THE ROLE OF PARENTS ON TRIPS

We’d really to thank all the parents who volunteer to help on our trips. We do hope you find them interesting and enjoyable.

BE AWARE OF SAFETY

Before each trip you will handed a copy of the risk assessment for that trip. Please read it carefully.

We would ask you to be constantly vigilant to the safety of the children.

Bus drivers have their own clearly defined responsibilities, and we know that car drivers will exercise the greatest care with their charges. Car drivers will need to complete form T13.

Please notify the Head of any medical condition that you may have or have had in the past, which might adversely affect the success of the trip, of course this will be treated in the strictest confidence. Should the Head decide that the trip leader (and any other staff) should also be informed, your consent will be requested first.

It is vital that in any emergency situation the adults are alert and able to cope. For this reason on residential trips 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.

OFFERING YOUR EXPERTISE

If you have a particular skill or knowledge base that you feel might be of use to the staff organizing the trip, please do let them know in advance.

We couldn’t run the trips without our parent base of PCV drivers as well as those who volunteer to drive the school cars, so please continue to offer. Occasionally we have more parents offering than space allows so be aware that an offer of help sometimes may have to be turned down.

The procedure for parents accompanying residential trips is that all PCV trained drivers are invited by letter to indicate their availability to drive on residential trips and then they are allocated following discussion with trip leaders. This takes into account the number of staff trained PCV drivers and a balance of male and female participants on each trip. A letter of confirmation is then sent to them. If we need car drivers another request is made usually via the “Weekly Update”.

If you are on the trip as a ‘bus driver’, please let us know if you cannot help out during the day as well; normally we would welcome your support with other aspects of the trip as well.

SUPPORTING THE STAFF

We really need your support!!

You will be asked to do a wide variety of tasks so please do stop us and say if you are at all unclear about what is being asked of you, or if you are unhappy about it.

On residential trips, you may be asked to help with activities as diverse as sorting out the packed lunches, running dorm inspections, and organising a general knowledge quiz, as well as a myriad of other activities.

On day trips you may be escorting a group of children to the toilet, carrying the clipboards, and other equally unglamorous jobs. When walking in a group please position yourself so that roughly an equal number of children are between adults. An adult must always be at the back.

Sometimes you will asked to take a small group around a particular site and we will endeavour to give you advance warning of any worksheet that the children will be using or the general layout of the site. If one of the children in your group misbehaves please let a member of staff know as soon as possible. The children are taught to treat all adults with appropriate respect, and we rarely have cases of poor behaviour on trips, although obviously it can happen.

The staff all recognize that it can be difficult to handle your own child on trips! Some children who normally behave beautifully will ‘play up’ when their parents are on the trip and often we will suggest that your child should be in a group led by another adult. (Similarly, other children may become upset if your child is afforded special privileges just because you are on the trip!)

There may be occasions when the entire group is admonished and we ask you to support us in establishing group discipline (very often there is a history behind a certain situation of which you might be unaware).

In all trip situations Dolphin staff will assume the initiative and lead the group with the assistance of your valuable support. Children will always be required to follow instructions from Dolphin staff members. If you disagree with any point that a member of staff has made, please discuss it with that member of staff when the children are not present.

Dolphin school trips are very special and parents (and staff!) tell us that they have learned a phenomenal amount from their participation on these trips.

We really appreciate your involvement and the staff especially like the opportunity to get to know you better as adults rather than as someone’s parents!