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BRAMLEY SCHOOL
SCHOOL VISIT POLICY
(HEALTH AND SAFETY ON ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE SCHOOL)
WRITTEN 2006 P. BURGESS UPDATED DECEMBER 2007 REVIEWED WITH ALL STAFF FEBRUARY 2008 UPDATED SEPTEMBER 2009
REVIEWED WITH ALL STAFF OCTOBER 2009
VISITS AND ACTIVITIES OUT OF SCHOOL
PERMISSION FOR ALL JOURNEYS AND TRIPS INVOLVING GIRLS MUST FIRST BE OBTAINED FROM THE HEADMISTRESS. FOR PERMISSION TO BE GRANTED, THE HEADMISTRESS WILL NEED TO KNOW THE DESTINATION, THE NATURE OF ALL ACTIVITIES, PROPOSED TIMINGS, COST ETC. PERMISSION MUST BE GRANTED BEFORE LETTERS ARE SENT TO PARENTS.
1. Introduction
This policy and its related procedures, is designed to ensure that children, staff and parents who go on educational visits are kept safe and healthy. The policy outlines the requirements of staff when they wish to organise an educational visit.
The policy has regard to guidance offered by the Dfes in its booklet ‘Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits’
Aims:
The overriding aim of this policy is to organise safe educational trips which do not compromise the health and well being of those involved.
Objectives:
• Set out a clear procedure for the exploring and approval of proposed trips.
• Establish the responsibilities of those involved in the planning and running of school trips.
• Provide advice to staff in organising trips.
The term ‘in loco parentis’ must be taken very seriously and we must remember that the teacher/school is responsible until the child is handed over to the parents. Those who accept this responsibility must be aware of this, and behave appropriately.
In recent years we have become only too aware of the legal implications if things ‘go wrong’. It is therefore essential that all precautions and necessary action are taken before and during every trip.
2. Responsibility:
The school has responsibilities for the safe well being of employees and children in its care, both on site and off site during school visits. The Governing Body, as employer, has overall responsibility but this is delegated to the Headmistress who is responsible for ensuring that the trips have been properly planned and there is adequate supervision. However, a duty of care is placed on all staff involved in school trips to ensure that children are kept safe and healthy. The teacher in charge and staff have the responsibility to ensure that pupils’ behaviour is in accordance with school policy and does not at any time put themselves or others at risk.
3. Procedure for Planning an Educational Trip
The golden rule is ‘take nothing for granted’.
Before the Trip:
Before organising a trip first ask yourself the following question:
‘If I were a parent, would I be happy for this trip to go ahead?’
If you answer no, then you should not go ahead with the trip.
Permission and Planning a visit.
1. Get permission from the Headmistress. For permission to be granted, the Head will need to know the nature of the visit, date, activities taking place for all children, timings, potential hazards. This will need to be communicated by the teacher in charge of the proposed visit and can be done so in writing or in a meeting with the Headmistress.
2. If the trip is a short visit and requires cover, put in writing all cover that is required and pass on to Head of Pastoral Care/Head of Pre Prep.
3. If the trip involves expenditure by the school or if the parents are to be charged, a plan of the costings must be put in writing and passed to the Secretary who will seek the approval of the Headmistress.
4. Whenever possible, a preliminary visit should be made by the teacher organising the trip. If this is not possible, then as much information as possible must be acquired first, so that adequate planning can go ahead. In most cases, you will not be able to confidently assess the risk involved in a trip, or maximise its effectiveness in terms of learning, unless you carry out a pre-visit.
5. All school visits requires that the Teacher in charge checks and takes with her/him a full first aid kit.
6. A full risk assessment must by completed and the risk assessment must be signed by the Headmistress and by the Head of Pastoral Care prior to the visit taking place. School visit risk assessments are held in a file in the school office.
Criteria
In the planning of any trip and deciding whether or not to go ahead the following criteria will be considered:
• Objective for trip – educational or recreational
• Distance form home and travel arrangements
• Cost
• Age, ability, experience of girls
• Experience and appropriate skills of supervisors
• Assessment of numbers and staff supervision ratio
• Assessment of all safety issues and full Risk Assessment
• Adequate provision of first aid
• If residential, accommodation
• Insurance implications
4. Supervision of Children on Educational Trips
NB The party leader of any trip must be a teacher. The Deputy Leader, who must also be a teacher or assistant, should be named so that it is clear who is responsible. All Teachers and Parent Helpers on school trips should be CRB checked. On over night stays all staff and volunteers must be CRB checked. A list of adult helpers who have been CRB checked is held in the school office.
