Saint Benedict Catholic School

Policy No. 38

School Visits Policy

Date of Policy Reviewed October 2015 Author Andrew Muldoon Date Approved by Governors 23 February 2016 Review Date October 2017

This policy and guidance has been prepared with best information available at the time and must be followed by staff at the school. It incorporates within it the advice provided by DFE and HSE http://www.hse.gov.uk/services/education/school-trips.htm

It is the Governors' policy to give pupils every opportunity to participate in educational visits and residentials in order to expand their personal and social development and to extend curricular experience beyond the environment of the Academy. Outdoor education encompasses learning, living and moving in a wide variety of situations outside the classroom. The places in which these activities occur are outside the classroom and include urban, rural and remote settings on land, water and in the air. Within a safe and structured framework, outdoor education can make a significant contribution to the educational development of all young people. Well structured outdoor education and residential experience can therefore provide a focus for learning within the whole curriculum and through individual subject areas. Each Academy visit that is planned must have clear aims and objectives and contain activities within the scope of the participants, this will contribute to the safety as well as the educational benefits of the visit. Where a physical activity or specialist work is involved this must be reflected in training and preparation. The standards of behaviour expected of both staff and pupils must conform to that highlighted within this policy.

'If in doubt - check it out' is one of the key concepts.

Responsible Persons 1: The Head

The Head, on behalf of the Governors, (his employer), has overall responsibility for planning and arranging outdoor activity visits, but may delegate responsibility for planning and supervising the event to a suitably qualified teacher on the Academy staff. The Head is expected to ensure that supervision arrangements for such activities are adequate. Policy No. 38

Responsible Persons 2: The Group Leader

The group leader has overall responsibility for the supervision and conduct of the visit and must regard to the health and safety of the group at all times. The group leader must:

 Submit request on EVC  Read School Visits handbook  Obtain approval from the Head before the trip takes place;  Arrange adequate supervision and define each persons role and ensure all tasks have been assigned;  Be aware of child protection and safeguarding issues;  Be familiar with the location or make a preliminary visit if appropriate;  Ensure that at least one of the supervisory staff is a competent first aider, preferably holding a valid first aid certificate and also carry an appropriate first aid kit.  Complete a comprehensive risk assessment  Ensure that all parents of the children on the trip are provided with all the required information;  Ensure the ratio of adults to pupils is appropriate for the needs of the group;  Ensure the supervising adults are fully familiar with the emergency procedures and contact numbers;  Terminate the visit if the risk to the health and safety of the pupils is unacceptable and have in place a contingency plan should a significant change to the programme be necessary due to unforeseen circumstances;  Ensure a consent form for Academy trips has been completed for each child. Report any accidents following the accident reporting procedures.  Ensure that a member of staff is available at a contact number on a rota basis 24 hours a day. There must be an arrangement whereby the Head or one of the deputies can be notified of any emergency.

Voluntary helpers may be used but must be clear about their roles and responsibilities during the visit. Both teachers and staff have a common law duty to act as any prudent parent would do when in charge of pupils.

Duke of Edinburgh's Award Unit Leaders and Trainers should be aware that all plans for expeditions or explorations in wild country or expeditions in normal country between 31 October and 31 March, must be approved by the local Expedition Unit BEFORE assessment dates are finalised. Arrangements should be made through local Award Committees.

If more than one school is involved in a combined visit, an overall party leader should be identified, usually the person with most experience. The person in charge should have at least assisted an experienced colleague on the previous visit. Policy No. 38

Participant safety should not be compromised. If suitably experienced party leaders cannot be found, the trip should not take place.

Preliminary Planning

When planning visits organisers should consider;

· What is the aim of the visit? · Does it accord with the Academy's curricular policy? · Is the aim being achieved in the most efficient and effective manner? · Could the same activity be undertaken as effectively on the Academy site or nearby? · What advice is needed before proceeding? · What are the skills/competencies required of the accompanying Academy based staff? · What relevant skills are required of the provider? · Does the proposed venue offer value for money?

These questions will help to establish the appropriateness of the event, the effectiveness, efficiency and economy of the proposed venue and will focus thoughts on the skills and training requirements of accompanying staff. They will also go some way towards establishing that the proposed event is as safe as possible. If organisers are unable to answer such questions themselves, advice may be sought from such specialists as local education authority outdoor education advisers, advisory teachers or PE advisers.

It is important also to consider the school calendar and the number of times a pupil may be out; the location of internal and external examinations; and 'competing' activities which may fall at a similar time, or where pupils may be attracted away from educationally more valuable experiences.

