ABBOTSWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL NURSERY

The Gramps: Visits Handbook

Contact details of owner/site managers

Ian Talboys
Countryside Officer
Housing and Environment, Environmental Services
Aberdeen City Council
38 Powis Terrace
Kittybrewster
Aberdeen AB25 3RF / Tel: 01224 897400
Email:
Grid Reference (important for emergencies):
NJ 93893 03093 (entrance) and
NJ94163 03296 – site area in the Gramps

This handbook should be read by all staff involved in the Wee Green Space Visits. It should be updated as needed but at least on annual basis and when new staff are involved.

ABBOTSWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL AND NURSERY

Wee Green Spaces Visits Handbook

CONTENTS

  1. Before going to The Gramps
  1. Getting there and back
  1. At The Gramps
  1. Scottish Outdoor Access Code
  1. Emergency Procedures

Appendix 1: Daily site check form

Appendix 2: Equipment List

Appendix 3: Visit leader’s checklist

Appendix 4:Daily off-site register

Appendix 5: Site information checklist

Appendix 6: Site appraisal of the Eastwood Croft

Appendix 7: Visit plan checklist (V1 form)

These appendices should all be completed along with risk benefit assessments prior to Wee Green Spaces visits going ahead. Please ensure your head teacher/centre manager has seen and signed off the risk benefit assessments. The V1 Form (Appendix 7) must also be completed and submitted to your head teacher.

Overview

The aim of this handbook is to provide staff, volunteers and others with information about the ongoing visits to The Gramps. These visits are part of an ongoing Early Years initiative in Aberdeen City, known as the Wee Green Spaces. This project aims to support early years and childcare settings to embed the use their local greenspace on a frequent and regular basis all year round. The approach is sustainable and rights-based and aims to maximise the learning opportunities this gives to very young children through practical, authentic outdoor experiences.

1. BEFORE GOING TO EASTWOOD CROFT

The Visit Leader

This staff member ensures the planning and preparations have been undertaken to make each visit run smoothly and has overall responsibility on the visit. The Equipment and Visit Leader’s Checklist (Appendix 1 and 2) is used to ensure that all the equipment is ready and the children are prepared.

The administrator at Abbotswell Primary School has a list of children and emergency contact numbers and a copy of this handbook. Any disabilities, medical needs or concerns of either children or adults needs to be considered and adaptations made if necessary to enable the visits to go ahead and the children able to participate.

Site Check

Ideally, before school begins a member of staff should do a site check and complete the Daily Site Check Form for every visit (Appendix 3).

Clothing and footwear

Given the cool climate and fickle weather, children and adults must have suitable clothing and footwear:

  • Waterproof and windproof jackets and trousers, or similar
  • Layers of clothing which include base layers and warm mid-layers
  • Warm socks, hat, scarf and gloves in winter
  • Sunhat on hot days
  • Footwear: wellies (with warm thick socks in colder months) or other sturdy footwear.
  • Sunscreen?

Parents are requested to ensure their child is suitably prepared. Spare wellies, clothing and backpacks are available for children.

Follow your nursery/school protocol in place about the application of sunscreen. YOU MAY WISH TO STATE THIS HERE

Snacks and drinks

Snack is prepared in line with food hygiene guidelines. Where necessary, appropriate adjustments are made for being outside. THINK ABOUT WHETHER YOU WANT EACH CHILD TO CARRY THEIR OWN SNACK – THERE IS A LOT OF MERIT TO THIS IN TERMS OF INDEPENDENCE AS WELL AS SAVING WEIGHT

Getting ready

The children are encouraged to put on their own clothes and shoes. Parents stay and assist their children. Remind the children to go to the toilet before setting off and put on their backpacks.

Staff ensure that they carry backpacks with additional gear (Appendix 2)

Cancelling the Visit

A visit to The Gramps will be cancelled or postponed based upon the judgement of the visit leader who should consult the head teacher/manager about this decision. Possible reasons for cancellation include:

  • An event or work operations happening at The Gramps. Staff will dynamically risk assess the situation as part of the daily site check.
  • Insufficient adult to child ratio (You may wish to insert a statement about ratios here)
  • Severe weather conditions, e.g. high winds

Sometimes an alternative activity will take place such as a local walk. If the weather is particularly cold or wet, children will be offered a choice whether to go or not.

Informing and supporting helpers

Think about what your helpers need to know. Do you need a leaflet, photo guide or other information for sharing with volunteers? Remember to take account of Aberdeen City’s Policy about the use of volunteers where it applies.

Child protection procedures

The child protection policy and practice of St Margaret’s School applies at all times throughout the visit.

