Educational Visits Coordinator and Health & Safety Coordinator

Transcription

1 Policy Title Author Trips and Visits Policy Educational Visits Coordinator and Health & Safety Coordinator Publication/Revision Date July 2017/November 2017 Approval Date November 2017 Next Review November 2019 Head teacher signature Purpose The purpose of this policy is to provide a strong framework for managing Costello Schools trips and visits. Aims The aim of this policy is to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, that employees and students who attend trips are not exposed to risks to their health and safety and outline the steps to reduce and improve personal safety. Wider School Ethos The Costello School values the contribution that off-site activities can make to the education of all its students. It provides deeper subject learning and increases self-confidence. It also helps students develop their risk awareness and prepares them for their future working lives. These regulations relate to all kinds of off-site activity, whether during normal school hours, at evenings or weekends, or during holidays. Sources and References Department for Education Departmental advice on legal duties and powers for local authorities, school leaders, school staff and governing bodies on Health and Safety covering activities that take place on or off school premises, including school trips: advice, February 2014 HSE Guidance on School Trips Procedures and Practice Before any activity (trips or speakers in) a Visit/Guest speaker Proposal form is to be completed by the Trip Leader and forwarded to the Assistant Head teacher to make the initial decision to approve or decline the trip/guest speaker. Once approved and before off-site activity takes place, the approval of the Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC) MUST be obtained. A written risk assessment MUST be prepared for each visit. Page 1 of 5

2 For all visits of more than one day, and where residence away from home is involved, the LA has to be informed of proposals via the EVOLVE System. EVC, Head teacher and Governor approval is also gained through this system before it reaches the LA: at least EIGHT WEEKS IN ADVANCE before trip is launched for residential and adventurous trips at least EIGHT WEEKS IN ADVANCE before trip takes place for other trips In the case of organised holidays, at home and abroad, it is essential that insurance cover is adequate. This can generally be provided by the County. (Trip Leaders should check the travel company is not charging an additional cost for insurance as it is not required). All details for running trips can be found on FROG: Staffroom (under Trips administration) and training sessions will be run at least once a year for all staff who intend running an educational trip. Planning a Visit When planning a visit, there should be a clear purpose for all students (this does not have to be academic i.e. personal development), and it should be planned at an appropriate time in the school calendar, with the agreement of the EVC and Leadership team. All overseas and activity trips should be organised through an ABTA approved and fully insured external provider. First Aid provision: o A very low risk local trip to a library etc. where medical help is available close by: EVC will satisfy herself there is adequate first aider provision on site. o For trips to a venue with first aid provision within UK e.g. theatre in London, museum in Kent: Hampshire approved venue and approved transport provider is used. EVC will satisfy herself there is adequate first aider provision during transport and on site. At least one member of staff must be holding a valid first aid qualification. o EVC will assess first aid provision for other trips (help is available from H&S co-ordinator) including residential and trips abroad: For Off-site or Open country without immediate access to medical support - All trip leaders must be first-aid trained and certified (3 day FAW training) For Adventurous activities - All leaders must be adequately first-aid trained and certified (mixture of FAW and EFAW training) Residential at least two members of staff must be holding a valid first aid qualification One member of staff on the trip MUST be trained outdoor leader When planning an activity that will involve caving, climbing, trekking, skiing or water sports, schools must currently check that the provider holds an appropriate licence All trip leaders should follow the day checklist or residential checklist outlined on FROG, which will ensure that all steps to taking a successful trip are covered. All costings forms must be presented and agreed by EVC Sian Williams prior to presenting to the Finance Manager before any trip can take place, and the costings agreed must be adhered to. Trip leaders should use the EVC Sian Williams to book coaches, tickets, tours, telephone travel companies, chase monies etc., so as not to impinge on their workload. Trip leaders MUST brief all of the staff joining the trip before the trip departs to ensure that everyone is aware of the plans and expectations for the trip, risks and measures to be taken to manage identified risks. Page 2 of 5