Approval Procedures

The 'approval request' form must be completed by the member of staff concerned and forwarded to EVC. The process is as follows:

Proposal by Teacher ¯ EVC/Bulletin Committee ¯ Teacher

This is for outline approval. The teacher is responsible for following the action described within this policy and for receiving final approval from the Head and EVC. Staff also need to refer to the school visits handbook which can be found using the following link -

\\Stben05\staff-shared\Health and Safety\School Visits\School Visit Policy\School visit handbook Policy No. 38

Any difficulties noticed after approval must be brought to the attention of the Head - eg deteriorating political situation in a country, health status. No contract should be entered into until the organisers and others involved are satisfied that there is good safety provision, and approval by Head and Governors received.

Risk Assessment

Some activities, especially those happening away from the Academy, can involve higher levels of risk. If these are annual or infrequent, a review of an existing assessment is acceptable. If it is a new activity, a specific assessment of significant risks must be carried out. However, a risk assessment is not needed to be carried out every time an activity is undertaken that usually forms part of the Academy day, for example, taking pupils to a local venue which it frequently visits, such as a park or place of worship.

Additional consideration will need to be given for any participants identified as having special educational needs. Safety is the prime consideration; it should not be compromised in order to meet educational or other objectives.

Risk should be assessed by the organisers when planning activity visits. It should also be an ongoing process undertaken by accompanying staff, in liaison with centre staff, throughout the visit. Activities should not proceed or continue if risks are assessed to be or to become too high. Detailed advice on risk assessment can be obtained from EVC.

A 'hazard' is anything which could cause harm. A 'risk' is the chance, great or small, that someone may be harmed by the hazard.

The leader, and other staff, must decide whether a hazard is significant and whether it is covered by the appropriate precautions in order to eliminate or minimise the risk.

Adventurous activities cannot be entirely risk free. The aim, therefore, must always be to contain risks to acceptable levels. This is achievable so long as organisers give careful consideration to the following factors:

· the type of activity and the level at which it is being undertaken; · the location; · the competence, experience and qualifications of Academy supervisory staff; · the group members' age, competence, fitness and temperament; · the ratio of competent, experienced and qualified centre staff to pupils; · the quality and suitability of the available equipment; and · seasonal conditions, weather and timing. Policy No. 38

In assessing risk, organisers should always consider the objectives of the exercise and ensure that the risks to the participants are the minimum necessary to achieve those objectives. Consideration might include:

Special Needs Medical Issues Assembly and Dispersal · registers · safe assembly points · essential equipment, clothing, documents in evidence · clear dispersal arrangements

Journey · monitoring arrangements · embarkation/disembarkation · regulations re: drivers · crossing roads · awareness of procedures · getting lost · hazards identified and party forewarned · standards of behaviour set

Activity · limits defined · sufficient space · staff awareness · fire certification · First Aid facilities · details left with responsible person · emergency procedures known · all time planned · clothing · weather · checked equipment which is suitable

Staffing · suitably qualified · proper ratios

Generally the ratios of 'supervising' adults to pupils detailed below should be followed for unaccompanied journeys, with those adults available to intervene as necessary and checking on pupils regularly as appropriate. However, there may be some activities undertaken on foot (eg cross-country runs and sponsored walks) where pupils are following a predetermined route with regular supervised check points where the ratio recommended may be exceeded safely. Policy No. 38

Children must be checked on to transport before any departure, by name not counting of heads.

On journeys involving transport the MAXIMUM ratio of pupils to teacher (or other responsible adult approved by the Head) shall be:-

Journeys within Great Britain:

Group Size Minimum Number of Adults Up to 10 secondary pupils 1 Up to 10 younger pupils 2 11 - 40 2 41 - 60 3 61 - 80 4 (groups over 80 at a ratio of 20:1)

Overseas journeys with a majority under 16 years old: Up to 20 2 21 - 30 3 31 - 40 4 (groups over 40 at a ration of 10:1)

Overseas Journeys with a majority over 16 years old: Up to 24 2 25 - 36 3 37 - 48 4 (groups over 48 at a ratio of 12:1)

Overseas 'home to home' exchange visits involving group travel: Up to 40 2 41 - 60 3 61 - 80 4 (groups over 80 at a ratio of 20:1)

For short journeys between schools or similar institutions for school matches or similar supervised activities, or for school journeys completed within one school session, one teacher (or other responsible adult approved by the Head) shall accompany each group of pupils.

Small groups of sixth form pupils undertaking journeys as defined in the above paragraph may, at the discretion of the Head, be unaccompanied.

