Educational Visits Policy

Reviewed by: Janine Green, Full Governing Body, Autumn 2024

Next Review: Autumn 2026

Introduction

Kelvin Grove is committed to providing its pupils with safe and valuable off-site educational experiences which cannot be presented within the school environment. Outdoor education provides memorable opportunities to investigate and experience the environment at first hand. In the process young people develop independence, self-confidence and responsibility that combine with new knowledge to impact positively on standards achieved in the classroom.

The purpose of this policy, including its links and appendices, is to provide organisers and leaders with the best possible support to meet their responsibilities. By following the procedures and guidelines, risks will be minimised and the values of outdoor environmental education will be sustained.

• The main purpose of Educational Visits is to:
• Raise achievement by enhancing self esteem
• Develop key skills
• Develop social education and citizenship
• Promote education for sustainable development
• Promote healthy and active lifestyles
• Enrich our curriculum with experiences outside the classroom

The policy promotes and follows the best practice contained within Lewisham LA’s outdoor education handbook, ‘There and Back Again 2022’ and the ‘Health and Safety at Work Act 1974’.

Scheme of Delegation

The Role of the Governors

• Endorse the procedures and amendments to ‘There and Back Again’ The Lewisham Outdoor Education handbook.
• Endorse the residential trips
• Monitor off-site visits through the completion of the Health and Safety self-assessment

The Role of the Headteacher

• Appoint and ensure training for the EVC
• Support staff development of leadership competence through CPD
• Appoint party leaders and additional staff who are sufficiently experienced and competent to assess and manage the risks with regard to the group and planned activity
• Ensure that risk assessments are in place for each visit and that all staff understand and comply
• The final planning checklist is complete and all supporting documents are complete before the trip takes place
• Formal approval is given to each visit by them or delegated to the EVC
• Comply with LEA monitoring arrangements and agree with the EVC a programme for monitoring off-site visits

The Role of the Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC)

• Tara Magee is the designated EVC
• Support the Head with approval
• Assign competent people to lead a visit
• Support the party leader with advice and guidance on generic risk assessments
• Review and approve the risk assessment produced by the party leader for each visit
• Organise the emergency arrangements and ensure there is an emergency contact for each visit
• Keep records on visits including reports of accidents or ‘near-misses’
• Review systems and monitor practice
• Ensure DBS checks are current for all accompanying staff and an appropriate CP risk
• assessment is in place when parents/ volunteers accompany visits

Approved Leaders

• Leaders will be permanent members of staff who have qualified teacher status or members of staff who have been agreed by the headteacher and received the appropriate training, i.e. the PE teacher.

School Approval System

• Risk assessments for regular off-site activities such as swimming, walking to the local park will be completed by the EVC and re-written if changes occur or monitored annually.
• Residential visits will be approved by the governors
• Day visits will be approved by the Head or the EVC
• Visits will only be approved once the risk assessments and forms have been completed and reviewed.

School Charging Policy Accounts

• School journeys – Parents/carers in receipt of eligible benefits can apply for a grant equivalent to the amount charged for board and lodging for the journey
• Visits – voluntary contributions are sought from parents/carers to cover the costs of admission and travel. Contributions are not compulsory and children will not be stopped from participating in visits if a contribution is not made. However, visits may have to be cancelled

Training

• Staff are trained with procedures for planning school trips on INSET days. All training notes and helpful check lists are available in the school’s electronic staff handbook in the section entitled ‘Planning a trip?’. These can be used if a member of staff has missed the training or needs a refresher.

Trip Definitions

Local Trips/Visits

This relates to ‘walking distance trips’ which may be organised throughout the year to complement a curriculum topic. They include swimming lessons, a study of the local housing (history), a visit to
Forest Hill library (literacy), a visit to Wells Park (science/ sports day) or to St Bartholomew’s Church (RE) etc. These trips are usually short, do not affect playtime or lunchtime arrangements and have no costing implications. Permission is not required since has already been acquired during the induction period although parents/carers must be notified out of courtesy.

