90369BF4BBCA657B718C357B302049BA

Educational Visits and other off-site activities Policy

Reviewed June 2013 (FL/JC/CM) Next review date: June 2014 (JC/CM)

Most activities off site are organised according to the Educational Visits Policy, as covered in sections 1 to 13. Other off site activities include:   

Sports Fixtures at other schools and venues Work Experience / Work Shadowing and European Work Experience Voluntary Work in the community

The policies for other off site activities are included at the end of this document. All references to Appendices are to the Appendices to the current Staff Handbook.

EDUCATIONAL VISITS 1

Introduction

1.1

In keeping with the School’s aims to foster intellectual curiosity and provide a stimulating and enjoyable learning experience, an active and wide ranging programme of educational visits is crucial to what we do. This policy has been written with regard to the following documents all of which can be found in the Educational Visits Appendix: current HSE guidance “School trips and outdoor learning activities” and DfE guidance “Health and Safety: Advice on legal duties and powers for local authorities, school leaders, school staff and governing bodies”, which have replaced the DCSF Guidance “Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits (HASPEV)” and “A Handbook for Group Leaders”, part 3 of a 3-part supplement to HASPEV. Although the latter two documents have been archived, they contain useful guidance and visit leaders are advised to consult these documents, in particular the Handbook for Group Leaders, in addition to familiarising themselves with the following guidance. This policy will be updated to take into account any pertinent issues and changes to guidance on good practice.

1.2

Currently the school runs c.150 educational visits over the course of an academic year. This number includes Duke of Edinburgh award scheme expeditions but not sporting fixtures to other schools which occur in addition. All teaching departments organise educational visits and these are offered to all girls throughout the school. Girls from every year group will participate in a number of educational visits per academic year as either a compulsory part of the teaching and learning programme or as an optional extra. The emphasis here is on making educational visits as accessible to as many girls as possible within the constraints imposed by time, cost and acceptable risk.

The types of visits included are: • Whole year group visits organised by departments • Bonding day visits organised by pastoral staff • Conferences / Revision day course visits • Outings to the Theatre, Concerts, Museums, Sporting events, etc.

• Tours, both domestic and overseas • Foreign exchange trips • Overseas cultural visits • Annual Skiing trip • World Challenge  Required curriculum based field trips (e.g. Geography, Biology)

1.3

The Educational Visits Coordinator (henceforth EVC) is responsible for the collection and checking of all documentation relating to educational visits from Group Leaders. The EVC also provides support to staff organising visits. The EVC meets twice weekly with and reports to the Senior Teacher (School Organisation), under the authority of the Headmistress. The EVC runs internal INSET to support staff with the running of visits.

1.4

Within departments the organisation and leading of visits will be shared and newer teachers are encouraged to take as active a role as they feel comfortable with. Guidance and support is always available from department heads, the EVC and members of the Senior Leadership Team. Educational visits are therefore seen as performing an important role in a staff member’s ongoing professional development as well as furthering the learning opportunities available to the girls.

2

Outline of Procedures

2.1

Responsibility for Educational Visits in the school as a whole lies with the EVC and the Senior Teacher (School Organisation). Responsibility for the running of individual visits, and the behaviour of pupils on the visits, lies with the designated Group Leader as stated on the checklist and risk assessment.

2.2

For all school journeys, whether a day visit or for longer, in the UK or abroad, we must show that all reasonable steps have been taken to establish safe conditions for the girls and adults concerned and to create an environment where levels of risk can be seen as manageable and acceptable. For every visit, a checklist (see Appendix 31) showing planning arrangements, must be completed and passed to the EVC at least one week in advance of a day visit, or at least three weeks in advance in the case of overnight stays or visits abroad. A risk assessment is also completed, according to the same time frame as above (see Appendices 36 and 37).

2.3

The Nurse and relevant Heads of Section must also be consulted well in advance of any visit in order to ensure that special medical needs or pastoral needs of the individual girls are factored in to the planning process. Please see the relevant documentation for timescales, found in Section 10 of the main body of the Staff Handbook, which outlines the Educational Visits process in condensed form.

2.4

Preparations and risk assessments for all visits are signed off by the EVC and the Senior Teacher (School Organisation).

3

Financial and Insurance matters

3.1

All school visits must self-fund. A budget for all year group outings must be agreed with the Bursar in the previous academic year in order for the costs to be accounted for. All optional outings should be carefully costed. Many visits will involve simple budgeting: for example, trips to the theatre or conferences where parents are asked to pay for the exact cost of the admission. For trips of a more complex nature, and all residential outings, a budget should be agreed with the Finance Office before the visit is marketed to girls and parents. The Finance Office should also be consulted on licensing and insurance. This consultation should take place after checking the date with the Senior Teacher (School Organisation), and before finalising any letter to parents. The Financial Form (Appendix 63) should be submitted to the Assistant Bursar for approval at least 1 week before the planned release to girls or parents of

any letter or email publishing the trip and approval must be received before the release of any such letter or email.

