School Visits and Trips Policy

Transcription

1 School Visits and Trips Policy This document has been revised in accordance with the new government regulations which were published June 2011 by the Health and Safety Executive. It replaces all other documentation concerning the running of trips and visits Contents 1. Government Legislation and Advice 2. Overview of St Bede s Procedures 3. Procedures for off site activities and sports events including matches and practices 4. Procedures for school trips/visits out of school hours 5. Procedures for school trips/ visits involving overnight stays 6. Procedures for Boarding Students 7. Appendices necessary documents 1. Government Legislation and Advice Recent government legislation has aimed to reduce the amount of bureaucracy surrounding school trips and visits. The key points in the document are that: Children should be able to experience a wide range of activities. Health and safety measures should help them to do this safely and not stop them from having an enriching educational experience. It is important that children learn to understand and manage the risks that are a normal part of life Commonsense should be used in assessing and managing the risks of any activity. Health and safety procedures should always be proportionate to the risks of an activity The government is urging schools to take a commonsense and proportionate approach to trips. These procedures apply to all members of staff, volunteers and students who are involved in any visit out of school. 2. Overview of St Bede s Trips Procedures Written consent from parents is required for pupils to take part in offsite activities both during and out of school hours. Parents should be told where their child will be at all times and of any extra safety measures required Parents will be asked to sign a one off consent form when students enrol at the school which covers activities and offsite sporting fixtures. Parents do not need to give written permission for sporting fixtures or activities offsite. All staff taking students offsite during the school day must leave a list of student names with the Transport Department and with the Attendance Office along with a contact phone number and timings for departure and return Any activity or trip which is run out of school hours but does not involve an overnight visit must have written consent from parents. All staff must see the Health and Safety Manager to

2 discuss the need for a Risk Assessment. This includes Boarders Trips and Activities at the weekends but does not include sports fixtures outside of school hours. All trips involving overnight stays, whether in the UK or overseas, must be Risk Assessed and must ensure that all steps included in the School Policy are completed. All staff taking a trip must ensure that staff and students are briefed on school expectations before departure The DHCC responsibility is to ensure that the staff organising and supervising the visits have the required level of competence for the type of visit being undertaken, that the organisers have the support, time and resources to plan the visit and that the visits are well planned and comply with the agreed procedures. The Health and Safety Manager will regularly review and ensure that the Trust Procedures are concurrent with legislation and that Risk Assessments are completed to a satisfactory level. The Trip Organisers Responsibility is to ensure that all plans comply with the procedures laid out below, Risk Assessments are completed and that the trip is financially sound. 3. Visits during School Hours including sports fixtures 1. Any member of staff wishing to take students off site (with the exception of sports fixtures) must inform DHCC (Deputy Head Co Curricular). If at all possible the trip should be in the school calendar. 2. Parents must always be informed in writing if their child is to be taken offsite. This can be by letter/ phone or and parents must reply in writing to give their permission. Parents must be given the opportunity to withdraw their child from the activity if they wish and should be informed of departure and return times. Support in organising this can be obtained from the Staff Secretary. 3. The School must have a list of the names of all students taking part in the activity or fixture and contact details for the staff in charge. The list can be left with the Transport Department at the time of departure in the case of sports fixtures. Off site activities are covered by activity registers and so are exempt from filling in forms. 4. Any High Risk Activities/ Trips must have a Risk Assessment completed. If you are unsure please see DHCC or the Health and Safety Officer. Summary Please see Appendix 1 for generic One Off form signed by parents Please complete Appendix 2 Transports Lists for Sports Fixtures Please complete Appendix 3 Trips During School Hours 4. Day Visits Out of School Hours (including Sunday Boarders Outings) 1. Any trip that involves taking students outside of school hours must be accompanied by a letter to parents stating the departure and return time and location and parent permission must be obtained in writing. 2. All staff organising these trips must also obtain permission from the DHCC. The Health and Safety Officer must also be consulted as to whether there is a need for a Risk Assessment. 3. A simple checklist is available for staff on RM Staff entitled Local Day Trips Check List. An example of this document is also in Appendix 4 4. Staff should leave a copy of the letter, the completed Check List and the list of names in the DHCC s pigeon hole at least 24 hours before departure.

