Information

Education Visits Information Education Visits Information

NEW

Safety Guidelines for Educational Visits and Adventure Activities, Categories of Visits can be found at the bottom of this page.  They have been produced by Holmwood School and are examples of good practice.    

  • There is now a series of Tees Valley Cycling Maps. For these and further information on cycling please contact the Cycling Officer - Andrew Casey on 01642 728184 or e-mail andrew_casey@middlesbrough.gov.uk. Further details are available on www.middlesbrough.gov.uk 

    Details of the Middlesbrough Cycle Centre, based at 71 Gilkes Street, which is funded by the Council and supported by Northern Rock Foundation and Sport England can be found on  www.middlesbroughcyclecentre.co.uk or 01642 219620 - a very useful source of information and support. 

 

 

 

  • Good news for teachers organising school trips within the EU! If you have pupils on the trip who are not EU citizens you can now apply for a List of Travellers form online. The List of Travellers form (LOT) is issued to schools in the UK travelling on a school trip to another country in the EU who have children from outside the EU in their party . The LOT form, which is sometimes referred to as a "visa waiver" form, takes the place of the visa that international children would normally need to travel within the EU.  Before requesting the form we recommend that you read the guidance notes about this scheme. The full guidance notes can be downloaded from: 

    http://www.britishcouncil.org/home-information-centre-list-of-travellers-scheme.htm

    Please note that the British Council can only issue LOT forms within 8 weeks of the trip.  If your trip is imminent, that is within two weeks of the trip, we recommend that you contact the British Council by telephone on 0161 957 7755. Only teachers can apply for a LOT form. Pupils, parents, travel agents or any third party cannot apply on the schools' behalf.  To successfully complete the online request the teacher should have the passports of the children to be listed to hand, as it is important that the details provided tally exactly with the passports. 

    • The date of the trip 
    • The destination of the trip 
    • The method of transportation 
    • Any other EU countries to be visited or passed through during the trip 
    • The total number of pupils travelling 
    • The total number of non-EU pupils travelling 
    • The full name of each child, their place of birth, date of birth and Nationality. This information is required normally for the non-EU pupils, unless the trip is to Germany, in which case all the children need to be entered. 
    • Confirmation that the non-EU pupils have their own valid individual passport or travel document, containing a Home Office stamp indicating the right to residence in the UK. Please see the guidance notes for further information. 
    • The name and contact details of the school 
    • The name of the lead accompanying teacher   *The form cannot be issued without this information IN FULL.

    The form an be requested on line at: www.britishcouncil.org/listoftravellers 

  • Mobile Phones: schools, units and services should ensure that their visits policies relating to the use of mobile phones and photographic images conforms to that applied in general throughout the school.
  • Minibus Driving Regulations
    The DfES has now placed a document on the Teachernet webpage about the issue of teachers etc driving minibuses:
    www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/healthandsafety/visits
    Entitled : Licensing Incidental Drivers of the School Minibus. (Reference also on www.oeap.info )

  • Mountain Weather Forecast
    The Met Office have agreed to supply free mountain weather forecasts from 28 April 2006 instead of only being available through charged calls and sites.
    For up to date information on the new free mountain forecast availability please go to: www.metoffice.com
    There is also a section for Marinecall.

 

  • Planning an Educational Visit
    The School Travel Forum provides comprehensive information for Schools, Groups and Organisations planning an educational visit.
    Guide by Chris Lowe may be downloaded from the website : www.schooltravelforum.com
    Assured members - this provides information about a number of companies who have attained 'Assured Member' status of STF.

