Reddish Vale Nursery School School trips policy Context Our school acknowledges that children can derive immense educational benefit by taking part in off-site visits. Taking part in problem solving and decision-making can enhance the development of personal and social skills. The knowledge and experience gained beyond the nursery can consolidate and extend the taught curriculum within it. This policy seeks to establish a framework from which our children can benefit in a safe, healthy and secure environment. An Off-site Visit is defined as children going beyond the school gates to pursue an activity organised through the school. All off-site visits must have an educational purpose and pre-determined clear educational objectives. The school policy recognises that every child should have full access to each visit that is appropriate to their needs, developing further the whole child. Application Any visit that leaves the school grounds is covered by this policy, whether as part of the curriculum, during school time, or outside the normal school day. In addition to this Educational Visits Policy, Reddish Vale Nursery School: 1. Adopts the Local Authority s (LA) document: Off site visits and Journeys Guidance with National Guidance. 2. Adopts National Guidance www.oeapng.info, (as recommended by the LA). All staff are required to plan and execute visits in line with school policy (ie this document), Local Authority policy, and National Guidelines. Staff are particularly directed to be familiar with the roles and responsibilities outlined within the guidance. Types of Visit & Approval There are four categories of visit: Group 1: low risk, close to base and greatest volume: Swimming lessons, local parks/ establishments, local surveys These require School approval. Group 2: Moderate risk and away from base support. Journeys distinguished by an added difficulty an emergency would make- theatres, concerts These require school approval. Group 3: Higher risk provision Involving potentially hazardous/ adventurous activities these require LA approval. Group 4: High risk and greatest distance activities Residentials: UK/ abroad/ exchanges these require LA approval. Implementation Local visits : Group 1 The school encourages pupils to use the locality, walking to amenities around Reddish. Stockport Council specify required ratios for walking visits so at Reddish Vale we stay within the following minimum requirements Nursery 1 : 3
Day Visits outside Reddish : Group 2 Children may be given the opportunity to enhance their learning by visiting educational establishments away from Reddish. For these visits coaches are hired and parental aid is usually sought to ensure there is enough adults to ensure a safe trip. Stockport Council specify required ratios for group 2 visits so at Reddish Vale we stay within the following minimum requirements Nursery - 1 : 3 Farm visits : Group 3 During these visits it is important to ensure that:- - pupils must not sample animal feed or raw milk - animals with diseases must be isolated - there must be adequate toilet and washing facilities - there must be a clean area for eating - pupils must be aware that they must not put fingers in their mouths - they must only eat after washing hands carefully - close supervision is important when there is direct contact with animals especially bottle fed lambs and calves All visits require individual written consent from parents. All visits must be entered into the school diary and have the prior approval of the Headteacher. Roles and responsibilities The LA The LA has the following responsibilities: Provide written guidelines for governors, Head teachers and teachers, including advice on risk assessment. Assess and approve proposals for certain types of visits. Provide an emergency 24-hour contact number. Ensure training needs are catered for. Give access to members of staff for advice. The Governing Body Where the governing body is the employer their role will be the same as the LA. They must be satisfied that risk assessments have been carried out with appropriate safety measures in place and that training needs have been addressed. Governing bodies of all types of schools must: ensure that all school visits have a specific and stated objective; ensure that the Head teacher / group leaders plans for the visit adhere to the LA guidelines and regulations, and the schools health and safety policy; ensure that the Head teacher / group leader reports back to them after the visit ensure that they are informed of less routine visits well in advance; approve visits reported to them. The Head teacher Head teachers must ensure that any proposed school visit complies with: LA procedures and policy; the schools own health and safety policy.