3 5. Names of all students and staff going on the visit must be entered into RM Staff Day to Day 6. A minimum of two staff (this can include a minibus driver) must accompany any trip. Summary Please complete Appendix 4 Local Day Trips Check List 5. Organising a Trip involving an Overnight Stay Please remember school visits are among the most pleasurable, memorable and valuable learning experiences in school life for staff every bit as much as for the pupils. A good trip is safe, memorable, valuable and educational. When planning an activity that will involve caving, climbing, trekking, skiing or watersports schools must currently check that the provider holds a licence as required by the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations In the first instance all staff must see the DHCC when considering a visit. They will discuss your proposal with you, check the calendar and direct you to the Overnight Trips Check List (see also Appendix 5). This guides you through the necessary administrative steps. Administration Finance Before advertising the visit you must see Lyndsey Elliott in finance to discuss with her the financial implications, arrangements and budgeting. The school cannot fund any shortfalls in trips and it is the responsibility of the Group Leader to work with the finance department to ensure that all trips are budgeted effectively. Any monies left over at the end of the trip will be returned to parents. Lyndsey will also discuss with you how the money will be collected (e.g. billed, collected in advance/ instalments). Insurance must also be discussed and put into place as part of the trip - you must establish what the school covers already, what additionally needs to be covered and what is the best way of ensuring that everything is covered. Once this is done the form must be signed by her and then returned to the DHCC in order to proceed Dicker Enterprises - All kit ordered for trips must be ordered through Dicker Enterprises and must be budgeted for within the initial costs. This must be done at least one month before departure dates. After the visit - All staff must meet with Lyndsey Elliott to close the trip once it is completed, all expenses must be accounted for with receipts and any surplus monies should be returned to parents within two months of return Staffing Competency - The group leader, being competent, will select colleagues to accompany him/her who are suitable for the visit in question and will discuss these names with the DHCC before informing staff. All staff will pay the same amount of money as all are expected to share in the administration. It is preferable that staff do not pay for trips if at all possible. Family members may not accompany staff unless they are part of the Trust. Male/female - A mixed group requires both male and female staff members. Non-teachers - Occasionally we may use non-teachers to help with visits. These people (who may be parents) must be well known to us. They must have a criminal background check if they