Educational Visits/Outings

These are trips taken further away from the school premises, often to introduce a topic or to bring it to a satisfactory end and sometimes as culmination to the school year. In the past, these trips have been by coach, train or bus to places such as The British Museum (history), Chislehurst Caves (science), The London Eye (geography) and Horton Kirby (geography). Arrangements may need to be made to cover playtimes, lunchtimes and PPA cover. Parental permission is necessary and there is some financial involvement.

Residential Visits

These are visits involving an overnight stay. It is important that the procedures for Educational Visits are applied but there are considerable additional points. Approval from the Governors must be sought as well as parental permission. There is a financial commitment on the part of the parents although there are measures that can been taken if there is financial hardship.

The Procedures

Procedures for Local Visits

Before leading a local visit from the school, it is essential that:

• A trip leader has been nominated after consultation between year partners. This should ideally be an experienced member of staff but an NQT should be encouraged to lead a visit during the first year of teaching if fully supported by an experienced member of staff or a member of the SMT.
• Guidance be sought from members of staff who are familiar with the venue.
• A preliminary visit has been made to the proposed venue by the Trip Leader to ensure familiarity.
• A Trip Proposal has been submitted to the EVC in good time to make adequate preparations. The Trip Outline Form should be used.
• An accurate Risk Assessment of the proposed visit has been made taking advice from other members of staff and previous RAs found on the server. The RA must include details of individual children in terms of behaviour and medical requirements and how these will be addressed.
• Adult support is arranged well in advance of the visit. Volunteers must be fully briefed about the rules and systems of the school and remain under the supervision of staff at all times.
• Some form of communication is made so that parents/carers are informed of the visit. This is out of courtesy and to ensure appropriate clothing since general consent for local visits has been given upon admission to school.
• The visit is entered into the shared calendar after it has been agreed by the EVC.
• An appropriate adult/child ratio has been arranged depending entirely on the hazards identified in the RA, including the age/needs of the children and the proximity of traffic etc. A fully equipped first aider is appointed to accompany the visit.
• A list of the children and adult leaders has been completed and that all adults are familiar with rules and systems.
• Pupils are wearing school uniform and Kelvin Grove high visibility jackets for ease of identification.
• Pupils are reminded about rules and systems so that behaviour is exemplary.
• Staff have any pupil medication with them.
• The office is notified as the children leave the premises and again upon their return.

Whilst on a local visit, it is essential that:

• The instructions of the Trip Leader are followed.
• Each adult remains with the designated group at all times and monitors behaviour. The adult must accompany walking parties on the road side of the pavement.
• The Trip Leader leads the party with the year partner following the last children. Other adults will position themselves evenly between class-teachers.
• Parent volunteers are supervised by a member of staff at all times.
• Regular head counts take place, regardless of the length and nature of the visit and particularly before leaving a venue.

Procedures for Educational Visits/Trips

Before leading an educational visit, it is essential, in addition to the points made for local visits, that:

• The visit is of an educational nature and has been fully researched by the Trip Leader who is an experienced member of staff or working alongside an experienced member of staff or member of the SMT.
• A detailed costing of the visit has been made, including transport. Advice from the Office Staff is available. Only one trip requiring payment should be arranged each term with a ceiling price of £20 per trip. Exceptions to this ruling are if previous trips have been considerably cheaper than £20 and the parents are warned about the price so that payment can be made in instalments if necessary.
• Sufficient time has been given for parents and carers to pay for the trip. Payment should be made via SIMS Agora, the schools electronic payment system. Where this is not possible and cash has been received, it must be taken immediately to the office for safe keeping and under no circumstances be left in the classroom.
• The Visit has been approved by the EVC in consultation with the SMT as appropriate. The Trip Outline Form has been completed.
• The parents are informed of all the trip details including the expected time of the return to school and a signed permission slip has been obtained.
• Contingency plans have been made for any delays, including a late return home.
• An alternative route back to school has been planned in the event of an incident that may affect public transport.
• Duplicate copies of all documents have been left with the office, including all mobile numbers of accompanying adults and a Summary of Information which includes details about the children’s medical and behavioural needs.
• A code of conduct is agreed with the children, either verbally or in writing.
• Pupils do not wear name badges but may wear a high vis jacket or have a school contact number on a badge at the discretion of the trip leader.
• Packed lunches are ordered from the kitchen two weeks prior to the visit.
• The correct ratio of adult to child has been organised according to the needs of the children, the nature of the visit and the mode of transport. At least one adult should be first aid trained.
• An appropriate mode of transport is chosen.
• Appropriate equipment has been organised for the trip, particularly if it is by coach – sick buckets, rubber gloves etc.
• All duties, including fire warden duty, have been re-arranged.
• An arrangement has been made with link teachers for leaving children who are not taking part in the visit and the office is informed.