  1. GETTING THERE AND BACK

The Gramps is an area of mixed habitat. There are many gorse bushes along with areas of mixed deciduous and coniferous woodland.

Route

Always leave the school via the main entrance. Cross at the pelican crossing on Jesmond Drive. Go straight ahead following the pedestrian path beside ASDA. Go past Oldmachar Academy and keep going until you see the woodland on your left hand side about 600m along the path.

Walking

The staff, children and volunteer helpers walk to The Gramps. Any child new to the visit or who requires additional support is closely watched. The children and staff hold hands for much of the walk. Time is made to jump in puddles, observe seasonal changes in nature, observe activity within the local community and enjoy the walk as a vital part of the experience.

List rules and/or behaviour expectations

Crossing the roads

  • Cross in small groups, not in single file. No-one should stop the traffic.
  • Cross where it is safe to do so. Use the pedestrian crossings where they exist.
  • Involve the children in looking, listening and deciding when it is safe to cross.
  • Follow the Highway Code for pedestrians:

3. AT THE GRAMPS

Structure of the sessions

Children learn best through play-based experiences. In particular, sufficient time for free play rather than structured activities is necessary to children’s social, emotional, physical and cognitive development. Staff will facilitate free play, make observations of children’s interests and significant learning moments and offer further play-based learning opportunities, not just at The Gramps but back at the nursery too, in between the visits so that the sessions are fully-integrated into the life of the setting.

On arrival

The group’s backpacks are stored in one place. One member of staff who is not responsible for snack should undertake a site check, mainly for dog mess and hazardous litter. The children gather in a circle to learn about the choices and activities available for the session.

Appendix 3 – Daily Site Check Form should be completed for every visit upon or prior to arrival. The children assist with this process.

Introduction and safety briefing

On arrival at the Gardens there will be a brief recap of expectations:

  • Do not cause damage to the plants and wildlife.
  • Stay within sight of the adults. What to do if lost
  • Watch out for dog poo
  • List other things – visiting members of the public, boundaries, other behaviour expectations?

Shelter

The nursery has a class-sized bothy bag which is used on cold, wet or inclement days for having snack. The children may also decided to create shelters using tarps.

Hand hygiene

It is important that hygiene outdoors is given the same attention as indoors. Health Protection Scotland (HPS) advise that children wash their hands with soap and running water:

  • After using the toilet / changing a nappy
  • Before and after eating, drinking or preparing food
  • After sneezing, nose blowing or coughing
  • If hands are soiled/dirty

All parents/carers are informed about the use of handwipes and gel as the main approach to hand hygiene outdoors. Running water, soap and paper towels will be provided upon parental request.

Toileting

Please state your procedures here! Seek advice from the ranger service or double check with them.

Weather

Children’s wellbeing is the priority at all times and they are closely observed.A session may be cut short if the weather is inclement and children are not coping.

Tree climbing

State your procedures here – see risk assessment on tree climbing.

Collection and use of natural materials

Children can collect and use fallen sticks, cones, leaves, etc. but should leave the plants and trees intact Weeds such as daisies and dandelions are okay to pick. Discourage the breaking of branches off trees. The children will learn through experience. If a potentially harmful plant is spotted then make sure everyone knows what they are and to leave them alone.

Dogs

Dogs will appear from time to time with their owners. Remind children not to pet a dog unless it is clearly safe to do so. Help children learn to turn their backs on a dog which is out of control. The party should leave the Gardens if an aggressive dog arrives that gives cause for concern.

The Dog Warden’s phone number is 01224 523737. The team deal with concerns about dog fouling as well as other aspects of dog ownership

Litter

Be careful when finding litter. There may be sharp objects, syringes, broken glass, unidentifiable objects which give cause for concern, etc. Any dangerous litter needs to be left alone but reported to the Visit Leader. It needs to be marked off so children know not to pick it up. Telephone Aberdeen City Environment Service to let them know. Remember children may find litter interesting so it may become a possible line of development.

Fire

No fires are allowed at the Gardens. Contact the Ranger Service to organise such an experience:

Ian Talboys

Countryside Officer

Housing and Environment, Environmental Services, Aberdeen City Council

38 Powis Terrace

Kittybrewster

Aberdeen AB25 3RFTelephone: 01224 897400

The stream and pond

Close supervision is required and adults, including helpers, must be wearing wellies and up for being in the stream too. Have an alternative activity planned in case this is needed owing to stream and weather conditions on the day.