4 are going to supervise children alone and this should be at their own expense. Where ever possible trips should be staffed by teaching staff who should always undergo health and safety awareness training. Role of supervisors - Each supervisor s role must be clearly defined before the trip. All supervisors must act as any reasonably prudent parent would in similar circumstances. All staff going on a trip must help with the organisation of the trip Staffing ratio - For a local visit /field day a staffing ratio of 1:15 is adequate for the Senior School. Where the trip involves risk activities such as swimming ratios are different. Check with the Health and Safety Manager if you are unsure. For an overnight visit, locally or abroad, the ratio is 1:10. The school may demand a higher ratio of 1:8 for high risk activities or trips. There must be a mix of Male/ Female staffing on any overnight trip Emergencies / contingencies (please see Appendix 16) Mobile Phone - Students should have a mobile number to call in case of emergency. The school will provide the lead member of staff with a mobile phone to be used by parents for emergency purposes only during the trip. For residential trips all students should be given a card with the trip mobile, hotel details and the emergency number for the country they are in on it at the beginning of the trip. First Aid The Group Leaders must ensure adequate First Aid is available, bearing in mind the particular risks and hazards likely to be encountered. Each trip should have at least one member of staff who is First Aid trained. All lead staff members must meet with the School Nurse before taking an overnight trip or a high risk Day Trip to discuss First Aid needs with her and the content of a First Aid kit. Communication - The Group Leader and/or the School Contact must have names and contact numbers for all parents or guardians of students. For local day trips a copy of the student names should be left with the DHCC and appear on RM Staff Day to Day. For overnight trips these should be stored in two folders one taken on the trip and one kept with the DHCC containing copies of behaviour contract, medical information and contact details. Please see Appendix 12 Medical Information - Any special medical conditions in the group must be communicated to all supervisors. For over night trips all medical information, including dietary needs, should be summarised on one page in the folder for easy access. A copy of the medical form is available in Appendix 10 Medical Emergencies - In case of emergency one teacher must accompany casualties to hospital. The rest of the group must be kept together and supervised staff must caution all students on the trip not to use Facebook and mobile phones to contact home and instruct all students to allow teachers to handle communication about the emergency to school. If necessary, emergency services must be notified first, immediately followed by informing school (all trip leaders have the DHCC mobile number) If abroad the lead teacher should notify the British Embassy the number should be in their folder as well as the tour provider. In any case of accidents a full account of what happened must be taken down along with the names of any witnesses and other people involved. All of this should be transmitted to the insurance company as soon as the situation is under control (please see Appendix 17) Health and Safety Adventure Activities - The provider is legally required to hold a licence for the activities they offer. Even if they have a certificate the Group Leader must confirm this with the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority in Cardiff, phone number (01222) Risk Assessments - All group leaders must read How to Risk Assess School Visits available on line and at Appendix 6. Before booking the visit, the Group Leader should obtain copies of

5 relevant risk assessments from the tour operator and centre (as appropriate). It is the group leader s responsibility to check that all centre staff have CRB checks if they are to come into direct contact with students. The need for a school Risk Assessment should be discussed with the Health and Safety Officer. The Risk Assessment should accompany the trip and should be gone through with all staff and students before the Trip Departs Transport - All group leaders should read Generic Risk Assessment Vehicles and Driving available on line and at Appendix 11. Supervisors - All supervisors should be given a copy of the relevant risk assessment(s) and copies should be placed in the folder for an overnight visit Swimming - The supervision ratio for swimming is1:20 for Senior School. If the pool is not supervised constantly by lifeguards, the supervisor must have the relevant life-saving award. In lakes, sea and rivers swimming is only allowed in areas where there is qualified lifeguard cover and always in sight of supervisor. The supervisor needs to hold life saving award if no lifeguard available. Contact With Parents Informing Parents - Parents must be fully informed about the proposed visit (i.e. the purpose, dates, times, cost, clothing/equipment needed, any vaccinations required, address and contact details for centre, etc). All overnight trips require a parents evening. All trips must have a summary letter sent a month before the trip a version of this is available in the Appendix 13 and must be used. Consent - Parents must give their written consent for any trip outside of school. For a local day trip a tear-off strip is sufficient. Boarding House Staff may give consent for local day visits for boarders. (see Appendix 15) More information is required for longer visits (see Appendix 6 for a suggested form). Bad Behaviour - Parents should be told the consequences of bad behaviour on the trip. All overnight trips require students to sign a Behaviour Contract and a copy of this must be kept in the folder. Failure to sign the contract precludes students from the trips. In cases of bad behaviour students will be sent home early at parents expense, costs of staff that accompany them will also have to be met by parents. Please see Appendix 10 Medical Needs - Parents must be asked for full details about any medical or emotional condition which affects their child. The supervisors must know how to deal with such a child and who to contact in an emergency. Any medicines must be handed to the group leader with full instructions. If parents cannot be reached in an emergency they should agree that the Group Leader can give consent for any necessary emergency treatment. For overnight trips the Medical Forms must be taken on the trip as any hospital will need to see this information. Copies of the forms should be left in the folder at school in case accidents happen whilst in transit. If your trip is overseas then the School Nurse must be contacted with a full written list of students to establish all vaccination requirements and country to be visited. She will then organise any vaccinations required for boarding students. Remote Supervision - This is only allowed in the case of children aged 14 years and over. Parents must be informed if there may be remote supervision during the trip. Pupils Suitability - Check and risk assess pupil suitability e.g. age, medical conditions. Are they fit to attend? Contact Year Heads, LSC Staff and House Staff to check for behavioural issues. Preparation - All students must attend a compulsory meeting before the departure date for an overnight trip or High Risk Day Trip this can be combined with the Parents Evening. For a day trip these rules can be outlined either in class before hand or on the day of the visit. Pupils