JOURNEYS ON FOOT

The minimum level of supervision for class or group excursions into the local environment involving no transport shall be 1:30. Ideally, a minimum of two adults should accompany any party leaving the Academy premises. It is recognised that such a requirement may be unnecessary and unduly restrictive for secondary pupils who are undertaking coursework in the immediate environment of the Academy. However, the above ratio is Policy No. 38 inadequate for walks or work further afield or for any outdoor pursuit. It must also be understood that circumstances (including local traffic hazards, the age and responsibility of a particular group of children, the nature of the work to be undertaken and the availability of emergency help) will often significantly reduce the number of pupils which may be safely supervised by one teacher. Staff are responsible for ensuring, by consultation with the Head, that arrangements made for a particular activity are adequate taking these factors into account.

Briefing

It is imperative that parents and pupils are given full and complete written details regarding the organisation and administration of the visit, including

· purpose; · content of programme, including details of all available activities; · dates and times; · destination and location (including telephone number and address), mode of travel, accommodation; · code of conduct expected of children; · staffing details to include names, experience and expertise of accompanying teaching staff and voluntary helpers plus information regarding the training and experience of activity centre staff; · special clothing or equipment required · insurance · telephone numbers including the Academy and emergency numbers in the home locality and at the venue; · emergency procedure for contacting parents; · code of conduct; and the · aims/objectives of visit.

Briefing meetings for parents and pupils should be held to help endorse this information in advance of the visit, copies of passport, Healthcard and visa (if applicable) must be seen before place on trip is confirmed.

It must be made clear to parents that if a pupil is excluded from a trip for bad behaviour after the Academy is financially committed, there will be no refund of any monies paid, and any additional costs of returning the pupil to the parent will be borne by the parent not the Academy.

BEHAVIOUR AND CONDUCT

On all Academy visits conduct of a high standard is expected. Pupils must listen carefully to all instructions and be obedient. When the party is expected to return late in the evening is nevertheless expected that pupils should be in the Academy next morning on time. If a student fails to comply with the code of conduct he/she may well not be allowed to take part in future visits.

BEHAVIOUR CODE Policy No. 38

1. Smoking including vapour, drinking and gambling are forbidden at all times, as is the use of drugs or substances which have not been prescribed. This applies whether the student is under or over 18.

2. Seats on coaches, aeroplanes, trains and boats will be designated by staff.

3. 'Sing-song' on coaches or at other times will be with the express permission of the teacher and must not contain any material which could offend anyone else, and must not be at a volume to disturb others.

4. Changing of seats and walking around on the coach is not allowed.

5. Designation of who shares room/accommodation will be done by staff in charge.

6. Going anywhere without supervision is forbidden unless it is an agreed pre-arranged part of the tour details.

7. Kissing, cuddling and other romantic behaviour is not appropriate on Academy visits and must not take place.

8. Medication and instructions for its use must be lodged with the teacher in charge who will dispense when appropriate. No drugs or medicine should be used by pupils without authorisation of teacher in charge.

9. Transport and accommodation will be kept clean, tidy and free of litter.

10. Pupils must obey the staff organising them. If there is doubt over a ruling, the senior member of staff should either make a decision or contact the Academy for the Head to make a ruling.

11. Customs regulations must be adhered to by staff and pupils. Guidance will be given prior to the trip.

12. Cultural expectations and local customs must be respected.

13. Staff will decide on bedtime, lights out and silence, and wake-up times and routines.

STAFF CONDUCT

Staff must remember their 'in loco parentis' role, and the position of trust they hold. Although it may be desirable for staff to have relaxation time, this should not be at the expense of satisfactory 24 hour supervision. Rotas may be needed. Staff must refrain from alcohol and should adhere to standards expected in the Academy. In devising rotas care should be taken to recognise the experience of each member of staff in relation to the level of responsibility demanded. Policy No. 38

PARENTAL CONSENT

Written consent from parents is not required for pupils to take part in the majority of off-site activities organised by the Academy as most of these activities take place during Academy hours and are a normal part of a child’s education at school. However, parents must be told where their child will be at all times and of any extra safety measures required.

Parents must complete a consent form at the time of their child enrolling at the Academy, this will then cover their participation in any type of activity throughout their time at the Academy. These include adventure activities, off- site sporting fixtures outside the Academy day and residential visits

Parents will be told in advance of each activity and given full details as to what the trip entails.

The Academy may exercise the right to refuse to take children on visits if parents do not sign the consent form.

INSURANCE AND TRANSPORT

The group leader must discuss insurance with the Director of Finance to establish whether additional cover is required and if so make the necessary arrangements.

The group leader must check insurance cover carefully and make sure pupils with SEN or medical needs come within its scope.

N.B. It is essential that parents are made fully aware of:-

1. The nature of any insurance provided

2. The needs for any extra insurance if not provided by the organiser

3. The absence of insurance cover

Only reputable transport companies should be used. Coaches and Minibuses must have seatbelts for all passengers. Teachers who drive minibuses must hold a current minibus drivers certificate.