3.2

Since 1999 the school fees have included the cost of visits out of school which affect whole year groups. These mainly affect Years 7, 8 and 9where the subject is compulsory and studied by the whole year. The arrangement may also apply to core subjects in Years 10 and 11 but not in the Sixth Form.

3.3

School visits are covered by the school’s existing comprehensive insurance. The Bursar should be informed of any visit involving hazardous activities so that additional cover can be arranged. Where the visit is a ‘package’ which includes insurance cover, this should be compared by the Bursar with the school’s cover to ensure that it is adequate.

3.4

For visits abroad, the Group Leader should check girls’ passports and, where appropriate, visas and EHICs. N.B. In general, regardless of nationality, all girls whose parents are UK tax payers are eligible for medical care under the EHIC system. Private travel insurance policies normally make the assumption that medical care available free under this scheme is not included in the cover provided. Hence it is a requirement that all those parents eligible for EHIC cover ensure they provide a valid card for their daughter for the duration of the visit.

If a girl is taken ill abroad, she would normally be covered to receive medical care in a general hospital. However, if the Group Leader was of the opinion that private medical care was needed (e.g. more immediate attention was needed/life threatening) then the insurance would cover these costs. The insurance would also cover repatriation costs, provided the patient was well enough to travel. Private health care in the UK is not covered by the school insurance.

3.4.1

Passports and iSAMS: Staff must be aware that the details of girls’ names on iSAMS do not always correspond with the official names on passports. Staff should request from parents a copy of the passport details BEFORE booking flights, etc., and make this clear to parents in the initial letters.

3.4.2

Visa waiver scheme: Staff should be aware that this dispensation only applies to the outbound leg of the visit. In order to re-enter the UK, non-EU passport holders must have in possession the relevant visa documentation for UK residency.

4

Detail of Procedures when Planning an Educational Visit

4.1 Prior knowledge of the venue / activities: Group Leaders should, as far as possible, be familiar with the venue and the nature of the conditions likely to be encountered. They should ensure that adequate safety standards are met at the venue and on transport to and from the visit.

If appropriate, they must check whether the centre is licensed for the activity concerned and that instructors are suitably qualified and CRB cleared; the Bursar’s office should be consulted regarding this.

4.2 Check the date of the proposed visit with the Senior Teacher (School Organisation); if the proposed visit is not included in advance within the termly calendar, then discussion with other colleagues teaching the girls involved is required. When planning visits, departments must consider the following constraints on the timings of visits as agreed by Heads of Departments and Heads of Section:

    

From January onwards Year 11 girls should not go on visits out of school, to avoid them missing crucial teaching.

The Sixth Form may go on one visit per year per subject.

For departments arranging an educational visit for their UVI A2 students, there are no restrictions on the timings of the visit within the academic year, due to the late date of study leave for this year group.

UVI IB students should not go on visits after the February half term.

For LVI, however, their curricular time is much more restricted. AS students are not to go on any educational visits after the Easter break and prior to their study leave (with the exception of Open Days).

4.3

Once known, a list of girls attending the visit should be passed to the EVC for the creation of a custom group in iSAMS, registration in advance in iSAMS, and Medical / Contacts list to be discussed with the nurses and Heads of Section. For exchange visits, the Group Leader should, where practical, try to obtain from the host families as much information as possible about intended activities, so that the girls can be prepared and parents can give consent where necessary, e.g., for swimming activities.

4.4

Transport for London offers free travel to school groups to certain venues between 9:50am4:30pm. Wherever possible, especially for day outings in London, public transport should be used in order to keep costs of the outings as low as possible, and for environmental reasons.

Please check details of the TfL scheme with the EVC as soon as the date of the visit is confirmed/tickets booked. Booking forms for the free travel tickets are available in the Facilities Request Forms folder in the Staff Handbook Appendices folder for the Group Leader to complete and give to the EVC. Your application must be submitted to the EVC 3 weeks before the date of the visit so that an online application can be made by the EVC before the TfL stipulated deadline of 10 working days prior.

4.5

Transport arrangements: where coaches and mini-buses are used, ones fitted with seatbelts should be booked in the UK and, where possible, overseas; if fitted, the seatbelts must be fastened when travelling. If a member of staff or volunteer is to use their own car to transport pupils, they must have the correct licence and insurance cover to enable them to do so and they must have written parental consent. They should not be in a position where they are alone in a vehicle with a pupil. The Finance Department can advise on suitable coach companies used by the school.

