Staff student ratios: General overview and principles

Transcription

1 Supervision of Students on Camps, Excursions, Outdoor Activities and Tours July 010

2 Catholic Education Office Melbourne July 010 Supervision of Students on Camps, Excursions, Outdoor Activities and Tours Staff student ratios: General overview and principles The following guidelines provide the absolute minimum requirements for staff student ratios. Implementation of specific Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (DEECD) requirements and guidelines, as detailed in the Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide, and the degree of supervision of students involved in school excursions, outdoor activities and tours is a matter for local decision depending very much on the nature of the proposed excursion. In many instances, following the safety assessment for an activity, principals choose to implement enhanced measures and staff student ratios to ensure the safety of students. Where students with disabilities and impairments are participating, staff student ratios are likely to be higher. Sufficient excursion staff to ensure appropriate and effective supervision must be provided, especially to cover emergencies that may occur so as to enable adequate teacher supervision to remain in place. In deciding what constitutes sufficient excursion staff, it is not enough to merely have regard to the number of excursion staff present. Rather, the principal should also take into account the nature of activities being undertaken on the tour e.g. adventure activities such as skiing or white water rafting. The principal also needs to consider if there is sufficient staff to cope with any reasonably foreseeable emergency. In addition, the following should also be taken into consideration: the qualifications and previous experience of the excursion staff and their knowledge of the area to be visited the age, maturity, abilities, experience and gender of the students the size of the group the nature and location of the excursion the activities to be undertaken any other relevant factors of which they are aware. When requesting parental consent for a student to take part in an excursion, it is essential that parents/guardians are provided with relevant details about the degree of supervision, the nature of the activity, and the risks involved. The following general minimum guidelines for supervision apply: For official school excursions they must be under the control of a teacher employed by the school and at least one other excursion staff must be present. Note that a teacher in charge of an excursion cannot delegate his or her duty of care to a student or non teacher Principals need to ensure that excursion staff have levels of first aid training which are appropriate to the excursion activities and location. Supervision of Students on camps, Excursions, Outdoor activities and Tours Page of 9

3 Where excursions involve overnight stays for mixed groups, excursion staff should include at least one person of each gender. In primary schools, this requirement may be waived where staff of each gender are unavailable. In addition to teachers employed by the school, excursion staff may include other adults on a volunteer or paid worker basis, such as parents, school services officers, community members, instructors, campsite staff and trainee teachers. These persons would need to be subjected to the statutory requirements of having a criminal records and Working with Children check. All approved excursion staff can be included in the staff student ratio. School students cannot be used as excursion staff. The experience and qualifications necessary for excursion staff will vary, subject to the nature of the outdoor/adventure activities undertaken. Excursions not involving adventure/physical education activities For the purposes of this document, an excursion is defined as an activity organised by a school whereby students leave the school grounds for the purpose of engaging in educational activities (including camps, adventure activities and sport). It does not include work experience. The degree of supervision for students involved in non adventure excursions is a matter for local decision. Significant factors in determining what constitutes adequate supervision include the age, maturity knowledge of behaviour of groups from previous experience of the students, the nature and location of the excursion and the mode of transport required, and coping with emergencies or teacher indisposition. For local day excursions, the minimum requirement is one excursion staff per twenty students (1:0). For local overnight excursions in residential premises or under canvas, the minimum requirement is one excursion staff per ten students (1:10). For local study camps (e.g. Year 1) in residential premises, the minimum requirement is one excursion staff per fifteen students (1:15). For interstate tours, the minimum requirement is one excursion staff per ten students (1:10). For overseas tours, the minimum requirement is one excursion staff per ten students (1:10). Regardless of the number of students, for interstate and/or overseas tours a minimum of three supervisory personnel is required at all times. The number of supervisory personnel accompanying the tour group should be decided taking into account the possible indisposition of one of the personnel or other unforeseen circumstances. Supervision of Students on camps, Excursions, Outdoor activities and Tours Page of 9

4 Minimum staff student ratios for specific activities Guidelines for additional activities can be found in the DEECD Safety Guidelines for Education Outdoors (009) SWIMMING AND BEACH ACTIVITIES The following requirements apply. For full guidelines, see the Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide, Section.. and note recommendations as to staff qualifications in swimming and water safety. The following guidelines apply to three venue types: Venue type 1: Swimming pool and confined, shallow, natural water venues Venue type : Open, deep water venues, non surf beaches Venue type : Surf beaches, i.e. beaches with direct access to ocean waters, any beach exposed to ocean swell and any beach that is exposed to currents, strong winds or large waves. Venue types 1 and : (from Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide, Sections &...5.) At least two excursion staff must supervise students involved in swimming activities, whether the activities be of a recreational nature or a structured swimming lesson. A teacher employed by the school must be present and have overall responsibility for the activity. Lifeguards at pools and beaches can only be used for supervision and counted in staff student ratios if they do not have general lifeguard duties at the venue at that time, and their sole responsibility during the activity is for the students in the program. One excursion staff to no more than ten students (1:10) in the water. Staff student ratios and the maximum number of students in the water at any one time will vary according to the levels of risk perceived to be associated with the activity. When determining the specific staff student ratio for each activity, consideration needs to include the age and experience of students, the experience and qualifications of excursion staff, characteristics of the venue, and weather and water conditions. Arrangements need to be sufficiently flexible that should water conditions become more challenging, activities can be transferred to another venue or a plan be implemented to make groups smaller and more manageable for easier supervision, or some other appropriate action. The maximum number of students in the water at one time should be based on an assessment of beach conditions and their affect on effective supervision. If there are not sufficient qualified staff to supervise the number of students who are to be involved in recreational swimming, a plan to rotate students in and out of the water may be implemented to maintain safe supervisory ratios. Supervision of Students on camps, Excursions, Outdoor activities and Tours Page of 9

