Educational visit Policy

Policy details

• Date created -      12/11/2024
• Date reviewed -    12/11/2024
• Date approved -   12/11/2024
• Next review date -12/11/2025
• Policy owner - Clare Cosgrove

Statement of Intent

Co-op Academy Delius recognises that well planned opportunities for outdoor learning make a valuable contribution to the experience and achievement of all of our students. We actively promote a variety of residential/outdoor activities and educational visits for each student. Delius takes the health and wellbeing of our staff and students very seriously. We take reasonable steps as stated in the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

This policy has been designed in line with the Department for Education (DfE) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE)’s guidance and Co-op Academies Trust ‘Educational visits statement, and details our responsibilities for students whilst out on educational visits.

Please refer to the

Co-op Academies Trust Educational Visit Statement 2024

which provides guidelines which are followed by the academy, alongside this policy.

Rationale for Education visits

We believe educational visits play an invaluable role in a child’s education. Visits enrich and reinforce learning and first-hand experiences are particularly rewarding and important for our children. They help to develop a pupil’s investigative skills and longer visits in particular, encourage greater independence. We ensure visits are planned carefully to support learning across the curriculum.

At Delius the development of social and life skills are fundamental in preparing our pupils for life long education and personal development.

The aims of our education visits are:

• To provide motivating opportunities to develop knowledge and skills in a real life situation.
• To reinforce and revisit  classroom-based learning.
• To develop social and interpersonal skills
• To develop an awareness and appreciation of the outside environment.
• To promote cultural capital opportunities.

At Co-op Academy Delius Equal Opportunities plays an integral part in all aspects of teaching and learning. The school acknowledges the great value of Educational Visits in broadening and enhancing both the learning and social experience of young people. Children should go on a variety of school visits whilst they are pupils at Delius. To ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to access a wide range of enrichment opportunities, during their time at Delius, the curriculum team has mapped out an experience plan.

Clarification of Roles

In line with the Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) National Guidance, Co-op Academy Delius has assigned staff to particular roles with regards to educational visits.

Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC) - Charlotte Millea and Aimee Helie, who are responsible, on behalf of the Headteacher for:

• The day-to-day implementation and management of the Educational Visits Policy and related procedures
• Making staff aware of this policy
• Ensuring adequate insurances are in place to secure the health, safety and welfare of students and staff
• Authorising training for relevant staff with regard to the policy
• Ensuring that staff are competent to lead the visit
• To ensure that staff who attend trips are appropriately skilled and experienced to support the pupils complex needs. For example, to consider the role of supply staff and volunteers/students
• Visit or Activity Leader, this would be a leader of learning who has a suitable level of experience and skill set to lead the particular trip
• Ensuring that all pupils have access to a wide range of visits and experiences
• The academy ensures that both EVCs have attended relevant training. The academy has two EVCs to support succession and sustainability of visits

Group leaders, staff and accompanying adults attending educational visits are responsible for:

• Seeking approval in a timely manner
• Following the Educational Visits Policy including the implementation of the ‘Co-op Academy Delius Educational Visit Procedure Form’
• The group leader will conduct a preliminary visit
• The designated group leader of any educational visit has a duty of care over the students in place of a parent/carer for the health, safety and welfare of the group
• They will be aware of the specific needs of their pupils to ensure that all of their medical needs have been met, e.g. medication, care plans, equipment used etc
• They will be aware of the specific needs of their pupils to ensure that all of their behavioural needs have been met, e.g. behaviour support strategies and plans are in place
• The group leader must also liaise with the cover and care teams to ensure that the staffing in attendance are skills matched to the pupils. If any concerns or issues arise, the EVC should be informed, in order to provide support.
• The designated group leader will be responsible for using their discretion to deal with emergency situations, but will be in constant contact with school leaders and contactable at any time during the visit
• The group leader is responsible for coordinating any safeguarding issues and following Delius procedures on safeguarding whilst on the visit. If any serious issues arise, the group leader must contact the DSL and the Headteacher immediately

Education Visits Procedural Requirements

At Co-op Academy Delius an ‘Co-op Academy Delius Educational Visit Procedure Form’  has been developed in order to ensure that required processes are followed.

Visit leaders are required to complete the following steps in order to meet the academy’s requirements:

• A Trip Request Form should be completed to seek SLT approval
• An preliminary visit should be undertaken
• A register should be sent to the care team, to ascertain any medical needs which require consideration
• The pupil administrator will be informed of the trip and will support with transport needs
• The cover team will be aware of the trip and will support with any additional staff
• Parental consent will be sought
• Itineraries will be created
• A risk assessment will be agreed by SLT

Group leaders will upload all of the information to EVOLVE to be reviewed by the EVC.

On the day of the trip any amendments will be made to EVOLVE.

In line with the OEAP national guidance, visit leaders will adhere to the process of ‘checking out’ and ‘checking in’ before, during and after a visit.

Preliminary Visits

According to the (OEAP) National Guidance ‘’wherever reasonably practicable, it is
good practice to carry out a preliminary visit to unfamiliar facilities and providers’’.

Preliminary visits enable the Visit Leader to address questions such as:

• Will the provider and/or facilities be suitable to meet your requirements for the visit?
• Are there any particular hazards which need to be considered in visit planning and preparation?
• What will be the options if conditions of daylight, water level, temperature and weather, or under-foot conditions, differ significantly from the pre-visit?
• Do you have sufficient knowledge and understanding of the provider, facilities and activities to feel confident when planning the visit?
• Will the provider and/or facilities be able to cater for the full range of group
• needs, including any special needs?
• Will the group need any specialist equipment?
• Are there any additional staff training needs?

The preliminary visit can also inform the risk assessment.

When a preliminary visit is not possible. The group leader should speak to the EVC to determine the next steps.

Medication Requirements for trips

As part of the  ‘Co-op Academy Delius Educational Visit Procedure Form’ . The register of children and staff will be sent to the care team. This will enable the care team to ensure that all daily medication needs are accounted for. Further to this, where rescue medication is required (for example, Buccolam) a key first aider will be allocated to the trip.

Emergency medication will be kept with the named person during the day. During the visit, the medications should only be accessed in the event of an emergency or when required. All other staff and children to be positioned separately. A clear plan for the administration of daily medication will be implemented. Group leaders and staff who are trained in the administration of medicines will  be clear about who is responsible for particular duties that day.

Emergency Procedures During the Visit

The following should be in place and carried by the Group Leader and a copy will also be kept with the pupil administration team:

• The ‘Co-op Academy Delius Educational Visit Procedure Form’ which includes:
• Group list
• All contact details (these may be held in school for local visits during school hours)
• Mobile phone

If an emergency occurs on a school visit the group leader should maintain or resume control of the group overall. Contact should be made immediately with the Headteacher or other member of senior staff in their absence.

See section 5 of the

Co-op Academies Trust Educational Visit Statement 2024

 (see appendix 1) for additional information pertaining to emergency procedures during trips.

GDPR 

In line with school procedures, care plans will be carried with the children. Staff will sign them ‘back in’ at the end of the school day. Paper copies of trip forms can be shredded and online copies will be kept in the Educational Visit Information folder on the academy google drive,

Appendix 1

Co-op Academy Delius Educational Visit Procedure Form