4.6 4.6.1

Accommodation Arrangements When booking accommodation, twin or single rooms should be requested where possible. In the event that only double room accommodation is available, and that girls will therefore be required to share a bed, parents should be notified from the outset. In any eventuality, the school should ensure that when girls are sharing a room there is no significant difference between them in age and maturity. There must be appropriate supervision by staff, and girls must know how to contact staff in an emergency or if they feel uncomfortable with a situation. Where twin accommodation has been booked and double beds have been issued on arrival, the school should not book the same place of accommodation in future.

Accommodation should be checked to ensure that there are separate bathroom arrangements for pupils and adults.

4.6.2

5

Supervision of School Visits: accompanying staff & staff to pupil ratios

5.1

Leaders of visits should select and invite an appropriate number of other members of staff to assist on the visit. If required, other adults who are not members of staff may accompany the girls; they should be suitably authorised to safeguard children (as confirmed through the Bursar), and be able to undertake supervisory responsibilities. All accompanying adults should be checked against List 99, whether or not they are part of the official school party for the purposes of Adult to Pupil ratios. All accompanying adults must be fully briefed with the details of the visit and their general and specific responsibilities.

5.2

Ratios: the level of adult supervision must realistically reflect the purpose and nature of the visit, the age and maturity of the pupils, experience of accompanying adults and any special needs. There is no ‘right’ level of supervision and visits should be planned with sufficient adult supervision to allow for emergencies and the possibility that an adult may need to be detached from the main party. As a guide, the level of supervision should never be less than one member of staff to 15 pupils for a day visit, and one member of staff to 10 pupils for a residential/overseas visit. Staff should be aware that many transport providers and /or sites require more stringent ratios.

5.3

Safeguarding measures: any person on the visit designated to act in a supervisory role must have an enhanced CRB check which has been organised through the Bursar’s office. If it is intended to use volunteers or others not employed by the school in this capacity, Group Leaders should bear in mind when planning the visit that a CRB check can take up to two months to complete. All teaching and support staff employed by the school have had enhanced CRB checks carried out by the Bursar’s office. Volunteers who accompany staff and pupils on overnight educational visits must undergo the enhanced CRB check.

6

Briefings and correspondence concerning Educational Visits

6.1

Parents must be notified in advance of all Educational visits by letter setting out the following details, where appropriate (not all apply to every visit):                    

name of Group Leader and other adults year group or forms date(s)/time(s)/venue(s) subject / curriculum relevance and purpose of visit detail of any unsupervised time (n.b. should be kept to a minimum) the level of supervision, including remote supervision mode(s) of transport commencement and dispersal arrangements request for update on special educational, medical or dietary needs code of conduct clothing, food, money, equipment required, and that which is not permitted cost (if not whole year group) including supplementary costs such as spending money reply slip for parental permission how assessed risks will be managed, including the name of the travel company insurance arrangements / cover information on any parental briefing vaccinations required if appropriate timeframe re payment and instructions on presentation of cheques request EHIC card/passport accommodation and security, including details of host families

This applies to all school visits whether during the school day or evening, weekend or holiday activities, and to all age groups.

All letters should be submitted to the School Office and authorised by the Senior Teacher (School Organisation). Final signed copies of all letters will be kept on file in the School Office.

6.2

In signing the school’s Acceptance Form on admission, parents consent to the girls taking part in educational visits. Additional consent must be obtained for any visits which:    

require overseas travel; or involve an overnight stay; or occur during a weekend or school vacation; or involve some element of high risk or adventure activity.

A letter must be sent to parents requesting their consent and providing information about price, timings, location, etc. A Consent Form (Appendix 33) should be sent with the letter requesting up-to-date medical information, up-to-date contact details and permission for emergency medical treatment if the parents cannot be contacted. A code of conduct should also be sent which must be signed by the girl and her parent/guardian.

6.3

Supplementary letters will be sent, as required, giving final travel details, changes of plan, names and addresses of exchange partners etc.

6.4

Before the visit, supervising staff and girls must be fully briefed about the nature of the visit, all requirements and expectations of behaviour.

6.5

For visits abroad there should be a briefing meeting with parents to explain the arrangements in detail. At this meeting, parents should be given details of the school’s insurance policy. Copies are available from the Bursar’s office. Briefing documents must be given to the EVC with all other paperwork.

6.6

Letters to parents regarding visits abroad will state that such visits are subject to a 10% contingency fund. Please note that this contingency fund should only be used to cover unforeseeable and unavoidable extra costs and should, under normal circumstances, be refunded in full to parents at the end of the trip. The letter will also contain a sentence reminding parents that the school cannot undertake to provide for individual, bespoke, arrangements for girls to join or disperse from visits overseas individually. Such arrangements are not supported by the school’s insurers where any girl is under 18. This sentence will automatically be inserted by the School Office when the original letter to parents comes in for checking and typing. If a bespoke arrangement is agreed, then for girls under 18, arrangements must be in a place for a parent, or adult designated in loco parentis to meet with the group member of staff in charge to handover responsibility. This arrangement must not compromise the group’s activities. Such arrangements are fraught with difficulty, and agreements should not be entered into without consultation with the EVC and the Senior Teacher (School Organisation).