Ratios:
A) Part day/ day trips
Eg. Visit to local historical site/ museum/ local walk
At least 1 adult per 6 pupils (Reception – Year 3)
Little Bramley ratio is 1 adult to 2 pupils
At least 1 adult per 10-15 pupils (Years 4-6). A higher ratio may be advised following the risk assessment and for residential trips.
B) Residential trip in this Country
These guidelines on staff/pupil ratios should be kept.
C) A Trip Abroad
For visits abroad the school stipulates that a staff pupil of at least 1:10 must be observed. At least 2 teachers must accompany the party. There must be enough adults in the party to cover an emergency.
At least 1 teacher should have basic knowledge of the area to be visited. If a different language is spoken in the country to be visited, it is recommended that at least 1 teacher has a basic working knowledge of the language.
5. Carry out Risk Assessments
If the Headmistress provisionally agrees for a trip to go ahead then a detailed Risk Assessment must be carried out by the designated party leader: These risk assessments are held in a folder in the office (also see appendix). Party leaders must complete this risk assessment paying attention to detail. Please see also some generic risk assessments eg. For travel on coach, as these can be helpful to you.
When carrying out a risk assessment you should consider the following points:
• What are the possible hazards?
• Who might be affected by them
• What safety measures need to be taken to reduce these risks to an ‘acceptable level’?
• Can these safety measures be put into place? By whom? When?
• What action will be taken in an emergency?
There are 3 clear areas of risk
a) Injuries eg slips, trips, falls , breaks, collisions, sprains, bleeding, bruising
b) Poisoning eg chemicals, badly labelled bottles, allergies, food, water
c) Children getting lost or separated eg travelling during the activity
Completed risk assessments are to be given to the Headmistress and then to Mrs Hamilton for authorisation.
Ideally risk assessments should be completed and authorised before a letter is sent out to parents advising of the trip.
WHEN DO I NEED TO CARRY OUT A RISK ASSESSMENT?
For all visits and trips.
For regular ‘short visits’ to local venues, eg church, matches. Careful monitoring is still required to prevent an incident taking place and a risk assessment is still needed. For all other trips eg museum, theatre etc, a copy of the completed Risk Assessment (kept in folder in office) must be given to Mrs Burgess or Mrs Hamilton for approval, at least 7 days before the date of departure.
For longer trips eg. abroad, a copy of the completed Risk Assessment must be given to Mrs Burgess or Mrs Hamilton at least 4 weeks before the date of departure.
Remember: insurance covers recovery only – it doesn’t reduce the likelihood of something happening.
WHAT DO I NEED TO CONSIDER IN MY RISK ASSESSMENT?
• Type of visit / activity (high risk, outdoor activities)
• Location/type of transport
• Competence, experience, qualifications of supervisory staff
• Staff/pupil ratios
• Special educational/medical needs of pupils
• Quality of equipment to be used
• Conditions, weather, timing
• Emergency procedures
• How to cope with ‘unwilling’ pupils
• Need to monitor risks throughout trip
HOW DO I CARRY OUT MY RISK ASSESSMENT?
Follow the clear procedure set out in this policy. If you are unsure or have any problem please speak to either Mrs Burgess or Mrs Hamilton.
Communicating with Parents
Parents should receive a letter detailing all activities and events planned on the school journey. This should include date and time of departure, arrival back to school, food requirements and clothing requirements. Once this letter is given to parents, consent needs to be sought for each child.
PARENTAL CONSENT
The Headmistress or group leader must seek permission from the parents of a child before she takes part in any of the following:
• All non-routine visits (no matter how short the visit)
• All adventure activities
• All visits abroad
• All residential visits
What consent is needed?
The parental consent form should also contain any relevant emergency details
• Emergency contact numbers
• Allergies
• Present medication and dosage
• Details of special dietary requirements
• Other relevant personal details eg travel sickness/sleepwalks/poor swimmers etc (Only relevant for residential trips)
Medical Consent to agree to emergency treatment is included in the parents’ consent form.
An Off-site Activity Medical and Consent Form is given to parents for signing. The Leader should ensure that all medical and special needs for the trip are logged for reference during the day eg. Name of child, medication, time of medication, parent consent for medication.
