Health and Safety Standard Procedure
Educational Visits Guidance
September 2015
Introduction
NPW guidance is issued to help and support all people involved in the approval, planning and organisation of educational visits and outdoor education activities in order that young people may contribute to and benefit from well-organised, successful, safe and enjoyable activities.
It is essential that the guidelines are well understood by the Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC), the designated lead person in the school, setting or service for the approval, organisation, leadership and support of educational visits. The EVC in turn must ensure that the relevant sections of the guidance are read and used by visit leaders to inform safe practice when educational visits are undertaken.
The most significant changes from the previous version of this guidance are:
• The document has been updated to comply with most recent DfE guidance ‘Health and safety: Advice on legal duties and powers for local authorities, school leaders, school staff and governing bodies (DfE, June 2013)’
• The prohibition of methylated spirit and its replacement by gas as fuel for cooking during camping exercises.
Reference
This guidance should be read in conjunction with relevant procedures including:
• First aid in schools
• Minibus driving
• Health and safety in PE and School Sport
• Seat belts, child restraints and the law
• Off-site activities insurance
• Accident, Assault and Incident Recording and Reporting Arrangements.
Who is governed by this policy?
This procedure is advice for voluntary aided schools, academies, free schools and other schools and settings.
Contact
School Management Support
Newham Partnership Working
Francis House
760 Barking Road
Plaistow
LONDON E13 9PJ
Tel: 020 8249 6970
Fax: 020 7345 1896 www.npw.uk.com
Email:
Contents
Section 1: General principles
Section 2: Planning, risk assessment and preparation for a visit
Section 3: During a visit
Section 4: Monitoring and evaluation of educational visits
Section 5: Transport
Section 6: Types of visit
Section 7: Visits abroad
Section 8: Outdoor and adventurous activities
Appendices to sections 1 – 8
Section 1 - General principles
1.0 Introduction
Young people can benefit enormously from taking part in educational visits with their school, setting or service. In particular, they are given the opportunity to undergo experiences they may not otherwise have. Visits help develop young people’s skills, confidence and independence as well as enhancing their learning.
Most visits organised by schools, settings or services take place without incident or injury. Following a number of tragic incidents involving young people in the last few years, concern has grown among staff and parents/carers about the safety of young people when they are learning off site. Health and safety measures should help young people to do this safely, not stop them.
No amount of planning can guarantee that a visit will be totally incident free, but good planning and attention to safety measures will reduce the number of accidents and lessen the seriousness of those that occur.
1.1 Guidance and policy
National guidance is available both from The Department for Education (DfE) and the Outdoor Education Advisers Panel (OEAP). The relevant documents are:
• Health and safety: Advice on legal duties and powers for local authorities, school leaders, school staff and governing bodies (DfE, June 2013). At the date of publication this is the most recent version. EVCs should note that this may be subject to change and refer to the most recent version. Updates and changes will be shared through the relevant EVC network. See https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/health-and-safety-advice-for-schools
• National Guidance for Outdoor Activities (OEAP, 2012). This online resource is regularly updated, taking account of schools’ experience and case law. See http://oeapng.info/.
These are supported by a statement from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), School trips and outdoor learning activities: Tackling the health and safety myths. See http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/school-trips.pdf. Together, they replace all previous national guidance.
Local guidance is provided through this SP, which replaces all previous versions of SP54. This guidance gives the local interpretation of national guidance taking into account the context in which school, settings or services operate. Having a designated EVC is a requirement of SP54 as is having an educational visits policy for the school, setting or service. This policy will detail and make specific the processes and procedures to be followed by those responsible for the approval, planning and organisation of educational visits and must take into account the advice and guidelines included in this document and other guidance.
In the main, the guidance, references, models and examples contained in this SP refer to schools. Visits organised by other settings and services have clear parallels to school visits and this guidance should be used by them and adapted to meet their needs. In some cases, adaptation will involve a change of wording to reflect the type of provision, in others the substance will need to be adjusted to reflect the specific nature of the work of the setting, service or provider.
1.2 Types of visit
The following are recognised types of educational visit that may be organised by schools, settings or services:
• Extension of the classroom e.g. a visit that can be accomplished with or without transport within a morning and/or afternoon session
• A half or whole day visit that may require the use of transport
• A visit that requires one or more night’s residential accommodation
• A day visit abroad
• A visit abroad requiring one or more night’s residential accommodation
• An out of hours learning (extra-curricular) activity e.g. a sports fixture at another school/ provider
• Activities that are hazardous, within the UK or abroad e.g. skiing, water sports, mountaineering, adventure programmes.
1.3 Roles and responsibilities
The following describes structures for LA maintained schools as a model. Other settings or services will be able to apply the guidance here to the structure(s) in their own context, so that roles and responsibilities are clear.
a) Role of the governing body (or equivalent)
The governing body (or equivalent) is responsible for ensuring that young people benefit fully from visits and that their experiences are positive and they remain free from harm. Governors will normally do this by defining the category of visit that requires their approval and adopting a policy statement. A model policy is set out in paragraph 1.4, p7-8.
Approval of educational visits can be made in the following ways:
• By the full governing body (or equivalent)
• By a committee
• By a named governor (or equivalent)
• By the headteacher (or equivalent)
• By the EVC and/or other named staff member(s).
Governors must make clear the appropriate levels of approval that they require for each of the recognised category of visit set out in paragraph 1.2 above.
b) The role of the headteacher (or equivalent)
Usually, governing bodies (or equivalent) will delegate to the headteacher (or equivalent) the responsibility to establish detailed procedures consistent with LA guidance. These procedures will, among other things, cover the following:
• Approval of an educational visit
• Arranging and obtaining consent
• Charging policy
• Levels of acceptable supervision and ratios
• Insurance arrangements
• Competence of visit leaders
• Planning procedures including risk assessment
• Conduct and safety
• Information to parents/carers and young people
• Emergency procedures, including first aid arrangements and Plan B
• Specific arrangements including those for young people with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disability, residential visits, visits abroad and any visit involving particular risk e.g. outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA)
• Evaluation and monitoring.
