless of background. This is something Kingswood is passionate about with their hardship fund. Every young person, regardless of their status or background, can take part in a Kingswood residential stay or day visit. The fund is designed to assist children and young people who face financial hardship or are affected by serious illness. Find out more, here Funding & Support (kingswood.co.uk)

Kingswood’s NCS Live It programme, as referenced above, is a transformational opportunity for 16 to 17 year olds to gain from a fully immersive, strength-based learning experience. Their five day residential was specifically designed for young people negatively impacted by the pandemic. It’s built around real-world outcomes and developed through a series of amazing challenges. Find out more about NCS Live It at Kingswood.

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^{1 'Building resilience and well-being for post-covid adolescents through outdoor adventure' https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14729679.2024.2312920}