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Trips and Visits Policy

Date: June 2017

Review Date: June 2018

Context

We believe that educational visits are an integral part of the entitlement of every pupil to experience an effective and balanced curriculum. Appropriately planned visits are known to enhance learning and improve attainment, and so form a key part of what makes Thorndon CEVC Primary School a supportive and effective learning environment. The benefits to pupils of taking part in visits and learning outside the classroom include, but are not limited to:

· Improvements in their ability to cope with change.

· Increased critical curiosity and resilience.

· Increased levels of trust and opportunities to examine the concept of trust (us in them, them in us, them in themselves, them in each other).

· Improved achievement and attainment across a range of curricular subjects. Pupils are active participants not passive consumers and a wide range of learning styles can flourish.

· Enhanced opportunities for ‘real world’, ‘learning in context’ and the development of the social and emotional aspects of intelligence.

· Increased risk management skills through opportunities for involvement in practical risk-benefit decisions in a range of contexts. ie. encouraging pupils to become more risk aware as opposed to risk averse.

· Greater sense of personal responsibility.

· Possibilities for genuine team working including enhanced communication skills.

· Improved environmental appreciation, knowledge, awareness and understanding of a variety of environments.

· Improved awareness and knowledge of the importance and practices of sustainability.

· Physical skill acquisition and the development of a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Application

Any visit that leaves the school grounds is covered by this policy, whether as part of the curriculum, during school time, or outside the normal school day.

In addition to this Educational Visits Policy, Thorndon CEVC Primary School:

1. Adopts the Local Authority’s (LA) document: ‘Guidance for Educational Visits and Related Activities with National Guidance & EVOLVE’ (All staff have access to this via EVOLVE.

2. Adopts National Guidance www.oeapng.info, (as recommended by the LA).

3. Uses EVOLVE, the web-based planning, notification, approval, monitoring and communication system for off-site activities.

All staff are required to plan and execute visits in line with school policy (ie this document), Local Authority policy, and National Guidelines. Staff are particularly directed to be familiar with the roles and responsibilities outlined within the guidance.

Types of visit

There are three types of visit:

1. Routine local visits in the ‘Extended learning locality’ (See Appendix 1).

2. Day visits within the UK that do not involve an adventurous activity.

3. Visit that are either overseas, residential, and/or involve an adventurous activity.

Roles and responsibilities

Visit leaders are responsible for the planning of their visits, and for entering these on EVOLVE. They should obtain outline permission for a visit from the Head Teacher or EVC prior to planning, and certainly before making any commitments. Visit leaders have responsibility for ensuring that their visits will comply with all relevant guidance and requirements.

The Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC) is Sally Allmey, who will support and challenge colleagues over visits and learning outside the classroom (LOtC) activities. The EVC is the first point of contact for advice on visit related matters, and will check final visit plans on EVOLVE before submitting them to the Head. The EVC/Head sets up and manages the staff accounts on EVOLVE, and uploads generic school documents, etc.

The Head Teacher has responsibility for authorising all visits, and for submitting all overseas, residential or adventurous activity visits to the LA for approval, via EVOLVE.

The Governing Body’s role is that of a ‘critical friend’. The Governors maintain an overview of the breadth and frequency of trips through the Curriculum Committee. The Governors also ensure that the relevant policies on charging and remissions are in place in relation to trips and visits. Individual governors may request ‘read-only’ access to EVOLVE if the Chair of Governors deemed there a need.

The Local Authority is responsible for the final approval (via EVOLVE) of all visits that are either overseas, residential, and/or involve an adventurous activity.

Staff Competence

We recognise that staff competence is the single most important factor in the safe management of visits and so we support staff in developing their competence in the following ways:

· An apprenticeship system, where staff new to visits assist and work alongside experienced visit leaders before taking on a leadership role.

· Supervision by senior staff on some educational visits.

· Support for staff to attend training courses relevant to their role, where necessary.

In deciding whether a member of staff is competent to be a visit leader, the Head Teacher will take into account the following factors:

· Relevant experience.

· Previous relevant training.

· The prospective leader’s ability to make dynamic risk management judgements, and take charge in the event of an emergency.

· Knowledge of the pupils, the venue, and the activities to be undertaken.

Approval

The approval process is as follows for each type of visit:

1. Local visits (Extended Learning Locality) are still submitted to EVOLVE but a generic consent form may be used for example to visit the village hall/ church on a number of dates for a variety of different curricular and non-curricular activities. The boundaries for this are: Thorndon, including regular visits to Thorndon Forest School site, Thorndon Church, Thorndon Village Hall, Thorndon Park and Thorndon Community Shop and in addition Hartismere High School and Diss Swimming Pool. See appendix 1 for the standard operating procedure.

2. Day visits within the UK that do not involve an adventurous activity. These are entered on EVOLVE, and must be submitted to the EVC for checking at least 28 days in advance, and then forwarded to the Head by the EVC for approval.