5 The minimum ratio of one excursion staff to no more than twenty students (1:0) should be maintained for students who are not in the water. Appropriate on shore activities may need to be provided for these students. Venue Type (from Victorian Government Schools Reference Guide, Sections and...5.). At least two excursion staff must supervise students involved in surfing activities. For all recreational surfing with or without boards, the minimum ratio of one excursion staff to no more than five students (1:5) should be maintained. For students in the water receiving surfing instruction without boards, the minimum ratio of one excursion staff to no more than five students (1:5) should be maintained. For students in the water receiving surfing instruction with boards, the minimum ratio of one excursion staff to no more than eight students (1:8) should be maintained. For students who are not in the water, a minimum ratio of one excursion staff to no more than twenty students (1:0) should be maintained. Lifeguards at beaches can only be counted in staff student ratios if they do not have general lifeguard duties at the venue at that time and their sole responsibility is for the students in the program. ADVENTURE ACTIVITIES Full details of supervision requirements for a wide range of adventure activities can be found in the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (009) Safety Guidelines for Education Outdoors. These activities include: Abseiling Artificial climbing and abseiling walls Base camping Bush walking Canoeing/kayaking Cross country skiing Cycling Horse riding Orienteering Rafting Rock climbing Ropes courses Sailing Scuba diving Snorkelling Snow skiing Water skiing Wind surfing A summary of the student teacher ratios for these activities follows. Supervision of Students on camps, Excursions, Outdoor activities and Tours Page 5 of 9

6 Summary table of staff student ratios Activity type Specific activity Number of staff Tours Overseas tours 1 Minimum of Excursions & camps Interstate tours 1 Minimum of Number of students 10 Local day excursion 1 0 Local overnight excursions & camps Local Yr 1 study camps Swimming & beach activities Overnight camps Type 1 & venues (e.g. swimming pools & open 1 0 deep water) 1 0 Students in the water 1 10 Students not in the water (beach activities) 1 0 Type venues (surf beaches) Recreational surfing with or without surf boards 1 5 Adventure activities Students in water receiving surf instructions 1 5 without boards For students in the water receiving surfing instruction with boards 1 8 Abseiling Single pitch (novices) 1 Abseiling Single pitch (advanced) Abseiling Multi pitch (experienced) Artificial climbing and abseiling walls Climbing Artificial climbing and abseiling walls Abseiling Base camping 1 Minimum of Bush walking (day) Bush walking (night) Up to Up to Supervision of Students on camps, Excursions, Outdoor activities and Tours Page 6 of 9

7 Canoeing/Kayaking Inland water (flat water) Canoeing/Kayaking Inland water (white water Grades 1 & ) Canoeing/Kayaking Inland water (white water Grade ) Canoeing/Kayaking Open sea waters Cross country skiing (day) Cross country skiing (over night) Cycling Horse riding In an enclosed area Horse riding Trail rides Orienteering School grounds 1 Orienteering Outdoor with well defined boundaries Orienteering Outdoors with less defined boundaries Rafting (Grade 1 ) Rock climbing (Single pitch top belay) Rock climbing (Single pitch ground belay) Rock climbing (Tramline multi pitch) Rock climbing (Independent multi pitch) Ropes courses Low ropes Ropes courses High ropes Sailing (enclosed waters) Sailing (open waters) Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Up to Supervision of Students on camps, Excursions, Outdoor activities and Tours Page 7 of 9

8 Scuba diving (Type 1 venue) 1 1 Scuba diving (Type & venues) 1 Snorkelling (Type 1 venue) Snorkel swimming (Type venue) Snorkel diving (Type venue) Snow skiing (Downhill skiing Day activities only) Up to Snowboarding (Day activities only) Up to Water skiing (Beginner) 1 Water skiing (Experienced) Up to Wind surfing (Novice) Wind surfing (Experienced) References Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (009) Schools Reference Guide, Department of Education and Early Childhood Development (009) Safety Guidelines for Education Outdoors, Supervision of Students on camps, Excursions, Outdoor activities and Tours Page 8 of 9

9 James Goold House 8 Victoria Parade East Melbourne VIC 00 Phone: (+61 ) Fax: (+61 ) director@ceomelb.catholic.edu.au