6.7

Staff must inform the EVC via the planning checklist of the names of members of staff and other adults going on the visit and inform the Senior Teacher in charge of cover of any cover requirements well in advance.

7

Preparing a Risk Assessment – Medical and Pastoral consultations

7.1

The EVC will prepare a custom group list of girls taking part in the activity on iSAMS. This will enable smooth communication between school and parents, where necessary, for the duration of the visit. The Group Leader must ensure that this group list has been set up. The Group Leader should then give to all emergency contacts clear instructions regarding communication with the group through iSAMS.

7.2

The medical / contacts list created by the EVC in iSAMS should be passed by the Group Leader to the School Nurse and the relevant Head of Section for initial comment as soon as possible. This is so that any serious issues affecting an individual’s participation can be managed carefully from the outset, and that appropriate attention can be paid to special educational, pastoral or medical needs, and staff training. The school Doctor may need to be consulted or see pupils.

In all cases, the Group Leader must arrange a meeting with the School Nurse to discuss the most up to date medical needs of the individuals taking part in the visit in the context of the activities being undertaken.

This is essential to ensure the implications of medical conditions are understood, and so that supervising staff can be deployed appropriately (e.g. members of staff who are epi-pen trained to supervise groups with girls who are potential epi-pen users). It is crucially important that this procedure is followed as not all medical information relating to a girl is necessarily stored on iSAMS and medical issues are evolving all the time. This meeting must take place shortly before the risk assessment and checklist are finalised and passed to the EVC. The school nurse must see all consent forms for overseas visits for checking and signing.

The school strongly recommends that a girl should not participate in school visits abroad unless she is fully vaccinated against tetanus, polio and diphtheria. This vaccination, which is given as a combined vaccine, is also a requirement for certain field trips and D of E expeditions within the UK. Where there are strong objections by parents against girls having these vaccinations, careful consideration on an individual basis is required so that the levels of risk can be assessed on an individual basis and guidance from the school’s lawyers and insurers may be needed.

7.2.1

7.2.2

7.3

Sometimes a supplementary meeting with the parents may be required in advance of a residential visit in order to make the best arrangements / care plan to meet the medical or pastoral needs of the girl.

7.4

The Group Leader should ensure that host families, centres, hotels etc. are made aware confidentially of any special dietary or medical requirements. N.B. It should also be stressed that any list used for registration purposes and likely to be seen by girls should not contain medical information.

7.5

Staff and volunteers should be aware that girls must be responsible for their own medication; staff must not dispense any medication to the girls, even ibuprofen or paracetamol, even if they are first aid trained.

7.6

Ensure that groupings and pairings are sympathetic to the medical or pastoral needs of girls participating, especially if concerns are raised by the Head of Section.

7.7

There is no minimum level of first aid training required legally for educational visits.

However, it is good practice that for all educational visits, at least one member of staff has basic first aid training. Staff who expect to run residential visits are recommended to attend the First Aid training offered in school.

7.8

Staff should seek advice from the School Nurse or Doctor for any medical condition that might impact their role during a visit.

8

Equipment taken on Educational Visits

8.1

At least one First Aid kit should be taken on the visit; these are available from the School Nurse and should be booked at least one week in advance. These kits are basic. Please discuss the activities you will be undertaking and request specific items that you may need.

First Aid kits are not needed if meeting girls at a venue where such will be on hand. However, spare epi-pens must always be taken and are not included within this exception. When returning the First Aid kits, you must sign them back in and leave a note outlining what was used.

8.2

School mobile telephones should be taken for visits in the UK and abroad; these are available from the Finance Office, and should be booked at least one week in advance. The school mobile phone number held by the Group Leader should be given to parents so that they have a contact number in an emergency. Staff should always use the school mobile phones for visits, and should never issue to girls or parents personal mobile phone numbers.

9

Documentation - Risk Assessments and Notifications to colleagues

9.1

A risk assessment must be completed by the Group Leader for all visits out of school – day or residential. Generic risk assessments covering both day outings and residential / overseas visits can be obtained from the Staff Handbook – Appendices 36 and 37 respectively. It is very important that these forms are appropriately annotated so that the risk assessment is specifically adapted for the visit, taking into account the particular activities and capabilities/special needs/medical conditions of the girls and staff participating.

9.2

Before booking a visit, a written assurance should be obtained from providers such as tour operators that they have assessed the risks and have appropriate measures in place. A copy of any relevant risk assessment should be obtained where possible. The Group Leader must check with the organisation that they have a licence for the type of activities undertaken.

(NB. Staff are not experts at assessing specialist risk, and are not expected to evaluate external organisations’ procedures themselves, but they can check that this has been done.) All tour operators must be asked for a copy of their safety management system.