Head teachers must also: be satisfied that the visit has been planned effectively and that any risks identified by a risk assessment are minimised; be clear about their own role if they are going on the visit as a group member/supervisor. ensure that all adults accompanying the visit are appropriately selected and have the expertise, experience and qualifications relevant to the activities ensure that the group leaders are given sufficient time to plan and organise a visit properly; ensure that the ratio of adults: pupils is appropriate and suitable; ensure that child protection procedures are in place; ensure that the governing body and/or the LA have approved the visit if appropriate; ensure that parental consent forms have been issued and returned signed; ensure that suitable arrangements have been made for the medical and special needs of all pupils; ensure that first aid provision and a qualified first aider is available; ensure that the mode of transport is appropriate and that outward/inward journey times are clear; ensure that there is relevant insurance cover; ensure that they have details of the venue including address, telephone number and contact name; ensure that a school emergency contact has been nominated and that the group leader has these details; ensure that the group leader has the LA emergency contact information available; ensure that the group leaders, supervisors and school contact have a copy of the agreed emergency procedures and the names of ALL members of the group, with emergency contact details of parents/guardians or next of kin; ensure that there are contingency plans in place for delays or alternative arrangements should the original visit have to be cancelled e.g. bad weather; ensure that where appropriate, the LA have been issued with a copy of all risk assessments at least four weeks before the visit. The Head teacher can delegate tasks to the group leader who undertakes much of the planning and organisation. The Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC) Each school must have an EVC and in our case it is the head teacher. work with the group leaders to provide parents with full details of the visit enabling parents to accept or refuse consent on a fully informed basis; organise the emergency arrangements and ensure there is an emergency contact for each visit; review systems and, on occasion, monitor practice. Teachers/HLTAs Teachers on school visits act as employees of the LA / governing body by agreement with the Head teacher and governors. Accompanying teachers must: do their best to ensure the health and safety of everyone in the group; act as any reasonable parent would in the circumstances; take reasonable steps to avoid exposing pupils to dangers that are foreseeable and beyond those that the pupils can reasonably be expected to cope with; Consider stopping the visit or the activity and notify the group leader if s/he thinks there is an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of any of the pupils in their charge. Volunteers
Non-teacher adults must be clear about their roles and responsibilities. Volunteers must not be left in sole charge of the children. They must follow the instructions of the group leaders and assist with maintaining acceptable levels of behaviour. Parents Parents must inform the school about any medical needs / allergies / special dietary needs etc. of their child. The school must inform the parents about all aspects of the visit to enable them to make an informed choice as to whether or not they want their child to participate. The visit leader is representing the Head and the school on all visits. He/She ensures that:- Prior to visit 1. a preliminary visit is taken and a report written on return 2. that there are clear aims and objectives of the visit related to their age, ability, experience and needs 3. transport arrangements are clearly in place 4. a Plan B is outlined in the risk assessment 5. how the emergency action plan will be administered 6. the EVC and Headteacher approve of the visit arrangements 7. all participating children have written parental consent to attend visit 8. parents are aware of the days itinerary (need for a packed lunch, time of return, clothing) 9. pupils are well briefed on expected behaviour, organisation and arrangements 10. risk assessments shared with both children and supervising adults 11. that all adults understand the concept of loco parentis i.e. that they are in place of the parent i.e. they are responsible, prudent and careful 12. all adults are aware of and comfortable with their roles (each should have their own group list if divided into sub-groups) 13. there is a named delegate in his/her absence (deputy leader) 14. there is a fully trained first aider and first aid kit is readily available for all trips 15. financial matters have been dealt with appropriately 16. group leader and deputy leader both have mobile phones with relevant contact numbers 17. base contact has phone numbers of venue, group leader and deputy leader During visit 1. there is good order and discipline 2. all risk assessments are followed 3. there is a procedure if a child is lost 4. appropriate supervision exists when the children are divided into sub-groups 5. objectives of the visit /activity are met 6. suitable places for eating and toileting are used 7. regular head counts 8. generic risk assessments within outdoor education policy are being adhered to 9. all participants enjoy themselves! After the visit 1. an evaluation of the visit is completed. 2. incident book filled in if any damage or physical injury has occurred. EVC informed Staff Competence We recognise that staff competence is the single most important factor in the safe management of visits, and so we support staff in developing their competence in the following ways:
An apprenticeship system, where staff new to visits assist and work alongside experienced visit leaders before taking on a leadership role. Supervision by senior staff on some educational visits. Support for staff to attend training courses relevant to their role, where necessary. In deciding whether a member of staff is competent to be a visit leader, the Head Teacher will take into account the following factors: Relevant experience. Previous relevant training. The prospective leader s ability to make dynamic risk management judgements, and take charge in the event of an emergency. Knowledge of the pupils, the venue, and the activities to be undertaken. Parental Consent Consent is not required for activities within the School Learning Area that are part of the normal curriculum during normal school time. Specific, (ie. one-off), parental consent must be obtained for all other visits. For these visits, sufficient information must be made available to parents (via letters, meetings, etc), so that consent is given on a fully informed basis. Initially, a parental information form outlining the aims of the trip and the voluntary monetary contribution must be completed and sent out. For Group 1 and 2 visits, a signature on a parental consent form will be enough agreeing to the child s participation. On rare occasions, a telephone call or oral consent direct from the parent can be accepted by the party leader. If the visit is in Group 3 or 4 written consent forms and medical forms must be completed in order for the pupil to participate. Behaviour At Reddish Vale every child matters and all children have the opportunity to participate in educational visits regardless of race, background, sex, age, educational or medical needs. Behaviour and expectation rules are clearly established and discussed with the participants and if needed, their parents, prior to any visit going ahead. Leaders may, with the consent of the Headteacher, exclude children