Pupil Exchange Visits

The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel

Pupil Exchange Visits

This version 28 Feb 04 updated by OEAP West Mid

Plus suggestions from Sue Wilkinson IRSC

A guide to current good practice to help inform exchange visit groups and agencies concerned with visits involving host family placements.

Contents

1 Introduction
1.1 Preface / 3
1.2 Key Principles / 4
1.3 Summary of Key Guidance / 4
2 Preparation and Planning
2.1 LEA Notification / 5
2.2 Internal Notification / 5
2.3 FCO Travel Advice / 5
2.4 Passports / 5
2.5 Health / 6
2.6 Insurance / 7
2.7 Legal & Cultural Differences / 7
2.8 Risk Assessment / 7
2.9 Pre Visits / 8
3 Staffing
3.1 Ratios / 9
3.2 CRB Checks / 9
3.3 Emergency Procedures / 9
3.4 Leader and Staff Competence / 10
4 Preparation of Young People, Parents and Staff
4.1 Host Families / 10
4.2 Parents Evening / 11
4.2 Downtime Activity / 11
4.3 Personal Safety / 12
4.4 Issues Relating to Censorship / 12
5 Work Experience / 12
6 Additional Considerations
6.1 Young People with Special Needs / 13
7 Appendix
7.1 Checklists / 13
Headteachers, Youth Service Managers & EVCs
Group Leaders / 14
Young People / 15
Parents / 16
Host Families / 17
Governors / 17
7.2 Bilingual Help Cards / 18
7.3 Useful Websites / 18
7.4 Resources / 18
7.5 Acknowledgments / 19
Host Family Form / 20
Generic Risk Assessment / 21

1 Introduction

1.1 Preface

“Our vision is that the people of the UK should have the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to fulfil themselves, to live in and contribute effectively to a global society and to work in a competitive, global economy. It means, in short, putting the world into the world class standards to which we aspire.

This begins with understanding the world in which we live, the values and cultures of different societies, and the ways in which we are increasingly dependent upon one another. One cannot truly educate young people in this country without the international dimension being a very significant and real part of their learning experience. In a fast-paced international environment, technology such as the Global Gateway can make the global village a reality for schools, linking children across the world.”

Charles Clarke, Education Minister, December 2004

The single most effective way of understanding a different country, culture or language is to experience it first hand. An exchange visit involving the placing of young people in a family home stay setting has traditionally been seen as one of the best ways of enabling this. Educational establishments and agencies considering the organisation of such a visit should feel reassured that where visits are properly planned and prepared, incidents are extremely rare. While educational visits abroad do carry a degree of risk, following these guidelines will ensure that the risk can be minimised so that both pupils and staff can enjoy this valuable experience. Ian Park?

1.2 Key principles

·  The Secretary of State for Education and the DfES launched the ‘Global Gateway’ initiative in December 2004 encouraging every school to establish a twinning relationship with other communities worldwide.

·  Exchange visits are seen potentially as a valuable part of such twinning relationships.

·  The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (hereafter referred to as ‘the Panel’) acknowledges that Exchange Visits provide valuable and often unique experiences for students.

·  Such experiences help to develop self-esteem, self-confidence and independence. They also give the students the opportunity to experience other cultures, meet and develop new friendships and thus broaden their horizons and knowledge.

·  Staying with a host family gives young people both an insight into the culture and a first hand opportunity to use their language skills in a real context.

·  All schools have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of pupils (Section 175 Education Act 2002)

·  By following national best practice and these guidelines it should be possible to establish, manage and maintain safe and productive exchange visits.

1.3 Summary of key guidance

·  This guidance must be read in conjunction with the relevant LEA’s generic guidance for Educational Visits.

·  Expectations and assurances should be established for all parties involved, students, teachers, host families and schools and these must be fair and reciprocal as far as is reasonably practicable.

·  Specific guidance should be provided for host families about our expectations.

·  Specific guidance should be provided for students covering personal safety.

·  Exchange visits differ from other visits in that students are not directly supervised by teachers whilst they are with host families; exchanges thus require thorough and carefully planned risk management that addresses the issues relating to indirect supervision

·  Careful matching of exchange partners is central to successful visits.

·  Exchanges and visits abroad generally can take place without staying in host families homes and may be arranged for a variety of reasons; some of the information in this document will still be of relevance for these types of visit.

·  This guidance is based on a colour A3 MindMap – copies can be downloaded from the OEAP website. Reference in appendix

2 Preparation and Planning

2.1 LEA Notification

·  Visits abroad usually fall into the category where most LEAs state in their general guidance for educational visits that they need prior notification for this type of excursion.

·  LEAs set a minimum time for this notification, however, schools and youth organisations are strongly advised to inform the LEA at the outset of planning, well in advance of such an excursion and before any financial commitment is made.

2.2 Internal Notification

·  Each school/youth service is required to have an Educational Visits Coordinator, and most establishments have sent an EVC to an LEA training day. The EVC will be able to help with planning, risk assessment and liaison with the LEA. Where schools or youth services have not appointed an EVC or not sent a member of staff for training, then the role of EVC rests with the Headteacher / Head of Youth Service.

·  In Schools, the Head and the governing body in due course will need to be informed of the visit. The school/LEA policy for visits will normally outline this procedure. Schools also hold vital information regarding any child protection concerns relating to pupils at the school and should therefore be given a list of all students involved in the exchange. This will alert staff to young people that are on the child protection register and may indicate that the family would not be a suitable host for a visitor.