9.3

Parents do not need to see copies of risk assessments. Please consult the EVC should a parent request a copy. The EVC will pass the information to the parent, with details of specific individual needs erased and references to individuals kept confidential, being for the eyes of supervising staff acting in loco parentis only.

9.4

For day visits, the Group Leader will give a copy of the completed checklist, risk assessment, annotated list of girls, briefing notes and letters sent home, to the EVC one week prior to departure.

9.5

For residential visits, the Group Leader will give a copy of the completed checklist, risk assessment, annotated list of girls, briefing notes and letters sent home to the EVC three weeks prior to departure.

9.6

Emergency contacts for day outings during school hours The EVC will provide Reception with the list of girls who are away from school on educational visits. In the event of an emergency during the working day, the school Receptionist and Office will act as the emergency contact and liaise with parents where necessary.

9.7

Primary emergency contacts for all visits outside school hours

Every visit must have a named primary emergency contact. The Group Leader must ask an experienced member of staff to act as a link between the party and the parents/school in case of difficulty or emergency. This link person should be fully briefed with all details of the visit, including the list of girls, and the contact telephone numbers and addresses for parents and the party. The Group Leader must take on the visit the contact details of the primary emergency contact. The primary emergency contact should be available at all times during the course of the visit, i.e., if contactable by mobile phone, this must remain switched on at all times.

9.8

Emergency Contacts (Primary and Secondary) for Residential and Overseas visits 1. In the event of an emergency, the Group Leader has a pre-arranged mobile ‘phone and land line contact with their primary emergency contact who should be a member of staff experienced in running residential or overseas visits. N.B. The primary contact does not need to be a member of the Senior Team.

2. The primary emergency contact will be required to be contactable 24 hours a day so their mobile phone must be switched on at all times and be on their person.

3. Documents which the Emergency Contact should have for the duration of the Visit (given by the EVC after Senior Teacher’s (School Organisation) approval):      

A copy of the itinerary, checklist including contact details of the Group Leader A list of all the girls on the visit with their emergency contact numbers A copy of the permissions slips / signed codes of conduct A copy of the staff contact list in order to alert or consult with key colleagues These documents should be at hand during the times indicated above The ‘phone numbers of the Secondary Emergency Contact who will be a member of the Senior Team for more extreme circumstances (e.g. requiring a press release or involving a serious injury or death, or where advice from a more senior member of staff is needed).

The Secondary Emergency Contact will be arranged by the EVC.

The Primary Emergency Contact’s Role:  This role is more connected with coordinating information rather than decision making  In addition, Group Leaders need to note that the Emergency Contact may not be in a position to solve the situation or give immediate direction without consultation  To give preliminary advice in the event of an accident or emergency which may be of a practical issue, but the Emergency Contact is only able to advise within the limits of their expertise  To coordinate information to parents if there are reasons why the Group Leader is unable to make that contact (eg. they are tied up with supervision of other girls, or in a hospital or clinic where phone use is not possible)  To act as a calming ‘filter’ or buffer for the Group Leader in making an initial report of an incident to the parent of the girl concerned  To contact the Secondary Emergency Contact in the event of a major issue. Examples may involve the question of abandoning the visit, if situations emerge where it appears unsafe to remain, or incidents which may involve the media  To brief the Secondary Emergency Contact should the urgent need to issue a press release arise  To contact parents to invite them to collect their daughter from overseas / the residential visit venue should her behaviour prove ungovernable, or should illness or accident render the girl incapable of continuing with the visit



To contact the Secondary Emergency Contact to recruit a replacement member of staff, should the Group Leader or other member(s) of staff on the visit become unable to fulfil their role.

9.10

For day visits out of school, the EVC will place details of the date, venue and names of girls, staff and other accompanying adults involved on the staff notice board at least one week before the visit.

9.11

For residential/overseas visits, the EVC will give the above information to the School Office, together with emergency contact telephone numbers and addresses for the party, and the primary and secondary emergency contacts who will be in London.

10

Adventure holidays or Outward Bound Days

10.1

The process for Risk Assessment, documentation and notification is as above.

10.2

The need to establish the licensing and qualifications of those leading the activities requires particularly detailed attention, and liaison with the Bursar’s office is essential to ensure that the right levels of insurance are in place.

10.3

Where qualified outside instructors are taking a supervisory role, and a teacher will not always be present, liaison with the Bursar to check that the school’s safeguarding policy is being adhered to is essential. This may mean that copies of enhanced CRB checks are made available to the Bursar’s office.

10.4

Depending on the nature of the visit, advice regarding recommended vaccinations, the costs and where to obtain them, should be given to parents from the outset. The school recommends Tetanus injections for certain residential activities (Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions and World Challenge Expeditions) so that minor first aid issues, cuts or grazes, can be treated without the need for medical intervention which may be difficult to obtain in a remote setting. Discussion and consultation with parents may be necessary where the family does not wish to follow the recommendation. The school nurse should be consulted at the earliest opportunity regarding vaccination advice.