PLEASE CHECK WITH THE RANGER SERVICE ABOUT THE USE OF THE POND

Children may not enter the stream without it having been checked by an adult:

  • Ensure there are no underwater hazards, e.g. litter, rocks, roots that can trap feet, wire, etc.
  • Water depth check with a measuring stick and/or using critical welly depth
  • Do not enter fast moving water
  • Check the bank/edge of the water in case it is very slippery for some reason
  • Identify clear working boundaries for the group – have identifiable points, e.g. accessing water between the two identifiable points.
  • Avoid if livestock is nearby. Unlikely, but be aware
  • Do not enter water if there are nearby dead animals. Check upstream for this too. Unlikely, but be aware
  • Be aware of water with an unpleasant odour – check there is no source of pollution
  • If it is icy, do not enter the stream.

Hand check by all participants prior to activities and other exposed skin have no cuts or grazes.

  • Open wounds are covered with a waterproof plaster or equivalent. First aid kit on hand
  • Health Protection Scotland advice followed with regard to hand hygiene. Children reminded to wash hands after activity. Have soap, running water and hand towels available.

Rules/expectations around working near water are covered.

  • Adults keep a sharp eye on the whereabouts of all children at all times. Adults to dynamically risk assess
  • Staff undertake frequent number checks of all children present
  • Suitable clothing and footwear worn. Spare change of clothing carried for children. Waterproof trousers must come over the wellies not tucked inside.
  • Be extra careful at the water’s edge. Enter and exist the stream from one side only.
  • No drinking of stream or pond water.

As much as possible let children access the stream by themselves and learn to walk and balance in there. Model and encourage care - Do not rush when moving about. The stream bed underfoot can be slippery. To begin with the children should enter one at a time and have time to acclimatise before letting the next child in. Be on hand to hold and support if asked but do not insist on holding a child’s hand as they will learn to balance and manage better if they learn to access the stream independently. Do not force a child to enter the stream if they do not want to. Everyone needs to be sensible when in the stream.

Stream dipping

It can be really interesting for children to look at and discover the animals which live in the stream. One adult should use a net for this purpose within the designated area. The times to stream dip are between late May and late September.

Net to face upstream. Adult to stand upstream of the net and to kick the stream bed gently. Debris collected to be tipped into trays half filled with water for the children to examine. Put the trays on the bank – far enough away so that children don’t inadvertently step back down the bank and into the water. Have magnifiers and ID charts ready.

Do not repeatedly kick up the stream bed for getting more animals in a session. Remember to return the creatures to the stream after the activity.

Back at the nursery

See Appendix 3 – Visit Leader’s Checklist for the expected follow up.

4. SCOTTISH OUTDOOR ACCESS CODE[1]

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code is an important piece of Scottish legislation which affects everyone as it is about our rights and responsibilities when outdoors. The Code is based upon three key principles and these apply to both the public and to land managers:

  • Respect the interests of other people. Acting with courtesy, consideration and awareness is very important. If you are exercising access rights, make sure that you respect the privacy, safety and livelihoods of those living or working in the outdoors, and the needs of other people enjoying the outdoors.
  • Care for the environment. If you are exercising access rights, look after the places you visit and enjoy, and leave the land as you find it. Help maintain the natural and cultural features which make the outdoors attractive to visit and enjoy.
  • Take responsibility for your own actions. If you are exercising access rights, remember that the outdoors cannot be made risk-free and act with care at all times for your own safety and that of others.

Remember that everyone only has access rights if they exercise them responsibly!

Embedding the principles into Wee Green Space visits

1)We take responsibility for our actions

  • We aware of natural hazards, such as high winds, floods, harmful plants, etc. We teach children to recognise these and behave appropriately.
  • We recognise that The Gramps is a public areaand a nature reserve- check. We keep out of the way of people working and/or change our plans if necessary.

2)We respect people’s privacy and peace of mind

  • We have a large group and are mindful that people live adjacent to the park.
  • We ensure our activities do not take over the entire park to the extent that other others feel unwelcome.

3)Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively:

  • We let the Aberdeen City Ranger Serviceknow if anything is amiss when we are at the Gramps

4)Care for your environment

  • We avoid intentionally or recklessly disturbing or destroying plants, birds and other animal or geological features. When looking for minibeasts we return the logs, etc. back to their original position and put any minibeasts back where we find them.
  • We have a leave no trace approach and take all our litter away. Our toileting procedures do not damage the environment.

5. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Please refer to Section 10 in Aberdeen City Educational Visits Policy and Guidance. You should amend the information below to take account of this policy. It is important that the office staff have access to the Council Policy as advice is contained about the management of a very serious incident.