Whilst on an educational visit, it is essential that the procedures are followed as for local trips. In addition:

• The Trip Leader remains in contact with the office staff to up-date on the progress of the return journey. Office staff will contact parents and carers about delays by text if necessary.
• The instructions of the Trip Leader are followed.
• Each adult remains with the designated group and retains a list of children, carrying out regular head counts.
• Parent volunteers are supervised by a member of school at all times especially during toilet visits.
• Seat belts are secured before the coach leaves Packed lunches do not include nuts, sweets, bottles or fizzy drinks.
• The H&S regulations of the venue are adhered to.
• The children return to the school building for dismissal and remain together until collected by a parent or carer. Written permission must be given for a child to walk home alone.
• The class-teacher contacts parents/carers about uncollected children.
• An evaluation of the visit is completed

Procedures for Residential Trips

Before organising a residential visit, it is essential that:

• Agreement has been sought from the governing body
• That an exploratory visit is made by the trip leader.
• The Trip Outline Form has been completed.
• That a current Risk Assessment from the venue is studied carefully by the trip leader and information made known to other parties as appropriate.
• Permission slips and agreements of the Code of Conduct have been signed by the parents/carers and kept by the trip leader with duplicate copies retained by the school office.
• The school has each pupil’s medical details, including doctor’s contact number and notification about bed-wetting, and any supplies of medication with full administration details.
• In addition to medical information, parents should be asked to formally advise staff of any factors that may affect a pupil’s wellbeing on a specified trip – especially in the event of an overnight stay. Any information given by parents should inform a risk assessment.
• Parents’/carers’ full contact details are held by the trip leader with duplicates in the school office.
• Parent’s/carer’s understand that they must be available for the duration of the trip in case there is a need to collect their child should the need arise.
• Parents make explicit their child’s dietary requirements.
• Parents/carers understand that children’s mobile phones will not be allowed on the trip.
• Parents/carers are made aware of the ‘Charging Policy’ and that the trip can be paid for by instalments.
• Parents/carers are aware of the clothing required for the trip and the need for clear labelling inside all items.
• Careful consideration is given to sleeping arrangements.
• Parents/carers and children meet with members of staff to become fully aware of information pertaining to the trip, including safety rules.

Monitoring

Tara Magee, deputy headteacher, is the designated Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC) and ensures that the school is following current good practice procedures. The EVC will liaise with the Governors to monitor and review the policy on a three-yearly cycle, approving off-site visits where an overnight stay is planned.

The preparation for an off-site visit is always overseen by the EVC and a member of the SMT. Residential visits must be authorised by the Head-teacher. It is the EVC’s responsibility to ensure that the appropriate risk assessments and procedures are completed. All participants must be fully briefed on safety aspects before the trip and all roles and responsibilities clearly outlined. Where there are training needs, these must be met before the trip.

A nominated person responsible for first aid will be made for every visit. Any safety concerns that become evident during a visit must be reported immediately to the EVC for future appropriate action. If an emergency arises during any off-site visit, all leaders will put into operation the procedures outlined in the Emergency Response Plan.