Educational Visits Policy

Policy details

• Date created - 11/02/2025
• Date approved - 14/02/2025
• Next review date - 02/2026
• Policy owner - Mrs C Robinson

Overview

Intent

At Co-op Academy Grove we see the benefits to learning outside the classroom and educational visits to be a crucial part of our curriculum. Opportunities to build trust and relationships are often greater whilst out of the classroom. Being outside also encourages physical activity and gives children the confidence to try new experiences and gain new skills.

We believe that educational visits are an integral part of the entitlement of every pupil to an effective and balanced curriculum. Appropriately planned visits enhance learning and improve attainment, and so form a key part of what makes Co-op Academy Grove a supportive and effective learning environment. The benefits to pupils of taking part in visits and learning outside the classroom include, but are not limited to:

• Improvements in their ability to cope with change.
• Increased critical curiosity and resilience.
• Opportunities for meaning making, creativity, developing learning relationships and practicing strategic awareness.
• Increased levels of trust and opportunities to examine the concept of trust (us in them, them in us, them in themselves, them in each other).
• Improved achievement and attainment across a range of curricular subjects. Pupils are active participants not passive consumers, and a wide range of learning styles can flourish.
• Enhanced opportunities for ‘real world’ ‘learning in context’ and the development of the social and emotional aspects of intelligence.
• Increased risk management skills through opportunities for involvement in practical risk-benefit decisions in a range of contexts, i.e. encouraging pupils to become more risk aware as opposed to risk averse.
• Greater sense of personal responsibility.
• Possibilities for genuine team working including enhanced communication skills.
• Improved environmental appreciation, knowledge, awareness and understanding of a variety of environments.
• Improved awareness and knowledge of the importance and practices of sustainability.
• Physical skill acquisition and the development of a fit and healthy lifestyle.

Application

Any visit that leaves the school grounds is covered by this policy, whether as part of the curriculum, during school time, or outside the normal school day.

This Educational Visits Policy should be read in conjunction with:

1. The Co-op Academies Trust policy document ‘Educational visits statement’ (available to all staff via Evolve).
2. National Guidance www.oeapng.info

Co-op Academy Grove uses EVOLVE for all educational visits.

All staff are required to plan and execute visits in line with school policy (i.e. this document), the Co-op Academies Trust policies and National Guidelines. Staff are particularly directed to be familiar with the roles and responsibilities outlined within the guidance.

Types of Visit & Approval

There are three ‘types’ of visit:

1. Visits/activities that are part of the normal curriculum and take place during the normal school day. These are entered on EVOLVE by the visit leader and submitted to the EVC for checking. The EVC then submits to the Head for approval.

2. Other non-residential visits within the UK that do not involve an adventurous activity. These are entered on EVOLVE by the visit leader and submitted to the EVC for checking. The EVC then submits to the Head for approval.

3. Visits that are overseas, residential, or involve an adventurous activity. As above, but the Head authorises and then submits to the Trust for approval.

Timescales

Co-op Academy Grove uses the Evolve system to plan, manage and record educational visits.

Visit Leaders should plan and prepare visits allowing time for internal and external vetting and approval as required. Normally this will mean that visit plans should be submitted to the EVC by at least the following deadlines:

• 3 to 6 months before departure for Overseas Visits
• 5 weeks before departure for Residentials
• 5 weeks before departure for Adventure Activities
• 2 weeks before departure for other types of visit

If for any reason these deadlines cannot be met, clarification and approval should be sought from the EVC.

Roles and responsibilities 

Visit leaders are responsible for the planning of their visits, and for entering these on EVOLVE (where required). They should obtain outline permission for a visit from the Head Teacher or EVC prior to planning, and certainly before making any financial commitments. Visit leaders have responsibility for ensuring that their visits will comply with all relevant guidance and requirements.

