Educational Visits & Residential Trips. Contents: Applicable to: Person Responsible: Committee Responsible: Date for Next Review:

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1 Educational Visits & Residential Trips Applicable to: Committee Responsible: Person Responsible: Date for Next Review: Staff, Students & Volunteers Staff & Student Development Business Manager November 2019 Contents: Statement of intent 1. Definitions 2. Key roles and responsibilities 3. Training of staff 4. Risk assessment process 5. Safe use of minibuses and seatbelts 6. Parental consent 7. Staffing ratios 8. Insurance and licensing 9. If things go wrong 10. Special education needs and disabilities (SEND) 11. Finance 12. Foreign trips 13. Planning school trips 14. Policy review Appendices 1. Step by Step guide and general procedures for educational visits 2. Risk Assessment Record 3. Boarding Department Trip/Activity Procedure 4. Boarding Department Trip/Activity Form 5. Missing Child Procedures Statement of intent Burford School 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 to ensure the health and safety of our employees, as well as our pupils. This policy has been designed in line with the DfE and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance and details our responsibilities for students while out on educational visits and school trips. 1

2 1. Definitions 1.1. In loco parentis means that the group leader of any school trip or educational visit has a duty of care over the students in place of a parent/carer School trip means any educational visit, foreign exchange trip, away-day or residential holiday organised by Burford School which takes students off-site Residential means any school trip which includes an overnight stay Activities of an adventurous nature include, but are not limited to the following: Trekking Caving Skiing Water sports Climbing 2. Key roles and responsibilities 2.1. The governing body has overall responsibility for the implementation of the Educational Visits and School Trips Policy of Burford School The governing body has overall responsibility for ensuring that the Educational Visits and School Trips Policy, as written, does not discriminate on any grounds, including, but not limited to: ethnicity/national origin, culture, religion, gender, disability or sexual orientation The governing body has responsibility for handling complaints regarding this policy as outlined in the school s Complaints Policy The head teacher will be responsible for the day-to-day implementation and management of the Educational Visits and School Trips Policy The educational visits coordinator (EVC) is responsible for the coordination and administration of educational visits and school trips Staff will be responsible for following the Educational Visits and School Trips Policy, and for ensuring students do so too. They will also be responsible for ensuring the policy is implemented fairly and consistently The designated leader in charge of the trip is in loco parentis and has a duty of care to all students on the trip. 2

3 2.8. Students are responsible for following instructions from teachers while on educational visits and school trips Students are responsible for behaving in a manner which matches the ethos of Burford School, and for following the behaviour rules set out in the school s Behaviour Policy. 3. Training of staff 3.1. Teachers and support staff will receive training on the Educational Visits and School Trips Policy as part of their new starter induction Teachers and support staff will receive regular and ongoing training as part of their CPD. 4. Risk assessment process 4.1. Our risk assessment process is designed to manage real risks when planning trips, while ensuring that learning opportunities are experienced to the full The process is as follows: Identify the hazards Decide who might be harmed and how Evaluate the risks and decide on precautions Record your findings and implement them Review your assessment and update if necessary Adhering to risk assessments provided by venues being visited 4.3. A risk assessment form is available in Appendix C. 5. Safe use of minibuses and seatbelts 5.1. The facilities officer is responsible for arranging the annual maintenance of the minibuses, including MOTs and road tax The driver must have a current driving licence, be aged 25 years or over, and hold a full licence in Group A or PCV Drivers must complete the relevant minibus driving test through the school office and supply details of their driving licence, to the minibus driving assessor, which will be retained by the school If passengers are paying a charge, the minibus permit must be clearly displayed in the vehicle. 3

4 5.5. Internal damage to the minibus is the responsibility of the individual or organisation using the minibus. The school will decide who is responsible for covering the cost of any repairs The minibus will carry strictly one person per seat and seatbelts must be worn at all times Fines incurred will be paid by whoever was driving the minibus at the time the offence was committed Starting and closing mileage, along with any potential risks, defects or damage identified, will be reported upon return to the school The EVC officer maintains an up to date record of staff who have completed specific training which allows them to drive the school minibus: 6. Parental consent 6.1. Parental consent is not generally required for off-site activities that take place during school hours. Sporting activities e.g. PE are covered by an annual consent form 6.2. Written consent is required for: Activities of an adventurous nature. Residential trips. Foreign trips. Trips outside of school hours. Non-sporting activities in school hours 6.3. Parents will be informed of activities by letter and will have the opportunity to withdraw their child from taking part. 7. Staffing ratios 7.1. There will be sufficient staff to cope in an emergency. Our minimum staff to student ratios are as follows;- 1:20 where a minimum of 2 staff are present, 1:15 can be agreed depending upon the nature of the activity, staff/student ratios may be determined by bodies being visited Residential and hazardous activities must have a male and female member of staff present, where male and female students are attending A qualified first aider must be present on all school trips/visits All adults attending school trips and visits must have an enhanced DBS check. 4