Step by step guides for both one-day, and also residential/overseas visits, can be obtained from the Staff Handbook, chapter 10.

11

On the visit or journey

11.1

Each member of staff and any accompanying adult must have the Medical / Contacts list of the girls participating. These must be shredded at the end of the visit. For visits abroad or overnight, the relevant telephone number of the primary emergency contact and the secondary Senior Management Team emergency contact should be available to all accompanying staff.

11.2

On departure, for a day visit, Reception will be informed of any absentees, to be checked against the list of girls and staff involved will be left in Reception by the EVC.

11.3

The Group Leader must check prior to departure that girls have with them any special medical requirements (e.g. inhalers, epi-pens).

11.4

Every visit or journey must have one designated leader; everyone should know who is in charge and take their instructions from them, regardless of their own seniority within the school.

11.5

Girls must not leave the party without permission. Where appropriate, girls should be encouraged to be in groups of 3 or 4 so that partners can report if one is missing or in difficulty. At the centre, hotel etc., girls must be made aware of emergency procedures e.g. in case of fire.

11.6

When a day visit concludes at a venue after the end of the school day, and accompanying staff wish to allow girls to disperse independently from the visit, a letter to parents must give them the opportunity to request that their daughter be escorted back to school. Ad hoc changes to the arrangements already set out in letters to parents should not be made on the day.

11.7

The general level of direct supervision throughout the visit, including the evenings, must be appropriate. There must always be at least one adult on duty and the girls must know who to contact at all times.

11.8

Bespoke arrangements for individual girls who need to leave or join a visit independently must be negotiated with care and confirmed in writing by the parent. As a guideline, girls under 16 should generally be met by a parent if leaving a visit early. For overseas visits, the school is not able to sanction a girl leaving the group to join parents or relatives independently unless the girl is over 18. For girls under 18, arrangements must be in place for a parent, or adult designated in loco parentis to meet the group member of staff in charge to handover responsibility. This arrangement must not compromise the group’s activities.

12

Emergency procedures in the event of illness or accident

12.1

Contingency plans should be made for the care and/or return of a girl (or accompanying adult) in the event of illness or accident or for disciplinary reasons. In the event of illness, accident or a disciplinary problem, parents must be informed as quickly as possible via the primary emergency contact in London or the secondary emergency contact if the nature of the incident or accident is severe.

12.2

If a visit involves an accident or hospitalisation this should be reported to the Head Mistress, Deputy Head, the Bursar and the School Nurse (via email or in writing) on return to School.

13

Post Visit

13.1

Any paperwork containing sensitive information must be shredded after the visit.

13.2

Upon request from the EVC, the Group Leader should complete an Evaluation of a Visit Form (Appendix 38) handing one to the EVC and retaining one in departments. This is to enable smooth handover of arrangements to other colleagues and to facilitate review of the visit, its impact and any issues arising regarding the venue or services used.

13.3

Feedback from visits will be given by Group Leaders at the weekly briefing meeting following the visit.

OTHER OFF-SITE ACTIVITIES

14 Sports Away fixtures All procedures for visits should follow this school policy. Any staff wishing to take a visit, or day time fixture must first receive permission from the Senior Teacher (School Organisation) and check that it

does not clash with any other visits and arrangements on the calendar. Staff should then send a letter home with the relevant medical/off site consent forms for parents to fill in and return. The Catering Department may need to be informed if it results in girls missing lunch or needing a packed lunch. Liaison with the School Office is needed to order packed lunches for day time events and teas for home fixtures. A list of girls must be put on the staffroom noticeboard so that colleagues know when girls will be missing lessons.

When away fixtures are being played a list of girls must be left with Reception along with an estimated return time and contact telephone number. If held up due to traffic or any other reason, the member of staff in charge must telephone Reception so that the school can inform parents if required.

The following policy is provided to parents and girls via the school calendar: “Sports Fixtures. There is much extra-curricular sport available at Godolphin and Latymer. Fixtures are generally played during the week with some hockey matches and netball tournaments on Saturdays. Teams are posted on the noticeboard a week in advance of the game and girls are asked to acknowledge that they have seen the list and are able to play by ticking in the box next to their name. Should a girl be unable to play, she should see the Team Captain or member of staff in charge of the team so that a replacement may be found. This should not happen on the same day as the match as it is impossible and, indeed, unfair to ask another girl to participate at such short notice.

Squads are announced after trials at the start of the Autumn and Summer Terms. All squad members are expected to attend all practices which will either be before school, lunchtime or after school.

Frequent absences from training will mean that a girl will be dropped from the squad.”