The Educational Visits Coordinator’s (EVC) are members of the senior leadership team, who will support and challenge colleagues over visits and learning outside the classroom (LOtC) activities. The EVC is the first point of contact for advice on visit related matters, and will check final visit plans on EVOLVE before submitting them to the Head. The EVC sets up and manages the staff accounts on EVOLVE, and uploads generic school documents, etc.

The Head Teacher has responsibility for authorising all visits for submitting all overseas, residential or adventurous activity visits to the Trust for approval, via EVOLVE.

Volunteers attending school trips, including parent volunteers, agree to:

• Follow the directions of staff and act accordingly
• Behave appropriately and model good behaviour for pupils
• Report any concerns to the trip lead or other staff present as soon as possible
• Make sure pupils under their supervision are acting safely and appropriately, and raise any issues with staff as soon as possible

Pupils have the responsibility to follow our school behaviour policy on educational visits. This includes the expectation that pupils will:

• Follow instructions given to them while on the trip
• Dress and behave as expected for the length of the trip
• Take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others, reporting any concerns to a staff member or trip supervisor

Parents and carers have responsibility to agree that pupils can take part in educational visits, parents/carers agree that they will:

• Provide all information required, such as emergency contact details and health/medicine information if applicable
• Sign and return consent forms and any other documentation required in a timely manner
• Share any concerns or information about the pupil that may affect or impact their ability to safely take part in the trip

The Community Council’s role is that of a ‘critical friend’ and it will:

1. Adopt and periodically review this policy, as required.
2. Ensure there is a competent Educational Visit Coordinator (EVC) in place who meets the requirements outlined in ‘National Guidance’ and has completed the EVC Training Programme and any updates as required.
3. Review the range of visits provided by the school via a report submitted twice a year by the EVC.

Individual governors may request ‘read-only’ access to EVOLVE.

The Co-op Academies Trust is responsible for the final approval (via EVOLVE) of all visits that are either overseas, residential, and/or involve an adventurous activity.

Evaluation

Co-op Academy Grove evaluates activities and visits.

Evaluation may include:

1. The impact on learning; in addition to usual assessment methods, we use

• Photographs / Video
• Of specific processes –measuring, data collection, data recording, use of creative language, sequencing etc.
• Pupil Voice
• Develop questionnaires to capture physical activity levels & happiness
• Other measures (e.g. attendance, behaviour)

2. The arrangements (e.g. risk assessments, value for money, lessons learned)

Staff Competence

Co-op Academy Grove recognises that staff competence is the single most important factor in the safe management of visits, and so we support staff in developing their competence in the following ways:

• An apprenticeship system, where staff new to visits assist and work alongside experienced visit leaders before taking on a leadership role.
• Supervision by senior staff on some educational visits.
• Support for staff to attend training courses relevant to their role, where necessary.

In deciding whether a member of staff is competent to be a visit leader, the Head Teacher will take into account the following factors:

• Relevant experience.
• Previous relevant training.
• The prospective leader’s ability to make dynamic risk management judgements, and take charge in the event of an emergency.
• Knowledge of the pupils, the venue, and the activities to be undertaken.

Staff ratios and first aid

Risk assessments for each visit will ascertain the safe level of supervision required.

On all educational visits, we will make sure:

• At least 1 supervising adult able to administer first aid is present on all trips
• Appropriate first aid equipment will be taken on all trips, in accordance with our first aid and health and safety policies.
• All supervising adults will be made aware of any medical issues or allergies at the start of the trip
• Adults without a DBS check will not be left alone with pupils at any time
• The trip lead will take regular headcounts and/or roll calls
• For residential trips, at least 1 male and 1 female supervising adult is present (for mixed pupil groups)

Emergency procedures

A critical incident is any incident where events go beyond the normal coping mechanisms and experience of the visit leadership team.

The school has an emergency plan in place to deal with a critical incident during a visit. (See our Business Continuity Plan which details our response to any critical incident).

When an incident overwhelms the establishment’s emergency response capability, or where it involves serious injury or fatality, or where it is likely to attract media attention then assistance will be sought from the Co-op Academies Trust.