5 8. Insurance and licensing 8.1. When planning activities of an adventurous nature in the UK, the educational visits coordinator will check that the provider of the activity holds a current licence Insurance will be organised for every trip, no matter how short, to ensure adequate protection and medical cover Parents will be informed of the limits of any insurance cover if required For European trips, a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) will be obtained for every participant Where a crime is committed against a member of the party, it will be reported to local police as soon as possible Medical expenses will be recorded and passed to the school finance office. 9. If things go wrong 9.1. In the case of accidents and injuries while on a school trip in the UK, the school s accident reporting process will begin as detailed in the Health and Safety Policy In the case of a student becoming missing while on a school trip, the school s Missing Child Policy procedures will be followed. See appendix 5. for more details or the whole Missing Child Policy on the school website In the case of accidents and injuries while on a school trip abroad: Organisers will cooperate fully with the emergency services at the location and understand that any injury or death of a member of staff or child outside of Great Britain may be subject to the law of the land where the accident occurred. The first point of contact within the UK should be the headteacher who will contact the family of the injured person. Students will be asked not to contact friends or parents in the UK until the family of the injured person can be contacted. The British Embassy/Consulate will be informed. The insurer will be notified Written records of any incident will be kept Media enquiries must be referred to the headteacher or, if they are not available, the deputy head or the clerk to governors. 10. Special education needs and disabilities (SEND) 5

6 11. Finance Where possible, activities and visits will be adapted to enable students with SEND to take part Where this is not possible, an alternative activity of equal educational value will be arranged for all students The financial procedures outlined in the school s finance policy will always be followed when arranging trips The school will act in accordance with the DfE s guidance document Charging for school activities and, therefore, will only charge for trips which are classed as an optional extra. This is education provided outside of school time which is not: Part of the national curriculum. Part of a syllabus for an examination that the student is being prepared for at the school Money for school trips will always be paid directly to the school. Under no circumstances should school trip money be processed through personal accounts All letters to parents regarding school trips will include a clause explaining what will happen in the event that the trip is cancelled or a student cancels their place on the trip In the event that the trip is cancelled due to unforeseeable circumstances, it is at the headteacher s discretion as to whether a refund is given to parents. The headteacher will consult the governing body on the matter, taking into account the cost to the school, including alternative provision costs In the event that a student cancels their place on a trip, it is at the headteacher s discretion as to whether a refund is given to parents. The headteacher will consult the governing body on the matter, taking into account the student s circumstances for cancelling their place, whether the school will be reimbursed for the student s place on the trip and whether the space on the trip can be offered to someone else Burford School will take a common sense approach to withdrawals, refunds and cancellations, ensuring that all students are treated equally Any charge made in respect of students will not exceed the actual cost of providing the trip, divided equally by the number of students participating. 6

7 11.9. Once trip arrangements are booked and confirmed, if contributions to a trip exceed the total cost of the trip, a refund will be given where the excess is greater than 4 per child Any excess of expenditure will be subsidised by the responsibility of the organising school department. 12. Foreign trips Validity of passports and visa requirements will be dealt with within three months of the initial request to avoid problems when the trip is due to take place. 13. Planning school trips Prior to planning a school trip, the following guidance should be read by organisers: 14. Policy review The DfE s Health and Safety: Advice on Legal Duties and Powers The HSE s School Trips and Outdoor Learning Activities This policy is reviewed every two years by the Business Manager The scheduled review date for this policy is November

8 Appendix One Step by Step Guide and General Procedure for Educational Visits When planning your trip, please consider the benefits and risks of all aspects of the visit so that there is an appropriate balance with an acceptable level of residual risk. Also make sure that there are clear and well considered learning aims that are particular to the development of the group as a whole and individuals Step one within it, which contribute to the wider curricular or programme aims of Burford School. Step One Ask your EVC for an Initial Request Form or download the form from P-drive. Take the Initial Request Form to the Headteacher for approval in principle. Consider how many members of staff you need and take the Initial Request form to the Cover Officer for signature. Secure your date by asking Katie Shires (DHT) to sign and date the Initial Request Form. With Agreement in Principle, Cover and Calendar secured, take your Initial Request form to the EVC and she will sign it, log your trip and issue you with a Final Request Form which you can also download from the P-drive. Step Two When you have the Final Request Form you should consider the following: Are any students eligible for financial support? Please see Stuart Bassett (AHT) for advice on Pupil Premium or the Headteacher for Hardship Fund. Ask a senior member of staff to be your home based contact if your trip is out of office hours (8.00am to 4.30pm). Are there tickets to buy and deadlines to meet for bookings? Think of what transport you need and make enquiries. Draft a letter for parents/guardians and send a copy to the EVC. Sample letters are on the P-drive. 8