PLANNING ISSUES Registering Those Present and Checking

Staff must check who is ready to depart against their list of participants. Once on the mode of transport, there should be another check. Policy No. 38

Every time any members of the party leaves the transport additional roll calls should be made. These regulations apply to all outward and return journeys of any sort. Roll call must be by matching a face to a name, not ‘hands up’ or a teacher count. Children must be instructed that if they are inadvertently left behind they should report to the nearest official adult (centre warden, hotel reception) or to the nearest police station.

CHECKLISTS

A Checklist · Purpose of visit and activities · Names of leader and other adults · Programme of the visit · Dates and timings · Addresses of accommodation and telephone number · List of pupils and emergency telephone numbers for school contact to EVC and placed on Evolve. · Equipment to be taken and any restrictions · Method of travel and name of travel/transport company · Emergency procedures · Statement on behaviour and rules · Statement on clothing · Medical arrangements and First Aid kit. Any injections needed? · Insurance arrangements · Arrangements for collection of money and total amount (where charging is allowed or voluntary contributions are being received) · Passport/visa requirements and any unusual passports held by children. No collective passports - all pupils to have their own.  Book portable phone (for journey in UK)  Meal arrangements including booking free meals and notifying School Meals Service

CHECKLIST OF FORMS (All forms relating to school trips can be obtained from EVC or the staff shared area)

 Consent form from parents · Rabies form (for visits abroad) · School Visit Approval Form and Preliminary Notification Form · Notification of proposed visit to parents · Information to parents · School Visit Report Permission to go will be withheld unless EVC is completed.

FINANCE

· Staff must cost out trips carefully and consider all possibilities · Provide a schedule of payment · Explain when and how money should be paid · To whom cheques must be made payable Policy No. 38

· Never have cheques made out to you personally · Never bank Academy money in your own account · Never bank pupils' money in your own account · Always give receipts

RELIGIOUS SERVICES · Arrangements must be made for pupils to attend Mass. Policy No. 38

SCHOOL VISIT CHECKLIST FOR PARTY LEADER

Well in Advance Formulate aims and objectives of visit V

Read Academy Policy notes and City Travel Folder V

Consult Head through Bulletin Committee V Make preliminary enquiries regarding venue, travel, cost, insurance and Vparental interest, send preliminary application form to Director of School

Make formal application to Head, Evolve Submission V

Availability of staff and responsible adults etc. V

Arrange for a preliminary visit if appropriate V

Decide how visit is to be funded (see Charging Policy) V Is it a hazardous activity or location? National Guidance available from Evolve or EVC V

Find out if there are any special conditions that need to be met before V final approval is given

Compose detailed letter to parents (see Appendix for possible draft V letters) Arrange parents meeting and pupils' meetings V

Send letter and ask for parental consent form/reply slip V

Make enquiries regarding necessary documents V On receipt of Head’s initial approval and parents' consent: Plan details of visits and make bookings VNotify office of final arrangements V FINANCE Policy No. 38

Financial arrangements can prove to be a headache if simple rules are not followed:

· Cost out the trip properly

· Allow for travel food accommodation incidental expenses reaching the point of departure insurance

· Check the Academy’s Charging and Remissions Policy

· Check how the adults are to be paid for and allow money for it if it is to be contained in the overall budget.

· If you make all the arrangements yourself you may be considered to be acting as a travel agent and be subject to other rules. Use travel organisations unless approval received to do otherwise. Learning Outside The Classroom providers found on Evolve or EVC.

· Tell parents, in writing, of the exact costs, their commitment and cancellation arrangements

· Expect a deposit and follow this with staged payments

· Make it clear from which point money is non-returnable, and state this quite clearly in your letter to parents. Make clear also the insurance conditions concerning cancellations.

· Make arrangements for when and where money may be handed in.

· Always give receipts

· Never pay money into your own personal accounts

· Do not keep large sums of money. Pay it in or have it placed in the Academy safe

· Check the Academy's Finance Policy

· Money must pass through the Academy's private fund accounts and not be set up in an account of its own

 Ensure you have sufficient money for immediate emergency use, £20 is recommended. This can be your own money or obtained from the Finance Office

Information for Retention at the Academy Policy No. 38

Full details of the visit should be retained at the Academy while the visit is in progress. They should include:

· the itinerary and contact telephone number(s) for the group; · contact names, addresses, telephone number(s) of the parents and next of kin, and of the location of the visit; · parental consent forms; · insurance documents, and · a copy of the contract with the centre. The Head must have access to this information at all times through Evolve or EVC. This is particularly important if the visit takes place when the Academy is closed. The same information should be kept by the group leader during the visit in a hard copy format. The appropriate forms are available from the staff shared or on Evolve or EVC and should be properly completed in the time stipulated.