Getting Started with Schools support pack

Booking Form

School
Address
Postcode
Email
Telephone
Mobile
Teacher responsible for visit
Date of Visit / Please note we highly recommend the following ratios for school groups:
  • For Reception to Year 2, a minimum of 1 adult to every 5 children
  • For Years 3 to 6, a minimum of 1 adult to 8 children
  • For Years 7 to 9, a minimum of 1 adult to 10 children
  • For Year 10 onwards, a minimum of 1 adult to 15 students
Please do not include site staff and volunteers in these numbers.
Note we do not charge for adults coming with a school group.
Year group
Number of children
Number of adults
Morning activity
Afternoon activity
Cost per child
Total cost
Additional information / SCHOOL – Please include information about special needs, mobility issues etc

Please sign and return a copy of this form

Name (print)
Signed
Date

Getting Started with Schools support pack

Risk assessment form

Date of assessment / Due date for next assessment (usually annually)
Assessment completed by
This should not replace the school's own risk assessment, a copy of which must be sent to the sitetwo weeks prior to your visit.
Your risk assessment should include details of any disabilities, Special Educational Needs, allergies or medical issues which could have an impact on the visit.
Hazard / Who might be harmed? / How often has this happened before? / How is the risk being reduced? / A. How severe is the risk?
(1 low  3 high) / B. What is the likelihood of a problem?
(1 – not very likely  3 very likely) / C. Overall assessment of risk
(A times B)

Getting Started with Schools support pack

Example child protection policy

We suggest you have a child protection policy in place (see p4 in Part 1a: Working with schools and families). Blenheim Palace have kindly shared their policy as an example of things you could include.

Information for schools (page 1)

Pre-visits and Risk Assessments
To help you conduct your own risk assessment, we welcome you to come and visit for free in advance. Please get in touch to arrange this pre-visit.
Please share your risk assessment with us, especially with regards to where children have any disabilities, Special Educational Needs, allergies or other medical issues which could affect the visit.
Outdoor clothing and footwear
This visit will mainly take place in the outdoors with little shelter and where the ground underfoot may be muddy.
It is essential that children and adults where appropriate clothing and footwear. As weather conditions may change unexpectedly, children and adults should certainly bring or wear a waterproof coat.
Getting here
Insert any useful directions on how to get here, including approximate times/distance from the nearest motorway junction if appropriate. Including the postcode for use in SatNavs is really helpful.
If there are any complications for coaches to get on site, include them here.
Arrival information
You might include here:
  • Where coaches should park
  • A confirmation of the expected arrival time (and reinforcement not to turn up before the start, if needed)

Lunch arrangements
If the class is staying for the day, include here where their lunches will be stored during the morning and what sorts of facilities are available for eating lunch.
You might also want to include:
  • Provisions for dealing with rubbish.
  • If you are offering free hot drinks for adults.
  • What arrangements can be made for children to have some outside ‘run around’ time during their lunch hour.
  • Information about the lunch space and how close to the toilets it is.

Information for schools (page 2)

Payment
How do you want the school to pay?
Do you have a minimum charge?
If a school books 28 pupils, but doesn’t inform you until the day that they will turn up with 25, will you still charge for the 28 (this is usual practice – notice should be at least a week)
Ratio of accompanying adults
Please note we highly recommend the following ratios for school groups:
  • For Reception to Year 2, a minimum of 1 adult to every 5 children
  • For Years 3 to 6, a minimum of 1 adult to 8 children
  • For Years 7 to 9, a minimum of 1 adult to 10 children
  • For Year 10 onwards, a minimum of 1 adult to 15 students
Please do not include our staff and volunteers in these numbers. Note we do not charge for adults coming with a school group.
Cancellation policy
If a booked visit is cancelled, this must be done no later than 28 days before the date and time. This cancellation must be made in writing and sent by post (email or telephone are not an accepted form of cancellation). We will then confirm in writing that the visit has been cancelled.
If visits are cancelled with less than 28 days’ notice, the school will be invoiced for the full amount.
Child protection
We recognise the importance of protecting the interests of all educational visitors, as well as the interests of people working at our site.
Staff and volunteers who deal with school parties are instructed that they are not allowed to supervise, take or accompany either groups of children or individuals at any time without the presence of an adult representing the school.
This means it is strictly the school’s responsibility to ensure that all children are adequately supervised at all times.
Behaviour
We want children and adults who visit our site to have an enjoyable, engaging and educational day. Our staff and volunteers are here to lead the activity for the day. It is not our responsibility to control the behaviour of the children.
This means it is strictly the school’s responsibility to ensure that all children are behaving appropriately at all times.
In the event that children’s behaviour is such that our staff and volunteers consider they are at risk and not being appropriately managed, we reserve the right to stop activities and, if necessary, ask the school to leave. The school will still be liable for payment in full for the day.

Information for schools (page 3)

Timetable for your visit
If your group(s) arrive late or have to leave early, you recognise that this is beyond our control and so some parts of the day may have to be missed out or adapted.
Time / Activity / Curriculum link

Photo consent form

I agree to allow <insert your site name> to take photographs of the child in my charge and grant permission for these to be used only on publicity material (print, website or social media) relating to our educational work.

Name of child
(please print)
Age
Parent/Guardian name (please print)
Contact email address or telephone number
Signed
Date

We will not use the images taken, or any other information you provide, for any other purpose. We will not include your child’s name with any photos.

Feedback from teachers

Date of visit
School
Year Group / Number of children
Which part of the visit most engaged the children?
What worked best today?
What could we have improved today?
Any other comments?

Feedback from pupils

Getting Started with Schools support pack