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Educational Visits Policy

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Educational Visits Policy

Date: September 2022

Reviewed : September 2024

  1. General Statement of Policy

Co-op Academy Brownhill recognises the value of off-site visits to pupils as an enrichment to their studies, and to their personal and social development.  Such visits can improve the individual’s affiliation to the school and help generate positive relationships with their teachers.

Types of visits include:

routine visits, such as use of local library, sports fixtures with local schools, other visits to local schools, theatre trips, museum visits - approved by the Headteacher

non-routine visits involving adventurous activities and/or overnight stays, and/or foreign travel, for example outward bound centres, theme parks, water sports, residential stays - approved by the, the regional education director and the Director of the Trust through the regional Education Director

  1. Organisation

Responsibility for educational visits rests with the Governing Body CEO of the Trust and Headteacher. The respective roles of each are outlined within the Trust Policy statement  Handbook for Educational Visits available on Evolve and OEAP National Guidance web site.

2.1         Governing Body

2.1.1        The oversight of educational visits will be undertaken by Ed Powell Chair of Governors  

2.1.2        The person named above will be the nominated governor for Educational Visits, as outlined in the OEAP National Guidance for Managing Educational Visits at www.oeapng.info.  

  1. An evaluation of non-routine visits will be available to view on EVOLVE. This should be completed within a 28 day window following the visit. After 28 days this option is not available on Evolve.

  1.  Headteacher (HT)

  1. The HT will be responsible for ensuring that Educational Visits are planned in accordance with The Co-operative Academies Trusts policies and procedures, that the supervisors are competent, physically and mentally fit and that governor and Trust approval has been given if required.

  1. The HT will authorise all visits via EVOLVE.

  1. The HT will report visits including any incidents or near misses to the Governing Body annually.

2.3         Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC)

2.3.1        The school’s Educational Visits Co-ordinator is: Christina Shanks

  1. The EVC will undertake duties as agreed between them and the  Headteacher in line with the responsibilities listed in the Leeds Policy Handbook for Educational Visits and Trust Policy statement.

  1. The EVC will be fully conversant with the Policy Handbook for Educational Visits ; OEAP National Guidance web site; and have access to the afPE Safe practice in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity.

  1. Visit Leader (VL)

  1. The VL will comply with the requirements outlined in the Leeds Policy Handbook for Educational Visits and their role as defined in the OEAP National Guidance web site.

  1. The VL will ensure that the notification is completed on EVOLVE and that any activities or events that may place staff or pupils at significant risk are assessed and that safety measures are in place prior to the trip taking place.
  2. The VL will ensure that all parents of children on their trip are provided with all information required and that any questions raised are answered prior to the trip taking place.

  1. The VL will ensure, for non-routine visits, that all accompanying adults have read and understood all the planning and risk assessments for the visit and that they have signed a list of such documentation.

  1. The VL named for each visit will have overall responsibility for the visit whilst it is underway.

  1. The VL will liaise with the EVC throughout the planning and preparation of their trip.

  1. The VL will evaluate their trip on EVOLVE.

2.5         Supervisory staff

  1. All staff assisting with supervision on any trip will be conversant with their responsibilities as stated in the Policy Handbook for Educational Visits. They should feel confident to challenge any unsafe practice observed. They will be briefed by the trip leader before the visit and, for residential visits, will be required to sign to say they have read and understood the risk assessments.

  1. All staff will ensure that the requirements of any risk assessments, risk control procedures and safe systems are followed.

  1. All staff will ensure that once the trip has started, where any previously unforeseen hazards or risks are identified they are brought to the attention of the Visit Leader.

  1. Staff will feedback information to the Visit Leader to enable a full evaluation of the trip to be completed.

2.5.5   Male and female staff, wherever possible and practical, should accompany a visit.  This is essential for residential visits

2.5.6   All adults accompanying pupils on a residential visit should be CRB/DBS checked at enhanced level and their details recorded on the academy’s single central record

2.5.7   The following staff-pupil ratios will be adhered to:

Nursery/Reception:  1 adult to 4 children  

Years 1 – 3:   1 adult to 6 children

Years 4 – 6:   1 adult to 10 children

Years 7 - 13:  1 adult to 10 children (residential)/ 15 other activity.

3.        Arrangements

  1. Proposals

3.1.1         The Visit Leader will submit a proposal to the  Head and EVC before starting an Evolve notification. The Evolve notification must be submitted within the following timescale for each category of visit to the EVC. Exceptions are possible but MUST be cleared.

Category

Latest date for submission to the EVC

1 Routine -  regular curriculum eg weekly swimming

1 week ( recommended )

2 Routine – local parks, museums, farms

2 weeks ( recommended )

3 Non routine – overnight, overseas, adventurous

6 weeks ( mandatory )

  1. An EVOLVE notification must be completed for all visits.

  1. EVOLVE will be used to provide assurance that each visit is methodically and suitably planned.

  1. Risk assessments and procedures for managing risks will be in place for all risks that are reasonably foreseeable.

  1. In line with national guidance (OEAP January 2019) and Education Act 2002 section 29, parental consent for off-site activities that take place during school hours is not required as these activities are part of a child’s education. Parents will be informed of all off-site visits prior to them taking place but consent will not be required.