The Group Leader must take a copy of the Visits and Activities Policy, a copy of the risk assessment and a copy of each child’s Off Site Activity Medical and Consent Form with them for each visit.
Planning Transport
The Headmistress should be informed and first must agree to a child being transported in the car of a non-teacher. Dfes recommend that parent’s permission is sought and that girls are brought to a central ‘dropping off’ point ideally the school.
Coaches that are used for a visit must be booked via the School Secretary who will ensure that a reputable company is used. Remember that coaches need to be booked well in advance of a visit.
If parents are to be required to transport pupils on a visit then staff must have permission from the Headmistress. All parents used for transport must be CRB checked. A full risk assessment must be made.
If public transport is to be used for a visit then permission must be sought from the Headmistress and a full risk assessment must be completed.
Preparing Pupils
The group organiser should spend sufficient time with pupils prior to the events explaining the purpose of the trip. Issues regarding conduct, health and safety, medication, emergency exits/procedures should be addressed. Pupils should be given encouragement to voice any concerns they may have regarding the trip.
TYPE OF VISIT
Adventure Activities
• Check that the centre being used is licensed and insured
• Check that the instructors and supervisors are qualified
• Check that all equipment to be used is serviced appropriately and meets safety standards of the NGB (National Governing Body)
• Appropriate provision for first aid
More remote Adventure Activities (supervision)
The group leader should be aware of:
Sea – tides, potential hazards, glass, sewage outlets, cliff tops, warning signs and flags
Farms - basic safety advice:
• Wash hands after touching or feeding animals
• Do not drink form farm taps unless they are clearly for the public
• Keep away from tractors and other machines
Residential Visits
• Ensure whole group is aware of the accommodation layout
• Whole group know where the nearest emergency exit is
• Whole group know fire/emergency arrangements and assembly point
• Teacher should have access to all rooms
• Windows and balconies need to be secure and made safe (shut)
• Appropriate staff supervision/ presence during the night
• Be aware of security arrangement to stop unauthorised visitors
Visits Abroad
A number of additional factors should be considered when organising a trip abroad:
• Driving regulations, licence requirements, insurance
• Documentation required, European Medical Card, visas
• Official tour operator eg ABTA/ATOL etc
• Staffing ratios
• Language – at least 1 member of staff has working knowledge
• Local customs – dress, eating times, local foods
• Health hazards eg water
• Vaccinations – check with department of health
• Insurance
• Emergency medical facilities – take a contingency fund
• Photocopies of all group documents, passports, consent forms, insurance details
• Identity cards – issue all girls with ID cards contact numbers and details of group accommodation
• Ensure copies of all documentations left at school together with detailed itinerary
• Prepare the girls before they go on the trip eg daily routine, code of conduct etc.
6. Checklist for the Headmistress
It is useful for the Headmistress to work through the checklist systematically as a safeguard that every thing has been checked
• Assess criteria for trip – is objective valid?
• Is it appropriate for age and ability group?
• Are dates appropriate, no clashes with other trips, can staff be covered?
• Costings, is trip too expensive, how is it to be financed?
• Have you given permission for trip to go ahead?
• Staffing – who is group leader, Deputy leader?
• Are staff sufficiently experienced, appropriate?
• Ratio staff:pupils
• Has full insurance been taken out? Do you have copy of details?
• Has a detailed Risk Assessment been carried out? Checked by you? Do you have a copy?
• Travel details – are you satisfied?
• Have all parents completed appropriate consent forms?
• Do you have a list of contact numbers for all parents?
• Have parents been briefed about what to expect on the trip? Have all the girls been briefed about their behaviour?
• Have copies of all documentation been left at school?
• Has a copy of group names, contact details, full itinerary been left at school and issued to parents?
• Has a person at school been named as a contact?
• Are all medical and special needs planned for and taken into account.
7. Checklist for the Group Organiser
If you are organising a trip you may find it useful to follow this checklist to ensure that nothing has been overlooked
• Date of trip, reason, location, duration, age range, no. in group, group leader, deputy leader
• Assess criteria for trip – is there a clear objective? Is it valid?
• Is trip appropriate of age and ability of group?
• Are dates appropriate, no clashes with other trips, can staff be covered?
• Costings – do you have clear written plan of costings, have you given it to Headmistress?
• Have you been given permission by Headmistress for the trip to go ahead?
