The EVC Magazine Spring 2025 - Flipbook - Page 33
Land and Wave School Trips
Providers can acquire awards directly
from the awarding association or through
membership of sector bodies. Three to know
about in particular are:
AHOEC Gold Standard
AHOEC members can apply for the Gold
Standard – a comprehensive review of
provision. If centres have this award, they
automatically qualify for the LOtC Quality
Badge and AdventureMark. Centres are
reinspected every two years, or sooner if
there are significant changes.
British Activity Providers Association
(BAPA) Members of BAPA must agree to its
Code of Practice, which includes two-yearly
inspections and a commitment to ongoing
improvement in safety and quality. BAPA is
an awarding body for the AdventureMark and
LOtC Quality Badge.
School Travel Forum (STF) All members
must comply with a Code of Practice and
Safety Management Standards and are
independently audited each year. STF is the
awarding body for the LOtC Quality Badge for
companies operating in the school travel and
tourism sector.
COMMITTED TO QUALITY
Behind all these quality badges and
organisations is a framework of inspection,
assessment, testing, robust codes of practice,
research, representation and, in the case of
AALA, the law – but what’s really behind the
badges is a commitment to the same hopes
that the children, parents and schools have:
that visits should be worthwhile, educational,
safe, enjoyable and memorable.
OUR ADVISER SAYS...
What if a provider isn’t accredited?
If a provider doesn’t hold the LOtC Quality Badge,
you will need to do your own checks. See OEAP NG
4.4g Selecting External Providers and Facilities.
Most Educational Visits Advisers will ask you to
use a form such as NG 8.1q Provider Statement to
gather the relevant information.
Some adventurous activities require the provider
to hold an AALA licence (it’s a legal requirement).
If they should but don’t have one, you should
report this to your Educational Visits Adviser
immediately.
NB One simple thing to check is if they have
achieved the LOtC Quality Badge or AdventureMark
as both require them to have an AALA licence if
their activities are in scope.
Where can I check a provider’s
credentials?
• Providers usually put accreditations in documents
and on their website; if you can’t see it, ask!
• Check EVOLVE and Kaddi.com listings
• Search the list of LOtC Quality Badge holders at
→lotc.org.uk
• AALA licences are listed on the HSE website:
→aala.hse.gov.uk/aala
• AdventureMark holders are listed
at→adventuremark.co.uk/holders
With thanks to Ben Wire, Operations Director at Chateau Beaumont,
a residential activity centre in France, and the Chair of BAPA.
THE EVC MAGAZINE – SPRING 2025
33