from certain activities who are a potential risk by:- displaying inappropriate/untrustworthy behaviour wearing inadequate clothing if they are physically incapable of participating in the visit or are a medical risk parents not completing consent form However, decisions regarding exclusion from school trips will not be made without first talking with the parents about what the nursery and parent can do to ensure the child s inclusion, including what reasonable steps can be taken to ensure their involvement. Only then it may be that at some point, it is agreed that s/he is unable to take part. Emergency procedures A critical incident is any incident where events go beyond the normal coping mechanisms and experience of the visit leadership team. The school has an emergency plan in place to deal with a critical incident during a visit. All staff on visits are familiar with this plan and it is tested at least bi-annually and following any major staffing changes. When an incident overwhelms the establishment s emergency response capability, or where it involves serious injury or fatality, or where it is likely to attract media attention then assistance will be sought from the local authority. Emergency Procedure
In the event of an incident overwhelming your team s coping mechanisms, use the following to guide your actions: 1. REMAIN CALM - Assess the situation. 2. Safeguard yourself and then any other uninjured members of the group. Make sure all other members of the party are: accounted for safe adequately supervised briefed to ensure that they understand what to do to remain safe. 3. Delegate Assistant Leaders if possible so you can keep an overview of events and to allow concurrent activity. 4. Call emergency services as appropriate. 5. Carry out first aid to the best of your abilities. Remember the aims of first aid are to Preserve life Prevent the condition worsening Promote recovery Essential First aid: casualties need to be able to breath if they are unconscious this means being put into a safe airway position you need to try to find and stop any serious external bleeding you need to protect the casualty from the environment - keep them warm Monitor their condition, talk to them, reassure them, hold their hand and provide emotional support injured are accompanied to hospital by an adult they know Once the immediate situation is contained: Inform the school/establishment Emergency Contact or, if unavailable, your Employer (e.g. the Local Authority) Emergency Contact. They will need the following information: Who you are, which Establishment you are from and what your role is within the group What number can you be called back on? What is the nature of the emergency? How many casualties there are and their status The total number of people in your party Your current location Whether you are staying where you are or moving if you are moving where to? What time did the accident/incident happen? Liaise with, and take advice from, emergency services if they have attended the scene. Consider the physical needs of the group and casualties in terms of shelter,refreshments, transport/repatriation. Consider the emotional needs of the group such as removing them from the scene, providing emotional support (they can often do this for each other), giving them useful things to do. Control communications - prevent group members from using phones or going online unsupervised or until approval is given. Keep a written log of all actions taken, conversations held and a timescale. Refer all media, parental or other enquiries to your employer s press office. Do not speak to the press. First Aid The Co-ordinator must ensure that adequate first aid arrangements are made bearing in mind the location and nature of the activity. There will always be a qualified first aider available. Recording Accidents Accidents are unplanned events and, therefore, not every eventuality can be accounted for in the risk assessment. Should an accident occur it must be, if applicable, recorded in the accident book at the venue. Upon return to school the accident must also be recorded in the school accident book, and if appropriate a
Stockport Accident/incident report form will be completed and sent to the Health and Safety Division @ Stockport CYPD. If the accident resulted in a major injury i.e. fracture, concussion, hospital treatment etc. it is advisable to obtain witness statements. The reason for this is that children have until their 21 st birthday to make a claim for compensation, it may be many years until the claim transpires by which time many members of staff who witnessed the event may have left or moved on, making it very difficult to compile the necessary information. Medicines and Medication In general, medicines should not be needed but for certain conditions consideration and care might need to be exercised for conditions such as diabetes or asthma. In such circumstances, the school must consult with the parents/carer and, if necessary, seek medical advice. It is up to the co-ordinator to ensure that there are enough mobile phones. Do not rely on a mobile phone for emergency situations as the signal may be out of range. Preliminary Visits The Head teacher/evc must ensure that a preliminary visit is made to the visit site where the site is not known to accompanying staff. In all other cases, a preliminary visit is strongly recommended. Risk Assessments Risk Assessments will be prepared for all aspects of a school trip i.e. transport to and from venue, activities at a centre etc. and requires the Chair of Governor s signature. Risk assessments must be reviewed upon return, this is especially important where the venue is to be re-used or if an accident/incident occurred. SUMMARY The following procedures must be followed for all school trips: Written permission must be obtained from parents, for each child prior to a school trip, annual permission for regular visits. Staffing ratio levels must be maintained throughout the visit. First Aid must be accessible either through an appointed person with the visit or by the venue facilities. Copies of information containing emergency contact/medical/allergy details must be available at all times. A head count must take place before leaving school (or on the coach) and at regular intervals throughout the whole visit. Transport must not be allowed to depart until two adult members of the party have independently counted and agreed that all pupils are present. Toilet facilities must be provided at regular intervals. Food and drink should be provided at regular intervals. On very hot days it may be necessary to provide extra drinks. Where applicable, meeting points must be pre-designated and specific times arranged for party assembly. These times must be strictly adhered to. Where applicable, the transport must be fully insured, the drivers documentation valid and all seats should be forward facing and have seat/lap belts fitted. The maximum seating capacity of the vehicle must not be exceeded and pupils must never travel standing. Children must be informed of all rules relating to the visit. All adults must know which pupils they are responsible for and likewise the children should know to whom they are accountable. Where necessary written guidance must be issued to pupils and parents.
Links to other policies, procedures & guidance: Local Authority Off site visits and Journeys guidance Critical incidents policy Version / Status Introduced Summer 2017 Date Agreed Summer 2017 Where Agreed Review Date Governing Board Meeting Summer 2019 unless Local Authority make changes before this date. **The Nursery has not undertaken school trips for some time and this is reflected in the school policies. Policies will be updated to include school trips as part of their cycle.