THE NEW SCHOOL

EDUCATIONAL VISITS POLICY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
                                    

 

 

 

 

The school adopts the guidance and procedures issued in the County Council Education Service document Educational Visits and, where relevant, the DfES document Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits (HASPEV).  This is to ensure consideration for the health and safety of all those involved and to maintain the educational quality of visits and value for money.

 

Roles – Learning & skills Coordinator                    EVC Coordinator Marianne Baker 

 

1.0      Procedures

 

1.1          Staff wishing to plan and undertake a visit (prospective visit leaders) should apply verbally to the Learning & Skills Coordinator for permission to plan the visit.  Once granted they should submit the details, remembering to include the First Aid Appointed person and fully stocked First Aid box to the Learning & Skills Coordinator 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. Visit leader discusses documentation to be sent to parent / carer with Learning & Skills Coordinator before it is sent out.

 

1.3          When the visit involves additional or high risk activities, foreign travel or is a residential visit then the detail of the visit will also be sent to the County Council Educational Visits Adviser by Marianne Baker 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 Learning & Skills Coordinator.

 

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 EdinburghÕs Award and should be liaised with in regard to relevant expeditions and activities.

 

2.0          Local Responsibilities

 

2.1          The Learning & Skills Coordinator 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 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 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 Learning & Skills Coordinator and grant outline permission for a visit to go ahead and signify this by signing form EV1.

 

 
 
To check that any 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 any additional or high risk activities.

 

 
 
To grant final permission for a visit when all organisation and planning are complete and to signify this by signing form EV1.

 

 

Marianne Baker
 
 

 


The schoolÕs current EVC is

 

Note:  Any tasks not indicated in the above list remain that of the Learning & Skills Coordinator.

 

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

 

2.4          Each member of staff who use their car for transport will have a list of student     contacts etc

 

2.5          Visit leader issues each member of staff with student details and ensure that staff have a working mobile phone with them at all times during the length of the trip / visit

 

3.0          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 that 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 Learning & Skills Coordinator 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 Learning & Skills Coordinator, 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.

 

4.0     The Management Committee

 

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

 

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4.2          The Management Committee  will receive reports from the Learning & Skills Coordinator detailing the school visits that have taken place via full management committee meetings / Learning & Skills report to MC

 

 

 

 

Signature: ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ              Name: ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ

 

Date: ÉÉÉÉÉÉ..

Chair TCHA Board

 

 

 

 

Signature: ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ              Name:ÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉÉ

 

Date: ÉÉÉÉÉÉ..

Learning & Skills Co-ordinator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This policy was agreed and approved by The TCHA Board of Directors

 

on behalf of Tamworth Cornerstone Housing Association

 

was reviewed ................2011........................

 

Next review due.............2013.........................