·  Each school/youth service will have a member of staff identified as the Child Protection Officer. They will have up to date information of relevance to exchange visits within the context of their establishments.

·  Many LEAs within England and Wales will have a designated lead officer for Child Protection who should be able to advise leaders where there are concerns regarding host family suitabilty.

2.3 FCO Travel advice

·  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website should be visited both in the early stages and at regular intervals whilst planning a visit to countries that are further afield or that have experienced disasters, conflicts, terrorism or civil unrest problems in recent years.

·  Information regarding safety of tourists is available on the site and is often the basis upon which insurance companies decide whether or not they will cover visits to such countries.

·  Cancelling visits at a late stage may incur major financial penalties. These costs may be outside of insurance cover.

2.4 Passports

·  Some countries have an immigration requirement for a passport to remain valid for a minimum period (usually at least six months) beyond the date of entry to the country. Therefore, ensure passports are in good condition and valid for at least 6 months at the date of your return. This is a requirement of the country concerned, not the UK Passport Service. Any questions should be addressed to their Consulate or Embassy.

·  Personal identification is required in many countries and for visits this is usually in the form of an individual passport. Group passports may not satisfy authorities in other countries in this regard.

2.4.1 Visas

·  If you plan to travel outside British territories you may require a visa to enter the country you are going to. Check visa requirements with your travel company or contact the Consulate or Embassy of the country you plan to visit.

·  If you have students/young people that are a British Dependent Territories Citizen, a British Overseas Citizen, British Subject, British National Overseas, or a British Protected Person, you may need a visa that is not required by British Citizens

·  If you have students/young people with non British passports they also may require a visa not required by British Citizens. More than one party has had to leave a young person and member of staff behind at Dover having failed to check this prior to the visit.

·  An emergency plan for the visit should consider action in case a member of staff becomes incapacitated or has to leave the visit. If the country visited requires a visa, has a back up member of staff possession of a visa prepared?

·  It is recommended that at least 2 copies of passports, visas and other important travel documents are made, one set kept by the home base emergency contact another with the party but separate to the original documents.

2.5 Health

2.5.1 Reciprocal European Health Insurance

·  UK residents may be entitled to free medical treatment or at a reduced cost, when temporarily visiting a European Union (EU) country, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland. Only treatment provided under the state scheme is covered. However to obtain treatment, students will need to take a completed Form E111 with them. These are available, free of charge, from their nearest post office. Not all UK residents are covered in Denmark, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

·  As a result of recent changes to European law a new E111 form has been introduced to replace the old one. If students are planning to travel to the countries concerned during 2005 they should apply for the new E111, as the old ones were only valid until 31st December 2004.

·  The main difference between the old and the new form is that the new form is now issued on an individual, as opposed to a family, basis. However, you will only need to complete one application form in order to receive E111s for you, your spouse/partner and children. The new E111 form will be valid until 31st December 2005.

·  The second major change is that during the course of 2005 the UK will be adopting the European Health Insurance Card(EHIC). This will be automatically issued to those who apply for the new E111 form and tick the box to receive the new card.

·  Refer to the NHS Direct and FCO websites for up to date information

2.5.2 Vaccines and Innoculations

·  If in doubt as to whether vaccination is required, consult a GP at least 6 weeks prior to the visit. The Department of Health and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices are also useful sources of information.

2.6 Insurance

Travel insurance is vital and is usually available via the tour company with whom travel is arranged or through the LEA. However, there should be a close examination of what is covered and what is excluded in the ‘small print’. For example;

·  Leaders are advised to check the level of existing insurance cover provided by the Local Authority or the school.

·  Is repatriation included or just treatment in the country concerned? Air Ambulances can cost in excess of £30,000 in remote regions.

·  Are the costs of parents covered if they need to come out to stay with students in hospital or accompany them home?

·  Are personal belongings, baggage and money covered?

·  The LEA insurance dept may be able to offer advice.

2.7 Legal and cultural differences

The legal definitions of what constitutes a ‘child’ and a ‘criminal offence’ vary across European countries, not to mention global differences in such definitions. Crossing the road without using pedestrian crossing points or dropping litter are two examples of offences punishable by spot fines in some countries, behaviour which some young people would think of as acceptable in the UK. Students must be made aware of these differences and the consequences of such actions abroad.

Research prior to the visit in this respect will pay dividends whilst in the host country. A consideration of what constitutes good manners will help with acceptance in host family homes.

2.8 Risk assessment

It is good practice to involve as many of the leaders as possible in this process; risk assessments produced by one person are rarely read or understood by others on the visit, thus it is a collective responsibility even if one person is the author. It may be productive to think of a risk assessment as the minutes of a meeting where significant issues relating to the health, safety and well being of students and leaders were discussed. Leaders should follow the generic advice and format provided by their employer. Best practice nationally suggests that students themselves are involved at some stage in the risk assessment process.

In addition to assessing risks inherent in any educational visit, there are additional risks relating to exchange visits that will require extra consideration. In order to reduce the possibility of harm it will be necessary to consider additional control measures, some of which may be considered best by answering the following following questions;

·  Are families and students carefully matched with due regard to gender, diet, religious belief, special needs etc?

·  Are families known to the host school/establishment, and have they been affirmed as suitable and is there a hosting agreement form which includes a question regarding criminal convictions or other contra-indicators?

·  In case it is necessary to move a pupil at short notice, are contingency plans in place?