A summary of the relevant PE kit / uniform requirements is given Girls are representing the school and are, therefore, expected to behave and dress in a way which is a credit to themselves and the school, both on and off the pitch or court. Finally, support from parents, friends and relatives is always welcome. We hope to see you there.

Match cancellations Sometimes matches are cancelled at late notice due to bad weather or transport problems. When playing local schools we normally make a decision at 1:45p.m. if the weather is poor. If this should happen a note is put on the board and website by 2:30 p.m. and the girls are asked to come to the Physical Education office and changing area to ring home either on their mobiles or using the Physical Education office telephone. Reception is also informed, so you can ring to check if the match is being played.”

The Risk Assessment for Away Fixtures can be found at Appendix 41.

15 Work Experience/Work Shadowing, including European Work Experience Work Experience Policy YEAR 11 WORK EXPERIENCE We recommend, but do not insist, that all Year 11 girls undertake a work experience or work shadowing placement in the period after GCSE examinations, usually for one week. The majority of the students arrange their own placement; the school’s Work Experience Co-ordinator will endeavour to secure placements for those who cannot. The same procedures are followed for all placements whether arranged by school or by the student herself (even if the placement is with a family member). Work experience procedures are based on information and guidance obtained from the ‘Ensuring Learner Safety: Work Placements, Vocational and Work-Based Learning’ course run by Network Training Ltd and from a meeting with Elementus, the school’s Health and Safety Consultancy. Procedures and paperwork are checked each year by the Head of Higher Education and Careers against the current DfE guidance.

A. CHECKS AND SAFEGUARDS: All employers are required to complete the Employer Agreement and provide a risk assessment suitable for a student of this age and experience. This is checked against current DCSF standards each year before being sent to employers in February-April. We provide a Specimen Risk Assessment specific to the area of work for the employer to use as a template if they wish. These Specimen Risk Assessments were devised in conjunction with, and approved by, the Deputy Head.

1. Insurance: DCSF Publication The Work-Related Learning Guide (Second Edition), 2009, pp. 26-27: “The main risks are: • injury to: – students; – others on the premises (employees, visitors, customers, etc); and – others who are not on the premises (including customers and members of the general public).

• damage to, or loss of, property belonging to: – employers; and – others (e.g. students, customers).

The good news is that these main risks should be covered by normal employer insurance arrangements. Most employers carry insurance policies that cover most risks arising from work experience and other visits, provided that the work experience is in accordance with the normal business practices of the employer. Any injuries caused to employees or students, provided they arise out of activities undertaken in the employer’s name, should normally be covered by the organisation’s Employer’s Liability policy or Public Liability policy (ELI is the most important). Damage to the employer’s property may be covered by the employer’s material damage policy. Damage to anyone else’s property on the premises should normally be covered by the employer’s Public Liability policy.”

Employer Agreement Item 7 informs employers of the status of student undertaking work experience and the circumstances in which they should notify their insurer, Items 7.1 & 7.2 request information regarding insurances in place.

All students undertaking work experience are required to have Personal Accident Insurance cover.

The school’s insurers have confirmed that students are covered by PAI whilst on work experience in the UK and abroad.

2. Safeguarding: DfE Publication Safeguarding young people on Work-Related Learning including Work Experience, 2010, pp. 2-3: “In the vast majority of placements – as the employer/employees involved will not have regular unsupervised access to young people at work – there is no need for CRB checks to take place. Around 550,000 work experience placements take place each year, and we estimate that CRB checks take place for just one per cent of these.”

“CRB checks and additional safeguards are not necessary for … block placements lasting up to three weeks” Employer Agreement Item 8 asks approximately how many people are employed in the department in which the student will be placed. If the answer is one person the Bursar will be consulted as to whether an ISA/CRB check will be required. Item 8 also informs employers of their duty regarding safeguarding a student in the workplace.

3. Health & Safety: Employer Agreement Item 9 informs employers of their legal obligation to provide an appropriate Risk Assessment. Employer Agreement Item 10 details the requirements for an Induction for the student before commencing their work placement.

All Employer Agreements and Risk Assessments are approved by the Senior Teacher (School Organisation) and a signed copy of the Employer Agreement is returned to the employer as final confirmation of the placement. If an employer cannot complete the Employer Agreement or cannot provide a suitable risk assessment the placement cannot be part of the school scheme. In these circumstances the parents are informed of the situation and advised that, if they decide to proceed with the placement independently, they check the organisation’s health & safety and risk assessment procedures before allowing their daughter to attend.

B. ENSURING THAT ALL PARTIES HAVE ALL THE RELEVANT INFORMATION 1. Parents Parents receive a copy of the Employer Agreement and risk assessment for their daughter’s placement. They are asked to complete the Parental Agreement form giving medical information and emergency contact details. We ask employers to give a copy of their Health & Safety Guidelines on the girls’ arrival at their placement.