3. Visits that are overseas, residential, and/or involve an adventurous activity (see LA guidance for definition of ‘adventurous’) are then submitted by the Head to the LA for approval.

Changes to plans/risk assessment at short notice to be approved by Head teacher or the Head of school.

Emergency procedures

A critical incident is any incident where events go beyond the normal coping mechanisms and experience of the visit leadership team.

The school has an emergency plan in place to deal with a critical incident during a visit (see Appendix 2). All staff on visits are familiar with this plan and it is tested at least bi-annually and following any major staffing changes.

When an incident overwhelms the establishment’s emergency response capability, or where it involves serious injury or fatality, or where it is likely to attract media attention then assistance will be sought from the local authority. Staff are also issued with an Emergency Action Card (EAC) and given advice on responses to requests for information from non-associated organisations.

Relevant guidance will be sought when visiting major cities so that all risks are considered, including any terrorist threat.

Educational Visits Checklist

Thorndon CEVC Primary School Educational Visits Checklist forms part of the risk management process for visits and off-site activities. This has been adapted from the LA’s generic checklist. A visit should only go ahead if the answer to all relevant questions is ‘YES’. Thorndon CEVC Primary School Educational Visits Checklist (see appendix 4) may be downloaded from EVOLVE Resources.

Parental Consent

The school obtains blanket consent for activities that fall within the ‘Extended learning locality’. Parents have the option of consenting online via email, or through a traditional paper consent form.

Specific, (ie. one-off), parental consent must be obtained for all non-local visits. For these visits, sufficient information must be made available to parents (via EVOLVE, letters, meetings, etc), so that consent is given on a ‘fully informed’ basis. As above, parents have the option of consenting online email or through a traditional paper consent form.

Inclusion

Thorndon CEVC Primary School is a fully inclusive school. All reasonable measures will be taken to ensure that all members of the school community can access the wide range of trips and visits we offer. However, where the school has evidence of failure to follow reasonable direct commands by a member of staff or pupil has/may physically attack a member of staff the school retains the right to deny attendance. Wherever a child’s attendance on a trip is in question the school will meet with the parents and/or pupils early in the planning process to discuss reasonable measures that could be taken to allow attendance.

Charging / funding for visits

Where possible the school funds trips and visits, however when this is not appropriate or reasonable parents will be asked for a voluntary contribution in line with the school charging and remission policy. No child would ever be excluded for not contributing. In the event that insufficient funds are provided then a trip/visit may have to be cancelled.

Transport

Due to the size of the school the use of minibuses is standard practise. Appropriate driving licence checks and training will be given before a member of staff is allowed to drive a minibus. The school does not own its own mini bus but utilises buses available from other local schools. These buses are all maintained and subject to pre-use checks by the owning school. Thorndon staff members will also carry out a visual check of the vehicle before driving it. No member of staff is required to drive further or longer than they are happy and if necessary a coach will be hired from a local reputable company. Where in the view of the EVC/Head teacher/Head of school a second member of staff is required due to trip leader inexperience or the needs of the pupils on the trip this will be put in place.

Use of staff & volunteer cars to transport pupils – All staff and volunteers who transport pupils will have provided appropriate documentation and completed a “Use of private car to transport young people” form and undertaken basic Safeguarding induction. Adults should avoid, for safeguarding reasoning, being alone in a car with one child except in an emergency. Booster seats are used as a matter of course for all children under the statutory height (135cm) and the up to date guidance regularly sought.

Volunteers

All volunteers will have read the Safeguarding Induction Booklet and been given a copy of the code of conduct document (see appendix 5).

Insurance

Where a trip requires supplementary insurance i.e. overseas the LA insurance will be applied for via EVOLVE.

Adult: Child Ratios

The level of supervision meets the legal expectations of "effective supervision". This is best done by consideration of the following factors:

•Staffing: who is needed/available? The plan must work within the limits of available numbers, abilities and experience.

•Activities to be undertaken: what do you want the group to do and what is possible?

•Group characteristics: prior experience, abilities, behaviour and maturity, any specific or medical/dietary needs.

•Environment: indoors or out; a public space or restricted access urban, rural or remote; quiet or crowded; within the establishment grounds, close to the establishment or at a distance.

Do not overlook environments to be passed through between venues and the ease of communications between the group and base.

For residential visits consider the accommodation and surrounding

area. For outdoor environments, consider remoteness, the impact of weather, water levels and ground conditions.

The following are suggested starting points for staffing ratios:

· School years 4 -6, 1:10/15

· School years 1 -3, 1:6

· The ratios for Early Years are outlined in the Statutory Framework.

Frequently, the risk assessment for the visit will determine that a higher ratio of staff to pupils is required than the minimum stipulated here.

Trips with other schools

Where appropriate, one set of risk assessments will be completed, and modified for the individual school. Where trips are shared with other schools there will be a nominated overall trip leader as well as a designated member of staff from each school.