Educational visit Policy

(to be read in conjunction with the Academies Trust Educational Visits statement and Co-op Delius Educational Visit Procedure)

Policy details

• Date created -      21/11/2023
• Date reviewed -    21/11/2023
• Date approved -   30/11/2023
• Next review date -21/11/2024
• Policy owner -Robert Cameron

Statement of Intent

Co-op Academy Delius recognises that well planned opportunities for outdoor learning make a valuable contribution to the experience and achievement of all of our students. We actively promote a variety of residential/outdoor activities and educational visits for each student. Delius takes the health and wellbeing of our staff and students very seriously. We take reasonable steps as stated in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

This policy has been designed in line with the Department for Education (DfE) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE)’s guidance and Co-op Academies Trust ‘Educational visits statement, and details our responsibilities for students whilst out on educational visits.

Rationale for Education visits

We believe educational visits play an invaluable role in a child’s education. Visits enrich and reinforce learning and first-hand experiences are particularly rewarding and important for our children. They help to develop a pupil’s investigative skills and longer visits in particular, encourage greater independence. We ensure visits are planned carefully to support learning across the curriculum.

At Delius the development of social and life skills are fundamental in preparing our pupils for life long education and personal development.

The aims of our education visits are:

• To provide motivating opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in a real life situation.
• To reinforce and revisit  classroom-based learning.
• To develop social and interpersonal skills
• To develop an awareness and appreciation of the outside environment.
• To promote cultural capital opportunities.

At Co-op Academy Delius Equal Opportunities plays an integral part in all aspects of teaching and learning. The school acknowledges the great value of Educational Visits in broadening and enhancing both the learning and social experience of young people. Children should go on a variety of school visits whilst they are pupils at Delius.

Ideally visits will support the work in the classroom. Each year the school will arrange a number of activities that take place off the school site and out of school hours, which support the aims of the school.

The range of activities which the Governing Body has given its approval includes:

• Out of hours clubs (music, drama, art, science, sport, homework etc)
• School sports teams
• Regular local visits (places of worship, swimming, other local amenities)
• Day visits for particular groups
• Residential visits
• Adventurous Activities.

Education visits guidelines

All educational visits must be approved by the Head Teacher or designated EVC lead (Deputy Head Teacher) in advance.

The group leader should be fully conversant with the Educational Visits Policy and related procedures.

Any queries regarding the educational visits procedures should be made to the Head Teacher or designated EVC lead (Deputy Head Teacher).

A full risk assessment must be carried out by the group leader considering travel to/from the venue, activities undertaken and the students attending, and submitted for scrutiny on Evolve online system (Co-op Ed Procedures Appendix 5 – Evolve procedure)

Any student who has additional needs must be considered in the risk assessment. It will be necessary for the group leader to obtain risk assessments from the venue, e.g., in the event of high-risk activities.

No student should be prevented from attending a visit, unless in negotiations with the Head Teacher or designated EVC lead (Deputy Head Teacher) and other relevant parties, it is deemed to be in the best interests of the students’ education not to go or they present an unacceptable risk to themselves or others.

The group leader should ensure that parents/carers are given sufficient information in writing, for residential visits/trips or activities deemed dangerous and are invited to any briefing sessions.

The parental consent form should be completed in advance and returned to school for each student participating in a visit. The exception to the latter is in the case of frequently occurring, low risk activities within the school day, for which an annual consent form is sufficient.

Education visits procedures (located within our ‘Co-op Delius Education Procedures document’)

• Educational visits approval by Head Teacher or designated EVC lead (Deputy Head Teacher) – appendix 1

• Parental consent (residential visits) – appendix 2

• Governing body approval (where required)

• Planning and preparation checklist – appendix 3

• Risk assessment – appendix 4

• Evolve submission – appendix 5

• List of Adventurous activities – appendix 6

• Provider lead form (submitted for adventurous activity with outside provider, i.e. Horse Riding - appendix 7

Key roles and responsibilities:

Co-op Academy Delius Governing Body are responsible for:

The overall responsibility for the aim and objectives of the Educational Visits Policy and related procedures.

The overall responsibility for ensuring that the Educational Visits Policy, as written, does not discriminate on any grounds, including but not limited to: ethnicity/national origin, culture, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation.

Handling complaints regarding this policy as outlined in the Co-op Delius Complaints Policy.

The Head Teacher (designated EVC lead) is responsible for:

The authorisation of visits and notification, where appropriate to the stakeholders, e.g., Governing Body, Co-op Trust via Evolve.

The Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC) is responsible, on behalf of the Head Teacher for:

• The day-to-day implementation and management of the Educational Visits Policy and related procedures.

• Making staff aware of this policy

• Ensuring adequate insurances are in place to secure the health, safety and welfare of students and staff

• Authorising training for relevant staff with regard to the policy ∙

• Ensuring that staff are competent to lead the visit.