2. Employers Employers receive a copy of the Parental Agreement, the covering letter draws attention to the medical and contact information on the form.

3. Students Students attend a briefing meeting on the UV Transition Day, before commencing their placement.

They also receive a Work Experience Record Book which includes information about Health & Safety rights and responsibilities.

LOWER SIXTH WORK EXPERIENCE Members of LVI occasionally ask for suggestions of contacts for work experience (these are usually in medical areas). LVI use this contact information to organise a placement themselves. Contacts whose details are given to LVI will be employers who have been used for Upper Fifth placements and who have, therefore, previously provided risk assessments and details of insurances.

LOWER SIXTH EUROPEAN WORK EXPERIENCE A small number of LVI students take part in our European Work Experience scheme. This is an exchange run jointly with Latymer Upper School, our European partner schools are Canisius-Kolleg in Berlin and Lycée Notre Dame du Grandchamp in Versailles. Work placements are organised by the partner school. In Versailles employers complete a standard Convention de Stage used for work placements in France which includes insurance information; this document is also signed by the student and our partner school. In Berlin, the situation is more complex, and parents receive a letter detailing the insurance arrangements with a reply slip they are asked to sign to say they are prepared to allow their daughter to participate in EWE under these arrangements. All students are required to have Personal Accident Insurance. On the advice of the school’s insurers we prohibit placements in medical, dental and veterinary areas as these are considered ‘high risk’. Students are covered by PAI whilst undertaking placements in all other areas (although we would check with our insurers if we encountered any other placement which might be considered high risk).

The following documents relevant to Work Experience/Work Shadowing and European Work Experience are included as Appendices to this policy, within the Staff Handbook Appendices: Work Shadowing/Work Experience Parental Agreement Form (Appendix 46) Work Shadowing/Work Experience Employer Agreement Form (Appendix 42) Work Experience Briefing and Diary (for girls) (Appendix 47) Specimen Risk Assessment for Office Work (Appendix 48) Specimen Risk Assessment for Work Experience in Hospital (Appendix 43)

16 Voluntary Work The school organises two separate programmes for voluntary work within the local community, one for girls in Year 10/Year 11 and one for the Sixth Form. The booklets accompanying this document detail the nature of the placements on offer to the girls and times when they take place.

Year 10/Year 11 In the Year 10/Year 11 voluntary work runs for three terms beginning in the summer term of the Year 10 and ending at the end of the spring term in Year 11. All voluntary work placements take place at lunchtimes. Girls in Year 10 are invited to apply for a voluntary work placement towards the end of the spring term. An introductory meeting led by the Community Links Co-ordinator is held at which an information booklet is given out and discussed with all girls in the Year 10. Shortly after this meeting girls are invited to sign up for a placement.

Before the end of the Spring Term, the Community Links Co-ordinator informs girls via a letter to parents whether they have been assigned their placement or offering them an alternative. Attached to the letter is a packed lunch order form and a parental permission form which needs to be signed by a parent accepting the conditions of the voluntary work before it can be undertaken.

Parents are informed in this letter that girls are assigned placements in pairs and that they will not be accompanied to their voluntary work placement by a member of staff, other than on their first visit. At the beginning of the summer term, briefing meetings are arranged at the individual placements and the Community Links Co-ordinator escorts the girls to these meetings. At these meetings girls are issued with badges, reminded of the importance of notifying the placement in case of absence, informed of particular health and safety issues specific to their placement and given their start date. Girls are responsible for keeping their own records of attendance and should be in contact with the Community Links Co-ordinator in case of any difficulty or query.

LVI/UVI In the Sixth Form voluntary work is offered to the LVI in the Autumn Term, and placements run from the end of September until the start of study leave in the Summer Term. Girls may chose to continue voluntary work in the UVI. At the beginning of September the Community Links Co-ordinator informs girls of the options available for them for voluntary work at a year meeting. All LVI formers receive a booklet and an application form, which needs to be completed with their choice of placement and signed by a parent. All girls are informed of the need to apply for a CRB check to carry out voluntary work in schools and hospitals and they are given instructions on how to go about this.

Towards the middle of September the Community Links Co-ordinator allocates students to particular placements and arranges introductory briefing meetings at the individual placements. The Community Links Co-ordinator accompanies the girls to these meetings at which they are issued with badges, reminded of the importance of notifying the placement in case of absence, informed of particular health and safety issues specific to their placement and given their start date.

The following documents relevant to Voluntary Work are included as Appendices to this policy, within the Staff Handbook Appendices: Year 10 – Year 11 Voluntary Work letter (Appendix 44) Risk Assessment for Voluntary Work placements (Appendix 49) Sixth Form Voluntary Work booklet (Appendix 45)

Reviewed June 2013 (FL/JC/CM) Next review date: June 2014 (JC/CM)