6 should understand the aims of the visit; the importance of the rules; safety precautions; behaviour expected; appropriate social / sexual conduct; consequences of misbehaviour; what not to bring back (drugs, knives); what to do if approached by outsider; rendezvous procedure; what to do if separated from group. A briefing sheet is available in Appendix 14 Residential Visits Rooming- The group leader must assign rooms for students and staff and ensure they are in a discrete area with teachers being situated near to pupils and separate sleeping accommodation and bathrooms for males/females and staff/students. Wherever possible accommodation should not be on the ground floor. The group leader should have a floor plan in advance. The Hotel/ Accommodation should have sufficient security to stop unauthorised visitors. Rendezvous Point - Consider establishing a rendezvous point and tell students what to do if separated from the group. Fire Precautions - On arrival assign a member of staff to check all the fire exits. At the initial meeting ensure all students know the fire precautions and know where to meet in case of emergency. Visits Abroad Risk Assessment all visits abroad require a Risk Assessment please se the Health and Safety Officer for advice Tour Operators - The Tour Operator must have the Air Travel Organisers Licence. This is a legal requirement and provides security against a licence holder going out of business. Trip leaders must also check that the tour operator is appointed by DTI e.g. ABTA, Tact Charter Assoc, YCA. Before planning and in the lead up to the trip the Tour Leader must check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) travel advice to see if any trouble is expected or warnings are in place. Minibuses - Check with transport manager about European Legislation regarding minibuses before booking visit. Cultural Sensitivity - You must consider language implications. If possible take a member of staff who can speak the language with you. If this is not possible try to learn common phrases or have them written down and at hand. It is also important that the tour leader familiarises themselves with cultural sensitivities and customs including dress codes, drugs and alcohol, personal safety including how to carry money safely and the use of travellers cheques and health issues such as is the tap water safe. Trip leaders must also check about the validity of passports and visas (Group leader to have photocopies of all passports and should check they have 6 months before expiry before the return date), the need for medical insurance, E111 (Finance Office can supply a school insurance travel pack). Whilst on the trip the Trip Leader should keep a copy of all receipts and a copy of the contract with hotel. The trip leader should have published to parents a guide as to how much money pupils should take and should have a contingency fund (and credit cards) in case of emergencies Communication The DHCC is the main school contact. The trip leader should have their mobile number and this must be carried by the lead teacher at all times. A folder must be left at school with the following information contained in it: full details of visit; itinerary; contact phone and addresses of all participants; list of members and parents contact details; copies of consent forms including medical details for students and staff; travel documents; medical papers; contract at centre. Please see Appendix 12 After Your Return

7 Feedback - ensure full feedback is given to your Faculty / Department/ DHCC and the Health and Safety Officer.(see Appendix 18) Incidents - must be recorded on paper and then reported to the DHCC, Health and Safety Officer and relevant House Staff. Publicity Please write an article about the trip written for The School Magazine and consult marketing about further publicity. 6. Procedures for Boarding Students House Masters may give permission (see Appendix 14) for boarding students to take part in visits in school time/ sports fixtures or visits outside of school hours. However parental permission must be sought for overnight trips and parents of boarding students should complete all the necessary paperwork. Owned by: Authorised by: Deputy Head: Co-Curricular Governing Body Date: January 2013 Review Date: January 2014 Circulation:. All Staff Published on School Website