Health and Safety on Visits
By Dolphin School
Aug 22, 2009 - 2:21:05 PM
Policy to Promote the Health and Safety of Pupils on Activities outside the School
With reference to the DFEE Health and Safety of pupils on Educational visits 1998
This policy is applicable to all children at Dolphin including those in the EYFS
All educational visits at Dolphin are planned in considerable detail, and the Trips Package in the Staff Handbook, which runs to over forty pages, is regularly consulted by staff. Some important points are stressed below:
The Head must approve and sign the Risk Assessment for every trip having ensured that adequate child protection and first aid measures are in place, medical and special needs are met, time has been given to organise the visit by a suitably trained person, staffing ratios are adequate and that contact and emergency procedures are in place. Child / adult ratios are always looked at very carefully to ensure that guidelines are followed and we tend to have a much higher adult/child ratio than is required. All insurance details and maintenance checks on transport used must be verified.
On residential visits a detailed request for approval of the visit must be submitted which includes parental consent forms and attendance at a trip meeting for all parents, and all staff on the trip. At the trip meeting parents are given complete details of the itinerary and made aware of any risks ( for example on a walking trip, poor behaviour could result in an injury and parents are given clear guidelines as are children in their preparation for the trip).Parents sign a form at the trip meeting giving their informed consent for their child to participate in the trip. This also states that they give permission for emergency medical treatment to be administered if they cannot be contacted, ( as well as giving details of any current medication or illness). The permission for participation in day trips and any necessary emergency treatment is given when the standard forms are completed on joining the school.
Detailed records are kept of medical needs and contact numbers are taken on all occasions. Each bus or vehicle carries a list of the children travelling in that vehicle as well as any special medical needs of that child ( such as an epipen or inhaler) Epipen trained staff always accompany children with epipens on school visits. Staff undergo yearly training in the administration of an epipen.
On residential visits copies of all documentation is held at the school and by a senior member of staff, usually the head. This includes all the consent forms, itinerary, contact details and consent forms which give comprehensive details of children’s medical needs and contact details of the parents or guardian.
On any trip, including sports matches, a list of the children in each vehicle, contact numbers and a start and return time is held in the School office
- All regular volunteers on day trips and every volunteer on a residential trip, holds a current CRB from Dolphin School as do all the PSV trained parents and other adults who drive our school minibuses.
A copy of the risk assessment, itinerary, list of pupils on trip, staff, vehicles, contact numbers, departure and return times should be handed in to the school office. Necessary medication for children on the trip should be collected from the first aid room as should First Aid bum bags.
1. The quality of leadership is of paramount importance. It is the responsibility of all adults on a trip to work as a team, so that the leader is not put under stress by staff, parents or children, and for all to exercise unending vigilance where safety is concerned.
2. Leaders should make sure that all adults have clearly defined roles prior to the trip. There should be a deputy leader and member of staff responsible for health. All parents and trip members should be aware of these roles. A qualified first aider must be included in the staffing for all types of trips, day and residential. A list of qualified first aiders is held by the office.
3. Where there are Early Years Foundation Stage children on a trip one person needs to have an up to date twelve hour paediatric first aid certificate.
4. Staff ratios on residential trips should allow for teachers to rest. The trip leader should ensure that all adults on the trip are aware of the downtime rota. At least two members of staff should go on every trip, including day trips.
5. Children should be clear about discipline and see it enforced. Behaviour that might put the safety of the child or the group at risk should lead to withdrawal from the activity and may require collection of the child by the parent from a residential visit.
5. Pupils should be acclimatised as far as possible. Pupils experience trips in a small way at Dolphin and are well acclimatised after several trips, but teachers are especially aware of new children who may be on a trip for the first time.
6. Pupils must know the purpose of each activity. Activities should be within the skill of pupils and should have been agreed with the Head prior to the trip. Free time must be supervised and boundaries set and maintained. If remote supervision is to take place on a trip parents must be made aware of it before the visit and the children prepared.
8. In normal circumstances do not divert from planned programme nor engage in spontaneous activity. Never swim or paddle in unknown water. If a change in the programme to which the parents have given their consent is deemed necessary by the leader, the activities chosen should be of similar nature and skill level.
9. In changing from one programmed activity to another, look for change in hazards.
10. Before the children leave school they should be given numbers. Then on the trip there should be frequent head counts during the day and always when leaving a site, or at a hazard recognised in the risk assessment form. If parties are split each party should have written lists of names.
11. Children may not alight from a bus until a teacher opens the door and gives permission.
12. In car parks children should walk in single file as well as on narrow pavements and other places where extra control is needed. “Number order” avoids children overtaking each other. Use, too, on Walking Trips on narrow mountain paths. Practise for speedy responses and general discipline.
13. It is our policy that trip leaders should not have their own children on the trip. However, if a teacher’s own child is present, he/she should be in another group where possible. Teachers must think through any likely clashes of interest, and make plans before each trip to prevent these arising, which include informing the children beforehand.
14. It is our policy that parent driver’s children should not be in vehicle that their parent is driving.
15. Please note that no Dolphin child may travel in the front of a vehicle.
16. A child between 4 and 11 years of age, or under 1.35m in height should be transported in a booster seat. Up to 25kgs approx use booster seat usually 4-6 years. 22-36kgs approx use booster cushion.
17. During a trip appropriate staff /child ratios must be maintained according to the age of the child and the nature of the activities (using DCFS guidelines). An unqualified but responsible adult should not be left with more than 10 children and for not more than half an hour, nor in a situation remote from other members of staff.
18. Teachers should familiarise themselves with fire exits and procedures in hostels or other accommodation and also make the children aware of them.
19. Bus drivers should not drive for more than two and a half hours without a break. Ideally the leader should drive as little as possible.
20. A driver for each bus and a spare driver must go on each residential trip. Main drivers should not sleep in the same room as the children. On outward and return journeys drivers must rotate. Trip leaders must make sure that drivers are rested; they should not be included in activities, prior to driving home. On Walking Trips the driver should not need to walk on the last day of the trip, prior to driving, if their journey home is longer than two and a half hours.
21. It is vital that in any emergency situation the adults are alert and able to cope. For this reason at least one teacher and one driver should not drink alcohol each evening: a minimum of 2 adults. For an evening meal away from the hostel, a teacher, the driver and a back-up driver should not drink alcohol: a minimum of 2 adults if the teacher is also a driver. The trip leader is responsible both for ensuring that this policy is followed and ensuring that all adults on the trip are aware of the rota.
22. If a bus is not being taken, the travel insurance details must be taken on the trip by the trip leader.
23. In accordance with DCSF guidance for overseeing school trips and ensuring the safety of pupils on educational visits we have appointed Nancy Follett as “Educational Visits Co-ordinator”.
24. Please evaluate every residential trip afterwards using correct form and give feed-back at the next staff meeting with any general points you feel are valuable. Please feel free to give feedback at the staff meeting after day trips as well. If you wish you may ask parent helpers for their views in advance of the staff discussion.
25. In case of an emergency teachers should assess the situation, ensure the safety of the party ,call the emergency services if appropriate, follow the school emergency procedures and inform the school contact.
Also available on the website for parents: The Role of Parents on trips. If parents would like to view other parts of the trips package please ask at Reception.