Group leaders, staff and accompanying adults attending educational visits are responsible for:

• Following the Educational Visits Policy and for ensuring students within their care also do so

• The designated group leader of any educational visit has a duty of care over the students in place of a parent/carer for the health, safety and welfare of the group, e.g. medication, care plans, equipment used etc.

• The designated group leader will be responsible for using their discretion to deal with emergency situations, but will be in constant contact with school leaders and contactable at any time during the visit.

• The group leader is responsible for coordinating any safeguarding issues and following Delius procedures on safeguarding whilst on the visit. If any serious issues arise, the group leader must contact the Head Teacher immediately.

• Group assistants and accompanying adults must act as supervisors, following the instruction of the group leader.

Parents are responsible for:

• Ensuring that their child arrives promptly for the start of a visit, with appropriate clothing and kit

• Ensuring that Delius is aware of any medical or other needs/requirements in advance, which may need to considered

• Having completed all relevant forms of emergency contact and signed approval

Risk Assessment: (Co-op Ed Procedures appendix 4)

All educational visits must be risk assessed to ensure the safety and well-being of both pupils and staff.

The initial risk assessment is done through EVOLVE. The Group Leader will be responsible for logging the details of the visit on the EVOLVE system and attaching the relevant documents.

This will enable the EVC and the Head Teacher/designated EVC to view, query and authorise the visit.  

• Ensure all RA’s are dated and named with all relevant information including the lead name of assessor

• RA log number or name

• Place of visit, details of activity  

• Dates

• Manager responsible (signed on final page)  

• Risk rating

• Review dates (generally half termly, after which would consider your evaluation)

When considering individual risks on the risk assessment document:

1. Work through (left to right) the possible risks/hazards.
2. Identify risk
3. Identify who is at risk
4. Identify possible outcome if risk is not stopped
5. Rate the risk using the risk calculator (on front page)  
6. What controls will you put in place to alleviate/mitigate risk?  
7. Identify any further controls or RA’s (pupil, equipment etc)  
8. Re calculate risk

If the risk cannot be alleviated/mitigated, then the trip, visits or event should not take place. ∙ Management agreed page, Senior leaders (EVC and/or Head Teacher or Deputy Head Teacher) should have the final look at the RA to ensure it meets all safety requirements

Notice of educational visit (for office)

As well as the risk assessed activity each leader must provide a notice of the visit (appendix 1) which provides the school office and EVC with all relevant contact details of the visit.

∙ Class or group lead

∙ Purpose and place of visit

∙ List of all pupils and staff on the visit

∙ First aider and relevant medical details

∙ Telephone contact details (mobile or landline of visit venue)

Emergency procedures framework during the visit

If an emergency occurs on a school visit the group leader should maintain or resume control of the group overall.

In the case of accidents and injuries whilst on an educational visit, Delius’s accident reporting process will begin as detailed in the Health and Safety Policy

The main factors to consider include:

• establish the nature and extent of the emergency as quickly as possible.
• ensure that all the groups are safe and looked after.
• establish the names of any casualties and get immediate medical attention.
• ensure that a teacher accompanies casualties to hospital with any relevant medical information, and that the rest of the group are adequately supervised at all times and kept together.
• notify the police if necessary;
• ensure that all group members who need to know are aware of the incident;
• ensure that all group members are following the emergency procedures and the roles allocated to them – revise procedures and re-allocate roles as necessary;
• Inform the school/Trust contact and provider/tour operator (as appropriate). The school contact number should be accessible at all times during the visit;  details of the incident to pass on to the school should include: nature, date and time of incident; location of incident; names of casualties and details of their injuries; names of others involved so that parents can be reassured; action taken so far; action yet to be taken (and by whom);
• school contact should notify parents, providing as full a factual account of the incident as possible;
• notify insurers, especially if medical assistance is required (this may be done by the Trust or school contact);
• Ascertain phone numbers for future calls. Try not to rely solely on mobile phones;
• Write down accurately and as soon as possible all relevant facts and witness

details and preserve any vital evidence;

• Keep a written account of all events, times and contacts after the incident;
• Complete an accident report form as soon as possible. Contact HSE and Trust, if appropriate;
• No-one in the group should speak to the media. Names of those involved in the incident should not be given to the media as this could cause distress to their families. Refer media enquiries to a designated media contact within the Trust Policy ;
• No-one in the group should discuss legal liability with other parties, nor sign anything relating to accident liability without clear advice from the Trust. Keep receipts for any expenses incurred – insurers will require these.

Approval times for trips:

Please click on the link below to see the diagram which outlines the timescales for planned visits, to allow School leaders and Trust to oversee the respective paperwork, Evolve submission and Risk Assessments.

Educational Visits Diagram