• Staffing – have you named group and deputy leader?
• Are staff sufficiently experienced, appropriate?
• Supervision – is staff/pupil ratio in line with school guidelines?
• Has full insurance been taken out have you given copy to Headmistress to be left at school?
• Have you carried out a detailed Risk Assessment? Have you given a copy to Mrs Burgess or Mrs Hamilton?
• Accommodation details – have you checked these? Have you left copies with Headmistress at school?
• Have all parents completed appropriate consent forms? Have you left copies with Headmistress to be kept at school?
• Have you got a fully equipped first aid bag?
• Have you prepared fully for special and medical needs including special diet or medication needs?
• Do you have list of contact numbers for all parents? Have you left a copy at school?
• Have all staff been briefed about their roles and responsibilities?
• Have parents been briefed (meeting/detailed information pack)?
• Have all the girls been briefed about what to expect on the trip?
• Have all girls been briefed about their behaviour?
• Have copies of all documentation been left at school?
• Has a copy of group names, contact details, full itinerary been left at school?
• Has a person at school been named as a contact?
• Have you taken a copy of all documentation, passports, etc to take with you and keep separately?
• Do all staff have relevant copies of all documentation, lists, arrangements
• Have you arranged an emergency fund to take with you?
• Are all medical and educational needs planned for and taken into account?
• Do you have a full first aid kit?
• Do you have a folder with a copy of the Visitors and Activities out of school Policy, a copy of the risk assessment and a copy of each child’s consent form?
• Have you left the original documents with the Head at school?
PROCEDURES IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY ON A SCHOOL TRIP
SERIOUS OR FATAL INJURY
An emergency is unlikely to occur in circumstances where these procedures can be carried out to the letter, but staff accompanying the party should be so familiar with them that they are able to adapt them to the situation in which they find themselves.
Should a serious incident occur during an off site activity, the person in charge must:
• Ensure that all staff and pupils are safe from danger and that steps are being taken to provide medical care for the injured.
• If appropriate contact, and co-operate fully with, the emergency services (112 in the UK and Europe).
• Ensure that you have a copy of the child’s off- site Activity Medical Consent form which gives permission for emergency medical treatment if parents cannot be contacted.
• If someone is taken to hospital accompany him or her if possible. If not possible ask the police to inform you to which hospital they have been taken.
• If possible, now contact the school via telephone. (See below)
• Discourage pupils from contacting their parents direct unless they have been briefed on what has happened and the likely next steps.
• Do not speak to the press and do not admit liability of any part to anybody for any event.
• Do not permit anyone to interview a pupil involved unless in your presence or in the presence of another responsible adult.
• Be aware that the uninjured children and adults may need support. The emergency services will be able to offer advice.
When contacting the school, be prepared to give as much of the following information as possible:
• Name, location and contact number.
• The nature, location and time of the incident.
• Name and contact number of an adult at the incident site (if different).
• Location of injured - name and contact number of adult present.
• Extent of injuries, numbers and names.
• Whether or not the Police have contacted, or intend to contact parents first themselves.
• Location of uninjured - name and contact number of adult present.
• Emergency services involved – contact name/number of police, doctor etc.
• Actions that have been taken so far.
• Who else has been informed and what has been said.
• Details of any media response.
If the accompanying member of staff is not fit to continue, or is unavailable, another member of staff will be despatched to the scene of the emergency or to another agreed location. The member of staff should not attempt to drive if there is any possibility
that he or she is suffering form shock or exhaustion. If in doubt seek medical advice.
Making Contact with School
• During school hours contact the school switchboard. (01737 812004)
• If the incident happens outside school hours contact the Headmistress directly and if unable to contact her, a member of the SMT.
• During holidays inform the Head and/or an agreed contact and, if necessary, parent/guardians immediately by telephone. If it is not possible to communicate with the Head or the agreed contact, contact a member of the SMT. Failing any of the SMT being available report directly to the Clerk of Governors.
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR OTHER ACCIDENTS/INCIDENTS
Fill in the school accident/incident report form or commit to writing full details as required above.
Insurance
Bramley School has Public Liability Insurance.
This policy has incorporated advice provided in Dfes publication ‘Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits’.
FORMS FOR OUT SCHOOL JOURNEY AND VISITS ARE KEPT IN THE SCHOOL OFFICE IN A FOLDER MARKED ‘PROCEDURES FOR SCHOOL VISITS’
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