TAVISTOCK College has reached the finals of the national Learning Outside the Classroom Awards for Excellence and Innovation in the best LOtC provision — secondary category.

Learning outside the classroom at Tavistock has been spearheaded by John Collacott, who helped the college reach third place in its category. The awards recognise the commitment of schools, youth organisations and educational establishments to provide inspiring, engaging and memorable learning experiences beyond the classroom walls.

The finalists, who were shortlisted from nearly 200 entries, attended an awards ceremony in Shropshire last month. John underwent two rounds of rigourous judging in which he had to show how LOtC is integrated into the curriculum, how an holistic approach to the provision has been taken and provide evidence of the positive impact LOtC has had on the young people.

John said: 'It has been a privilege to teach the young people at the college and I look forward to continue developing students' learning outside the classroom in the future.'

Headteacher Helen Salmon described John as 'an inspiration to staff and students.'