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Educational Visits Policy *

Statement of Intent

At StreetVibes (SV) we believe that students derive great educational benefit from taking part in visits with their classmates as part of their curricular provision. Such visits may include residential activities, environmental studies, sports, curriculum based studies, physical and cultural activities. They enrich our student’s experiences and deepen their understanding of events, places and people, and help to meet the schools aims.

In particular:

  • to encourage the development of the whole child
  • to encourage personal and social development and promote opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge
  • to exchange an appreciation of different cultures, identities, experiences and opportunities.

The value of off-site activities is well recognised by the Governing Body. The Educational Visits Co-ordinator (EVC) reports to the full Governing Body at least once each year, ensuring that the culture of safety is maintained and the need for careful planning and adherence to statutory procedures is secured.

Legal requirements:

This policy document supplements and follows the guidance and advice contained within the following publications:

· The Health and Safety Executive in conjunction with the Department for Education and Skills published “Health and Safety Responsibilities and Powers” statutory document
· The DfES document “Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits” (HASPEV)

The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, made under the 1974 Act, require employers to:

  • Assess the risk of activities
  • Introduce measures to control those risks
  • Tell their employers about these measures

Duties that apply to all school visits and are under the Health and Safety Legislation state that employees must:

  • Take reasonable care of their own and other’s health and safety
  • Co-operate with their employers over safety matters
  • Inform the employer of any serious risks

Procedures

1.1 Staff wishing to plan and undertake a visit (prospective visit leaders) should apply verbally to the headteacher or educational visits co-ordinator (EVC) for permission to plan the visit. Once granted they should submit the details on Form EV1, Application for the Approval of an Educational Visit , to the headteacher or EVC and receive outline permission to undertake the visit.
 

1.2 Outline permission will be granted when all the requirements identified in Educational Visits (paragraph 33) have been considered, the visit can be accommodated within the school timetable and the ethos of the visit is one with which the school wishes to be associated.

1.3 When the visit involves additional or high risk activities, foreign travel or is a residential visit then details of the visit will also be sent to the County Council Educational Visits Adviser by the headteacher or EVC for approval that all the procedures have been satisfactorily completed.

1.4 Once outline permission, and any necessary county approval, has been received the visit leader can complete the planning organisation and bookings for the visit. When all details are complete they must be submitted for final approval. This should be a minimum of 7 days before the visit.

1.5 Regularly repeated visits may receive block annual approval subject to parents being made aware of every visit, especially any involving a return time outside the normal school day.

1.6 Following each visit the leader will undertake a review. Any incidents or accidents will be reported in accordance with the reporting requirements. Leaders of visits that have involved considerable time or financial resources, such as residential visits, will produce a short report evaluating the travel and transport, facilities, quality of any providers and the success and value of the visit and submit this to the headteacher or EVC.

1.7 All school staff will be made aware of the requirements of this policy and any changes that are made when the policy is reviewed.

Note: Visits to the County Outdoor Education Service and School Swimming Service are self-approving and do not require further notification or action. The Youth Service is the designated operating authority for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and should be liaised with in regard to relevant expeditions and activities.

2. Local Responsibilities

2.1 The headteacher is the responsible officer for ensuring visits are approved as necessary, that all visits approved can be accommodated within the timetable and that the ethos of each visit is one with which the school wishes to be associated.

2.2 The Educational Visit Co-ordinator is a staff member who has received relevant training and induction and is delegated with the following indicated tasks: -

 
To grant verbal permission that a leader may plan a visit after deciding that the timetabling and ethos of the visit are acceptable.
 
To receive EV1 forms and check all visit details are completed and to ensure the annual record of visits is maintained.
 
To check that all requirements for approving a visit, as identified in

Educational Visits

paragraph 33, have been undertaken.

 
To liaise with headteacher and grant outline permission for a visit to go ahead and signify this by signing form EV1.
 
To check that the further requirements for residential or foreign travel and additional or high risk activities have been undertaken.
 
To liaise with the County Council on any visit involving residential or foreign travel and additional or high risk activities.
 
To grant final permission for a visit when all organization and planning are complete and to signify this by signing form EV1.
 

The school’s current EVC is

Note: Any tasks not indicated in the above list remain that of the headteacher.

2.3 The designated visit leader is in overall charge of the group and remains responsible throughout the visit.

3. Emergency Procedures

3.1 The risk assessment for each visit will identify the relevant emergency procedures during the visit. For visits extending beyond the school day this includes designating a home contact from the school who may be needed as a link between the party, the parents, the school and the County Council in the event of an emergency.

3.2 In the event of a delay (of more than 1 hour), or of an incident resulting in harm to any attending participant, staff member or volunteer, then the school must be contacted as soon as possible to inform the headteacher or designated deputy so that they can decide: -

A. If the incident is of a less serious nature then the next of kin or parents of those affected will be informed about what has happened (e.g. that the party will be returning late or that an incident has befallen a party member) and the action that has been taken so far. In appropriate circumstances the visit leader will be designated to undertake this task.
 

B. However, if the incident is very serious (e.g. involves a disabling or life threatening accident, or a fatality) then the headteacher, deputy or the home contact will inform the designated senior officer of the Education Service (Director or Deputy Director) and the school will instigate its critical incident plan (as identified in Coping with a Crisis, produced by Pupil and Student Services). Officers of the authority will be allocated to support the school with the immediate incident and any necessary follow up or inquiry.

3.3 In the event of a party being overdue and without contact by more than 1 hour, the school, or the home contact, must investigate the reason and may, where appropriate, need to involve the police.

The Governing Body/Board of Directors

4.1 The governing body wishes to be informed about the following categories of visit prior to them taking place (if any): -

o Off-site visits lasting more than 3 consecutive days;
o Off-site visits to locations more than 30 miles away from the school site

4.2 The governing body will receive reports from the headteacher detailing the school visits that have taken place.

Signature: …………………………Name: …………………………

Date: ………………..

Chair of Directors

Signature: …………………………Name: …………………………

Date: ………………..

Headteacher

 

* This policy was last revised 3rd September 2022