Educational visits provide rich experiences which many pupils will cherish for a long time to come. Activities, especially when undertaken away from the familiar school environment, almost inevitably will pose some element of risk. Whilst it may not be possible to prevent all accidents, it is certainly possible to attempt to maintain sensible controls over risks. In fact, this is now a statutory obligation under health and safety law that affects Governors directly.
In common sense terms, the Governing Body must ensure that:
- The school has a policy for dealing with visit’s which takes account of health and safety
- Possible risks are assessed and all controls (precautions) which can reasonably be taken without disproportionate cost or effort are adopted for the visit
- Appropriate arrangements for planning, organisation and control are in place and evidence would be available to confirm this in the event of an incident
- Possible incidents and the emergency action which would be necessary are taken into account in planning the visit
- Everyone affected, including parents and pupils, is appropriately informed of risks and precautions
- Visits are monitored and reviewed to ensure that good practice is maintained.
Although these issues arise specifically for health and safety, they are principles which apply to all other aspects of visits and can form the basis of a checklist which Governors might use in reviewing the general conduct of school visits.
School Visits Policy
The Governing Body must call on the Headteacher to maintain an Educational Trips and Visits Policy.
What Makes a Good Policy
The policy must aim to underline the co-operation needed from everyone to promote the value of educational visits and make them successful, stimulating and enjoyable. It needs to be clear on matters relating to authorisation of visits. Governing Bodies will need to indicate under which circumstances proposals for authorisation must be brought before them and who on the school staff has the power to authorise more routine visits. Some flexibility is needed to take account of activities arranged justifiably at short notice. Generally the level of personal injury, child protection, financial, or matters which relate to the standing of the school in the public arena.
The detail of the policy adopted will reflect, in part, the size of the school but will need to incorporate some or all of the following elements:
- If the Headteacher is delegating responsibility for this area: the nomination of an Educational Visits Co-ordinator
- Alignment with local and national documentation and guidance
- A clear, simple set of procedures for the management of all groups leaving the premises which are appropriate and proportionate to circumstances
- A procedural checklist against which teachers can comprehensively plan each visit
- A system by which visits in certain categories receive prior approval of the Governing Body. Such categories may include:
- Visits involving overnight stays
- Foreign visits Visits involving potentially hazardous activities
- Those visits for which LEA notification or approval is required.
- The timing of notifications must take into account the implications of non returnable deposits
- Possible need to amend programmes
- Need for LEA notification and approval where necessary
- Means by which the arrangements can be reviewed annually with the Headteacher to ensure that the policy reflects the current thinking of the Governing Body and is up to date in relation to staff changes and operating experience.
The need to retain a sense of proportion governs the level of involvement and support the CYPS gives. It will focus attention on higher risk, higher profile activities. With the introduction of this detailed advice, schools have a clear indication of standards expected and, providing they can show that they have followed the guidance, the CYPS will support them in any dispute. In these circumstances most educational visits can be planned and discharged without further reference to the CYPS.
The CYPS will hold a watching brief on residential visits abroad, on fieldwork undertaken in hazardous terrain and to Adventurous Activity Licensed centres - licensed to deliver activities by the Adventurous Activities Licensing Service (AALS) (external link). It requires to be notified a minimum of four weeks in advance of such activities.
Formal approval by the CYPS will be required only where potential risk is at its highest, these include establishment led activities which would come under the scope of AALS or where very high profile adventure expeditions are being proposed. In this case the CYPS must be involved at the outset of planning such activities.
Adventurous Activities Licensing Regulations 1996. These regulations are directed at providers of adventure activities for young people below the age of 18. Schools must check that providers they use (other than the CYPS’s own centres) have a current and relevant licence for activities the school will be participating in. Any activities offered by the CYPS’s own centres are monitored directly by AALS and can be assumed to meet the requirements of the regulations.
Procedures for responding to a major emergency. Governors must satisfy themselves of the adequacy of their arrangements to cope with the implications of a major emergency affecting a group on a visit, whether in Britain or abroad. Such arrangements must ensure:
- Efficient communication between the affected party, senior management, the Governing Body and, where applicable, the CYPS
- Effective communication with parents
- The management of information; dealing with the media
Certain emergencies may be classed as ‘critical incidents’.
More advice is given in the section Emergency Procedures, Governing Bodies are strongly advised to apply in full the guidance in this section.
Arrangements for educational visits will impinge on other policies operating in the school, e.g. Charging and Remissions policy. In establishing or reviewing policies Governors will need to ensure that the necessary linkages are made to ensure consistent application, overall.