3 Parental consent The trip leader MUST send out written consent form to parents as signed written consent forms are required for students to be allowed to take part in the majority of offsite activities organised by a school that are a normal part of a child s education at school. Medical forms are also to be send out to parents by the trip leader. The EVC checks all received signed forms against the trip register and will remove any student when the signed forms were not received for him/her. The one-off consent form is provided to parents by the pastoral team to sign when a child enrols at the school. This will cover a child s participation in any of the off-site sporting fixtures outside the school day throughout their time at the school. Parents must be told in advance of each activity and must be given the opportunity to withdraw their child from any activity covered by the form. Contingency Arrangements for Emergencies All trip leaders from the school MUST take with them the emergency pack that outlines all details of procedures should the need arise including fire and first aid procedures at the trip location(s). There will always be two named emergency contacts for a trip (usually these will be members of the Leadership team or senior members of staff) and these staff will also have emergency procedures with them. Run, Hide, Tell Whilst the chance of being involved in a terrorist incident is low we want to be ensure that, should the worst happen, then we are prepared and know how to react. Trip leaders MUST brief students prior to leaving on the trip and all staff on trip must sign the Run, Hide, Tell slip. Run, Hide, Tell must also be part of each trip risk assessment. The primary consideration is your safety and that of the students under your care. You will have a school emergency contact number and if there is an incident in the area you are in (even if you are not involved) you must contact this number so we know that all are safe. Whilst many events have their own security measures, if at any point you are uncomfortable with the situation then you should consider aborting the visit. RUN Escape if you can Consider the safest options Is there a safe route? RUN if not HIDE Can you get there without exposing yourself to greater danger? Insist others leave with you Leave belongings behind HIDE If you cannot RUN, HIDE Find cover from gunfire If you can see the attacker, they may be able to see you Cover from view does not mean you are safe, bullets go through glass, brick, wood and metal Find cover from gunfire e.g. substantial brickwork / heavy reinforced walls Be aware of your exits Try not to get trapped Be quiet, silence your phone and turn off vibrate Lock / barricade yourself in Page 3 of 5

4 Move away from the door TELL Call What do the police need to know? If you cannot speak or make a noise listen to the instructions given to you by the call taker Location - Where are the suspects? Direction - Where did you last see the suspects? Descriptions Describe the attacker, numbers, features, clothing, weapons etc. Further information Casualties, type of injury, building information, entrances, exits, hostages etc. Stop other people entering the building if it is safe to do so ARMED POLICE RESPONSE Follow officers instructions Remain calm Can you move to a safer area? Avoid sudden movements that may be considered a threat Keep your hands in view OFFICERS MAY Point guns at you Treat you firmly Question you Be unable to distinguish you from the attacker Officers will evacuate you when it is safe to do so Once it is safe or identified to be a false alarm, staff must meet students at a designated meeting point, which you must indicate to students at the start of the trip. Withdrawal of Students from Trips This is a very sensitive issue and it must be remembered that although the punishment may be deserved it still causes distress to the child concerned and to the family. While the overall safety of all students on the trip must be of paramount importance, we need, where possible, to work together to improve the child s behaviour, not alienate the child totally. Such a severe punishment should therefore be used only in exceptional circumstances. If a student is considered for exclusion from a trip the following procedure must be adopted: Senior Pastoral Leader discusses issues with trip leader Senior Pastoral Leader discusses with their line manager in Senior Leadership Team. Senior Pastoral Leader/Trip Leader invites the parents in and explains why the school has made this decision. If it is likely to be a difficult interview, the member of Senior Leadership Team should also be present at this interview. This must be followed up in writing. If the matter cannot be resolved in the interview, the situation should be referred to the Head teacher. The student s place should not be offered to another student until the matter is fully resolved. The final decision remains with the Head teacher. The school reserve the right to withdraw any student from the trip should their behaviour and/or attitude at school be deemed unacceptable. Should this situation arise the parent will be responsible for the cost of the trip and no monies will be refunded by the school. No refunds are available if the student is withdrawn from the trip by the parent/carer. Staffing All staff to student ratios mapped out by Hampshire Outdoor Education must be adhered to without fail. Should the trip be outside of a commutable distance from the school then Page 4 of 5

5 serious consideration should be paid to allowing for a degree of overstaffing in case of emergency. Staff are not permitted to take their own children unless the child is a student at the school and in the appropriate age range or year group. Should a child of a member of staff legitimately be included on a trip (e.g. Child is a History student on school attending History trip with his/her class) then that member of staff must not be the trip leader and must not have their son/daughter in their assigned group. Appendices None Page 5 of 5