This is a matter for Ofsted. HM Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert, has written to my hon. Friend and a copy of her reply has been placed in the House Library.
Letter from Christine Gilbert, dated 2 April 2007:
Your recent parliamentary question has been passed to me, as Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, for reply.
You asked what assessment is made by Ofsted during its regular inspections of state secondary schools on the provision of field visits.
The current school inspection process focuses on the overall effectiveness of the school. It does not specifically require inspectors to make a comment or judgment on the provision of field visits. However, inspectors often make reference to the value of learning outside the classroom in the context of the 'enjoy and achieve' outcome of 'Every Child Matters'. They may also refer to the contribution made by field visits to the curriculum and specifically to the quality and range of enrichment opportunities offered by a school.
More detail is obtained from our programme of subject surveys, obtained from visits to a sample of 30 secondary schools each year. During the last year, as part of our geography survey, we have focused on ‘the quality of fieldwork’. A report drawing on this evidence will be published later this year, with examples of good practice. Ofsted has also been commissioned by the DFES to carry out a survey inspection in 2007-08 of education outside the classroom.