Adventurous Activities using Licensed Providers (United Kingdom Only)
When planning to use adventure activity facilities offered by a commercial company or another local authority the Group Leader must check:
- Whether the provider is legally required to hold a licence for the activities it offers, and
- That the provider actually holds a licence.
Over 900 United Kingdom providers currently hold a licence. The relevant legislation is the Activity Centres (Young Person’s Safety) Act 1995 and the associated Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 1996. A licensed provider does not necessarily have to hold a licence for all its activities. Other activities offered may be accredited under non-statutory schemes. Many of the activities that pupils take part in will be covered by health and safety legislation alone. The provider can give information on what activities are licensed. A licence is one of the assessment control measures.
It is illegal for a provider of licensable status to offer a licensable activity without a valid licence. The Group Leader must check on the licence status of the provider.
Not all providers are required to hold a licence. Voluntary bodies and schools providing their own members of staff and pupils are exempt, but a risk assessment is required.
Staff who use providers for adventurous activities must request sight of, and assess the details of, the provider’s risk assessment for those activities. For Staff who are leading the activity then a risk assessment must be carried out. See Safety in Outdoor Education for more details about the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations.
Pre Visit Inspections
It is important that the Group Leader is familiar with the venue, either by visiting the site first hand or by acquiring sufficient knowledge of the site. It is vital that this is carried out if a potentially hazardous activity is to take place. As mentioned in Risk Assessments, use of Form RA1 may assist in assessing suitability of the site.
If an exploratory visit is not possible then as much information as possible must be acquired from as many sources as reasonably possible, including:
- The Manager of the venue
- The local Tourist Office Motoring organisations
- The Local Authority for the area
- If an outdoor education centre, the Licensing Authority
- If a sea-borne activity, for the local coast guard, and Schools that have visited recently
- Again use of RA1 may be of use in this process.
Management of Young People
An appropriate level of personal responsibility must be agreed with parents and participants, prior to the commencement of the trip.
A sample Code of Conduct (.pdf, 44kb) is available and may assist the Group Leaders in ensuring pupils awareness of their responsibilities.
Accommodation Standards for Permanent Residential Centres
It is recognised that not all establishments will provide residential accommodation and that on many occasions activities will involve overnight stays in outdoor areas, mountain huts, bunkhouses, under canvas, bivouacs etc.
However, where permanent accommodation is provided at a centre, or where providers use other organisations/establishments on a sub-contract basis to provide residential accommodation, it must meet the following guidelines and be checked out whenever possible prior to the visit.
- There must be adequate provision for the storage of clothes, rucksacks and other outdoor equipment
- There must be one washbasin (with hot and cold water and mirror) for every ten participants in close proximity to sleeping areas
- Centres must be adequately heated
- Sleeping areas to have at least one external window providing adequate ventilation
- All bedroom and bathroom windows to have opaque blinds or curtains or equivalent
- Sleeping areas must be adequately lit
- The centre must make provision for luggage storage
- A separate room must be available for the storage of special clothing and equipment
- Provision must also be made for the drying of clothes. There must be adequate provision/ arrangements for safekeeping of valuables
- There must be adequate provision/arrangements for sick/infirm participants and those with special needs and /or disabilities
- There must be one bath or shower (with hot and cold water) for every 15 people and one WC for every 10 people in close proximity to sleeping areas
- There must be at least 75cm between each bed or set of bunks and adequate circulation space to allow for easy access to all facilities in the room.
NB Residential Centres are inspected by the Council in which they are situated. If in doubt check with the local council if the centre has passed this annual inspection.
Whilst the list below is not intended to be exhaustive, centres/providers will be expected to demonstrate compliance with the following areas of legislation, where appropriate:
- Fire Certification/ Fire risk Assessment
- Food Safety/Hygiene
- Health and Safety
- The Children Act
- Road Transport
If you are considering using a facility which results in joint or shared accommodation within a centre or which has public access e.g. a Hotel or Youth Hostel you must be able to ensure the safety of the pupils in your charge. Areas to consider are listed below.
- Do all rooms/dormitories lock - Who holds the keys?
- Do pupils have to leave the rooms to access the toilet/bathroom?
- How close are the rooms of Group Leaders to all pupils’ rooms/dormitories?
- What instructions have pupils been given if they have to leave their room during the night?
- Have all adults been given satisfactory clearance on CRB checks?
- Are all rooms used solely by the school party?
This must be covered as part of your risk assessment when planning the visit.
If the organiser cannot assure the safety of all pupils then the venue/ accommodation must be changed.