The EVC might reasonably be expected to support the headteacher (or equivalent) in fulfilling this responsibility.
c) The role of the educational visits co-ordinator (EVC)
It is a requirement that every school and setting, as well as any other service or provider organising visits for young people has an EVC.
An EVC is a named individual who undertakes the following duties:
• Ensuring educational visits meet the employer’s and school’s requirements
• Supporting the headteacher (or equivalent and the governing body (or equivalent) with approval and other decisions
• Assessing competence of prospective leaders and staff
• Ensuring risk assessments meet requirements
• Organising training and induction
• Ensuring parents/carers are informed and give consent
• Overseeing the organisation of emergency arrangements
• Keeping records of visits, accident or incident reports
• Reviewing systems, monitoring practice and evaluating.
Because of the nature and scope of these duties, it is essential that the EVC has appropriate seniority in the school, setting or service. It may be appropriate that, for example, the administrative duties are shared with another member of staff, but the named EVC should always lead the work.
1.4 Educational visits policy
As previously stated, it is a requirement that every school, setting or service, as well as any other provider organising visits for young people has an educational visits policy. A model policy follows that is specific to schools; other settings or services will be able to apply this to their own setting or context, to structuring a policy statement to meet their needs. The rest of this document provides information and guidance to support the preparation of the policy in full.
Model educational visits policy
The governing body (or equivalent) of (enter name of school, setting or service) believes that young people benefit enormously from taking part in educational visits. In particular, they have opportunities to undergo a wide range of experiences to enhance their learning outside the classroom as well as to help them develop skills and confidence. Longer visits in particular encourage greater independence.
Health and safety measures should help young people to do this safely, not stop them.
The governing body (or equivalent) delegates to the headteacher (or equivalent) the responsibility for establishing the detailed procedures, consistent with the guidance.
These detailed procedures will encompass the following:
Approval of an educational visit (a suggested form of words is given below)
• Arranging and obtaining consent
• Charging and remissions policy
• Acceptable supervision and ratios
• Insurance arrangements
• Competence of the visit leader
• Planning procedures including risk assessment
• Conduct and safety
• Information to parents/carers and young people
• Emergency procedures including first aid arrangements and Plan B
• Specific arrangements including those for young people with special educational needs (SEN) or disability, residential visits, visits abroad and any visit involving particular risk e.g. outdoor and adventurous activities (OAA)
• Evaluation and monitoring
• Travel arrangements including use of public transport, hire of minibuses and coaches, use of own minibus and use of private cars
• Young people travelling unaccompanied.
The governing body (or equivalent) requires the headteacher (or equivalent) to maintain, monitor and review the educational visits procedures, when necessary amend them and refer back to the governing body (or equivalent) as appropriate.
The governing body (or equivalent) delegates the approval of educational visits as follows:
Governors should insert the name of the appropriate person (or body) as set out in 1.3.1 above against each type of visit.
i. Extension of the classroom (e.g. a visit that can be accomplished without transport and within a morning and/or afternoon session) must be approved by…….
ii. A half or whole day visit that requires the use of transport must be approved by……….
iii. A half or whole day visit that requires one or more night’s residential accommodation must be approved by…………..
iv. A day visit abroad must be approved by……………
v. A visit abroad requiring one or more nights residential must be approved by…………
vi. An extra-curricular activity (e.g. a sports fixture at another school) must be approved by……………..
vii. Activities that are hazardous, within the UK or abroad (e.g. skiing, water sports, mountaineering, adventure programmes, etc.) must be approved by………..
1.5 Educational visits and insurance
The purpose of this note is to set out clearly for headteacher (or equivalent) the position regarding the insurance in relation to activities within the school and during an educational visit, whilst young people are under the care of school or staff.
a) Public liability
Public liability insurance must be arranged with an appropriate insurance provider and offers this to schools as part of a service level agreement (SLA). This means that setting is covered for any action(s) of negligence by their staff which result(s) in injury to a young person, or loss of, or damage to, their property. In such circumstances of negligence by the school the parents/carers of young people may claim compensation for the injury that has been suffered.
This insurance covers all activities on and off site whilst young people are in the care of employees or volunteers authorised for the activity.
b) School journey insurance
Schools need to arrange comprehensive insurance that will include cancellation and medical repatriation and will compensate for injuries or other loss which may generally occur in the course of an educational visit in the UK or abroad where there is no negligence by the staff. If parents/carers wish to have additional insurance cover, they must make their own arrangements.
c) Information for parents/carers
Parents/carers should be advised of the general position on insurance by the inclusion in the school prospectus and/or handbook of the details given in Appendix 1.1. This information must also be printed on the reverse of any educational visit parent/carer consent form.
d) For further advice contact:
School Management Support Team
Newham Partnership Working
Francis House
760 Barking Road
Plaistow
London, E13 9PJ
TEL: 020 8249 6970
Fax: 020 7345 1896 www.npw.uk.com
Email:
e) Vehicle insurance
The headteacher (or equivalent) must ensure that appropriate insurance is in place when transport such as minibuses, private vehicle, etc. is either hired or driven by teachers or other adults. See Section 5, Paragraph 5.6 Minibuses.
1.6 Charging for school visits
Non-school settings and services are advised to read this section which applies specifically to school visits and to use it to inform their decisions regarding charges for educational visits.
How the costs of an educational visit will be met will vary according to the type of visit and when it takes place. Decisions by schools about meeting these costs must be informed both by national and school policy.