  1. Consent must be obtained for any category 3 visits or visits outside of school hours. With appropriate security measures, electronic consent can be used eg text, email, apps
  2. Parents should be given sufficient information to enable them to make an informed decision as to whether their child should participate in the visit.  They must sign the relevant consent form (s), and provide emergency contact number(s) and all relevant medical details.

  1. Local curriculum activities taking place within the school day do not always require individual               consent. Annual consent forms are signed at the beginning of each academic year.

3.2       Notification

  1. Notification will be made using EVOLVE for category all visits

  1. The Visit Leader is responsible for planning the visit and completing the Evolve notification.

  1. The Head of school will ensure that the Visit Leader carries out this task.

  1. Undertaking the visit

  1. Once the notification has received approval the visit will commence in accordance with the itinerary and activities planned. Any deviation from the itinerary or planned activities must be considered by the Visit Leader and a dynamic risk assessment made prior to the alteration taking place.

  1. A record must be kept of all such instances for evaluation and review purposes.
  2. Any accidents or near misses that occur during a visit will be reported to the insurance company through completing of SG10 form upon the return of the group to school.

  1. Any accidents that result in a pupil or member of staff having to go to hospital must be telephoned to the school contact immediately. Upon receipt of any such calls the school contact will immediately inform the Health and Safety.

  1. Medical and First Aid

  1. Parents/carers must complete a medical form prior to any non-routine visits sharing information about any medical or emotional needs their child has

  1. For routine visits, there will be a trained first aider either from the academy or the host venue available

  1. For non-routine type visits, at least one academy member of staff present is first aid trained, unless the visit is organised by a company that provides first aiders

  1. First aid may be administered during a routine or non-routine visit

  1. Additional Support

We want all our pupils to benefit from a wide range of experiences and therefore ensure arrangements and risk assessments are put in place to ensure no pupil is prevented from a visit because of special or additional needs.

  1. Meal arrangements

Pupils entitled to free school meals will have a packed lunch provided

  1. Transport arrangements

  1. When arranging coach hire, only companies listed on Leeds EVOLVE will be engaged.

  1. For smaller, local visits children may be transported with an adult in a taxi. Only registered taxi firms will be used.

  1. If pupils are to be transported in staff members own vehicles they must comply with Co-op Academies Trust Driving at Work policy.

  1. Amendments to plans

  1. Under normal circumstances there will be no deviation from plans arranged without full risk assessments taking place and without the authority of the Principal. Where such changes are proposed for non-routine visits, these should be discussed with the Director of the Trust via the regional Education Directors as soon as possible

  1. Visit leaders will conduct ongoing risk assessments throughout the visit to take account of, for example, changes in weather conditions or other unforeseen occurrences. Such occurrences should be reported to the Principal in all circumstances and to the Director of the Trust via the Principal for non-routine visits.

  1. Emergency response

In the event of serious illness, injury or incident, parents will be contacted either by the academy or the visit leader as soon as it is safe or practical to do so.

For less serious incidents, visit leader will telephone parent either on return if a day visit, or at the end of the day on a residential visit to make them aware.

  1. Monitoring

  1. The school will monitor the implementation of this policy by ensuring that the documentation required has been produced to a satisfactory standard.
  2. On occasions the EVC,  Headteacher, Senior Manager or member of the Governing Body will accompany a group.

  1. A visit cannot take unless:
  • the correct procedure has been followed as outlined in the academy’s policy
  • the correct risk assessments are in place and have been shared by those leading the visit
  • the details of the visit have been logged accordingly
  • the Principal has given express permission for the visit to take place
  • and the leader takes the appropriate paperwork with them on the visit

  1. Evaluation and Review

  1. An evaluation of non-routine visits will be available to view on EVOLVE. This should be completed within a 28 day window following the visit. After 28 days this option is not available on Evolve.

  1. The Visit Leader will report any significant issues with the visit to the Health, Safety and Wellbeing Team.

  1. Every visit will be reviewed by the Visit Leader.

  1. The results of the evaluation and review process will be available to the Headteacher via EVOLVE.

  1. The Executive Headteacher’s report to the Governing Body will include details of the evaluations and reviews for visits undertaken.

  1. All visit information should be kept for a minimum of six years; however, information relating to incidents that take place on a visit, accidents involving staff and/or pupils for example, should be kept ad infinitum. Where such incidents occur, these must be recorded and reported to the academy’s local governing body and the academy’s Education Director via the Executive Headteacher as soon as practicable and certainly within 24 hours as a health and safety requirement

Appendix 1

The following activities are regarded as involving adventurous activities. However, this list is not exhaustive:

Water

  • Swimming
  • Canoeing / kayaking; sailing / windsurfing / kite-surfing; rafting or improvised rafting; use of powered safety/rescue craft.
  • Water skiing
  • Snorkel and aqualung activities

Outdoor

  • Hill walking and Mountaineering
  • Rock climbing (including indoor climbing walls)
  • Abseiling
  • River/gorge walking or scrambling
  • Coasteering/coastal scrambling/sea level traversing
  • Underground exploration

Other

  • Shooting / archery / paintballing
  • Snowsports (skiing, snowboarding, and related activities), including dry slope
  • Horse riding
  • Motor sport – all forms
  • High level ropes courses
  • Off road cycling
  • Other activities, for example ‘initiative’ exercises, involving skills inherent in any of the above

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