Educational Visits Checklist

Co-op Academy Grove’s Educational Visits Checklist forms part of the risk management process for visits and off-site activities. This has been adapted from the National Guidance generic checklist. A visit should usually only go ahead if the answer to all relevant questions is ‘YES’.

Co-op Academy Grove’s Educational Visits Checklist may be downloaded from EVOLVE Resources.

Volunteers

Where appropriate, parents and carers may be asked to volunteer to attend and supervise pupils alongside staff members on trips. Where more parents/carers volunteer than required on the visit, those invited to attend will be selected as fairly and transparently as possible, whilst taking into consideration:

• The needs of the pupils going on the trip
• The setting and circumstances of the trip
• Volunteers’ skills, attitude and past behaviour, including previous volunteer experience

Volunteers will receive a full induction from staff members on the day of the visit, prior to departure, including on their responsibilities, expected behaviour, the process for raising concerns, emergency procedures and contact details, and the expected timetable of the trip.

Parental Consent 

Specific, (i.e. one-off), parental consent must be obtained for all off-site visits. For these visits, sufficient information must be made available to parents (via letters, meetings, etc), so that consent is given on a ‘fully informed’ basis.

Inclusion

Co-op Academy Grove is committed to inclusion and will include all students in our offsite activities wherever this is reasonably practicable. 

Outdoor learning and off-site visits should be available and accessible to all, irrespective of any special educational or medical needs or protected characteristics.

The principles of inclusion and equality should be promoted and addressed in policy and practice, ensuring:

• an entitlement to participate;

• accessibility through adaptation or modification, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services;

• integration through participation with peers.

Challenging behaviour

In some cases, it may be reasonable and necessary to prevent a pupil with challenging behaviour from coming on a trip to protect their safety and the safety of the other pupils attending.

We will consider all reasonable options to help the pupil go on the trip safely, such as adapting the trip itinerary and increasing staffing numbers so the pupil can be supervised on a 1:1 basis.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding procedures should be considered as part of the planning process with additional consideration for residential visits. Visit Leaders should:

● Liaise with the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Pastoral Leaders to identify any relevant safeguarding issues

● Ensure appropriate vetting and barred list checks are in place (including enhanced DBS and barred list checks for unsupervised adults engaged in regulated activities)

● Consider issues relating to on-line safety, social media, access to and sharing of inappropriate content

● Know how, when and who to report safeguarding concerns to during a visit and have access to the DSL (or trained deputy) either directly or through the Base Contact

● Be familiar with Safer Working Practice principles.

Charging / funding for visits

Charging and Funding for visits is incorporated in Co-op Academy Grove’s Charging and Remissions Policy.

There may be occasions when we can only run visits if we get sufficient voluntary contributions to break even.

Transport

Transportation for trips will be organised by the school, in line with our safety procedures and follow the specialist guidance provided in Co-op Academies Trust transport policy. We will make sure pupils, staff and volunteers are transported safely and efficiently, with the required first aid provision.

Unless previously agreed with parents, transport for visits will leave from, and return to, the school site.

If we are transporting pupils in private cars careful consideration will take place and there will be recorded procedures and prior approval.

We will also refer to National Guidance document: 4.5c Transport in Private Cars, 4.5a Transport: General Considerations and 4.5e Hiring a coach

Minibuses

The level of supervision necessary will be considered as part of the risk management process when planning a trip using the school minibus. We will give proper consideration to issues of driver-distraction when considering what supervision is required for the specific group of passengers being transported. In addition, on longer journeys consideration will be given to factors such as driver fatigue and comfort breaks.

We will also refer to National Guidance document: 4.5b Transport in Minibuses Refer to ACPO / DfT/DFE document ‘Driving School Minibuses’

Insurance

Visits are covered under policies arranged through the Co-op Academies Trust.

We will also refer to National Guidance document: 4.4c Insurance