9 Your letter must contain: Details of date, time, venue, transport and educational aim of your trip. Cost of the trip. If you have any students eligible for Pupil Premium please make sure they are informed before you ask for payment. A clear and non-negotiable deadline for parental consent and payment to be returned to school. This is essential for drafting student lists and to avoid last minute changes. It is also paramount when reserving tickets for events. There should always be a secure number of students before purchasing any tickets. Send letters with reply slips, parental consent and medical forms to parents /guardians. For residential trips you also need to send a Residential Trip Behavioural Protocol to be found on the P-drive. Collect reply slips and money or send to EVC s office. Check your reply slips for any medical or dietary issues and liaise with Medical Officer if needed. Fill out a Risk Assessment (samples on P-drive) and book a First Aid Kit. When everything has been completed the EVC and Headteacher will sign your Final Request Form. Finally: Pick up your copy, tell Reception of any last minute absences and take your First Aid Kit. Documentation Process for Boarding Students on School Trips Boarding student receives the trip/event letter Student confirms or declines the invitation Student hands trip/event documentation to Residential Head of Pastoral Care for signing, medical staff fill in relevant medical sections When the form is completed it is handed to the Boarding Finance Department for payment All forms are returned to day school for administration purposes Student informs the trip organiser that they are a boarding student and all completed documentation will follow 9

10 RISK ASSESSMENT RECORD FORM RA1 Burford School Risk Assessment Record Appendix Two (Form RA1) A. Activity/Process/Operation Date B. What are the Health and Safety Hazards? 1. Weather 2. Special needs of specific students 3. Student separation 4. Return from visits after hours 5. Illness or Injury 6. Emergencies 7. Coach or minibus 8. On foot (traffic accident or injury) C. What Risks do they pose and to whom? (See Checkpoint 2) Risks to students and staff. 1. Adverse weather, winter conditions or heatstroke in summer. 2. Medical or behavioural problems, access for disabilities. 3. Student lost or separated from group, inadequate supervision. 4. Parents fail to collect students. Traffic delays. 5. Accident, injury or medical emergency on visit. 6. Major incident requiring emergency plan or cessation of activity. 7. Injury, death or separation from group. Breakdown. Transport delays. 8. Injury, death or separation. D. What measures have been taken to reduce the Risk? (See Checkpoints 1,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 & 11) 1. Weather forecast checked. Students advised as to appropriate clothing. 2. Information obtained from parents. Make necessary arrangements for individual students including individual risk assessment and additional staffing as necessary. Take advice from SENCO if appropriate. 3. Ensure adequate supervision ratio commensurate with risk. Plan group control measures eg buddy system. Discuss itinerary with students and brief as to what to do if separated from group. Head counts during visit. 4. Return is pre-planned and parents informed where to collect students. Suitable arrangements made for failure to collect. Ensure contact numbers available. Estimate Risk Level H/M/L*- (see Checkpoint 3) Risk Level Achieved H/M/L (Target is Low) 10

11 5. Students reminded to bring individual medication. First aid and travel sickness equipment carried. Mobile phones carried if available. 6. Leader and school have contact arrangements and emergency plan in event of an incident. Arrangements for visit to be halted if necessary. 7. Vehicle meets LEA requirements. Ensure seatbelts are worn. Embarkation points are suitable- eg wide pavement. Supervision and headcounts during any breaks in journey. 8. Students briefed as to behaviour required, warned about poor maintenance of buildings and pathways. Defer to site risk assessment while on site. Relatively closed site. E. What further action is needed to reduce the risks? (State action/specify dates) Name of Signed Assessor by: Job Title (See points 12,13, & 14) Date EVC Date for Review Ongoing CHECKPOINTS - 1. Has all health and safety information.been obtained? 2. Consider the number of persons exposed n 3. Estimate initial risk level - high, medium or low* 4. Consider if elimination or safer substitution could be achieved 5. Consider all necessary control measures including procedural and technical controls 6. Are the above controls to the required standard and regularly maintained? 7. Have emergency action plans been considered? Have employees (and other persons) been adequately trained/instructed and informed 9. Has adequate supervision been provided? 10. Consider if personal protective equipment is required 11. Is health surveillance required? 12. What arrangements have been made for monitoring the assessment? 13. How often is the assessment reviewed? 14. Has the assessment been drawn to the employee's attention?

12 Appendix Three Burford School Boarding Department Trip / Activity Procedure Forms are in place and kept in the main office. All staff should ensure that the forms are completed in full and detailed information is included. If payment is required to be made by day school finance please ensure that the forms are returned to Sarah Imms, Operations Manager, no later than 48 hours in advance - for weekend trips these must be handed in no later than Thursday morning. Please include Date of trip Time if applicable Contact information for the event, i.e. telephone number so that the booking can be paid for Name of staff Cost per student Age of student All students are required to sign as an agreement for the cost to be deducted from their activity account. If the forms are not completed in full, payment will not be able to be made, therefore the trip will not go ahead. NO trips will be paid for in cash. 12

13 Appendix Four BURFORD SCHOOL BOARDING DEPARTMENT TRIP/ACTVITY FORM Contact Information for making payment Telephone Number Booking reference if applicable Date of Activity Staff Name(s) Activity Time Transport Number of Staff Student Name in Full Cost per Age Signature of student student Payment made by Date Total cost deducted from activity account IF A BOOKING IS PROVSIONALY MADE PRIOR TO PAYMENT PLEASE ENSURE THE BOOKING IS HELD IN THE NAME OF BURFORD SCHOOL - BOARDING DEPARTMENT 13

14 Appendix Five 14

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