 

  • Yorkshire Dales National Park
    Information and assistance with regards to aspects of educational visits in the Yorkshire Dales can be found on the following website.  
    www.yorkshiredales.org.uk
    The attached page highlights a number of significant issues when visiting the Dales and highlights the assistance which the staff of the National Park may be able to offer.
    click here to access the above page

  • 'Throw lines'
    At an EVC meeting it was suggested that a useful piece of equipment which could be carried when going 'near the waters edge' was a 'throw line'. This could allow a potential rescuer to provide a means of support to someone as well as a means of pulling them out of the water. Details of these can be obtained by accessing Google and putting in 'throw line' in the search box.    If a 'throw line' is being carried it is incumbent upon the school/service/unit to ensure that training has been undertaken in its use.  

 

  • E111
    Information about E111
    For more details of the above go interactive on www.oeap.info
    Please note that E111 renewals can now be undertaken on the Internet.

     

  • Farm Visits
    For guidelines/information on farm visits, please click here for further information :
    HSE Information Sheet - Avoiding ill health at open farms - please click here for further information


  • High Quality Outdoor Education
    All schools/services were sent copies of this document have been sent to schools, units and services. The outcomes described in the document relate well to the 5 outcomes for Every Child Matters. The indicators, which list a range of evidence, will help schools to complete the Ofsted Self Evaluation Form, particularly Section 4, 'Personal Development and Well Being'.

     

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    • Use of Volunteers and Paid Coaches
      The following extract is taken from 'The use of volunteers and paid coaches in PE and School Sport'. It illustrates a range of competencies which could be used in assessing competencies of those undertaking activities related to PE, sport and school visits.
      It is advisable to read the whole document and the associated documents. This can be found on  www.afpe.org.uk Paid coaches (contractors) and any particular volunteers should be judged on the following competencies to determine the eventual level of direct or distant teacher supervision required: a. Quality of relationships:
          • Value, care for and respect all children
          • Present an appropriate role model e.g. use of language, dress, fair play, equality
          • Seek to promote the ethos of the school
          • Work well with the school staff  
          •  
          b. Knowledge of the pupils:
        • Identify and respond to individual:
        • Levels of confidence
        • Ability
        • Special educational needs
        • Medical needs
        • Behaviour
        • Age/development stage
        •   c. Pupil management:
        • Use common and approved practice
        • Match pupils confidence, strength and ability in pair and group tasks
        • Maximise participation
        • Have strategies for effective pupil control and motivation
        • Apply the school s standard procedures and routines e.g. child protection, emergency action, jewellery, handling and carrying equipment  d. Knowledge of the activities:
        • Understand where and how their work fulfils or complements the relevant National Curriculum Programme of Study and/or wider curriculum?
        • Demonstrate the appropriate level of expertise to enable learning to take place in the activity/ies being delivered?
        • Demonstrate an understanding of the overall needs of the age group with whom s/he is working?
        • Use:
        • Suitable space for the group
        • Differentiated equipment
        • Differentiated practice
        • Effective progression
        • Know and apply rules e. Observation and analytical skills:
        • Provide a safe working and learning environment
        • Identify faults and establish strategies for improvement

    All teachers will be able to judge competence in:    1. relationships 2. knowledge of the pupils and 3. pupil management   Where necessary, guidance could be sought from a specialist Local Authority representative, consultant, senior management or teacher colleague in the school network to help judge competence in: 1. knowledge of the activity and 2. observation/analysis.'

     

  • New School Trip Information Service
    The National Association of Headteachers in association with Child Safe have launched a new Website. The site is aimed at schools who are planning trips. It contains information about, and links to some 7,000 venues. The site is accessible at:
    www.childsafeschools.co.uk
    www.childsafeschooltrips.co.uk

     

    • Health & Safety Executive Report on Glenridding Beck Drowning Tragedy can be found on the following website : www.hse.gov.uk/schooltrips 

     

    • Minibus Driver Training and Assessment
      - Do you drive or operate a minibus?
      - What about driver training or assessment?
      For more information contact Mark White at Fleet Services on 01642  264589

     

    • Advice for the criteria for selection of tour operators:
      Schools should ask tour operators for a copy of their safety management system.
      The safety management system should define clearly how a tour operator manages safety for all the component parts of the visit including the hotels, transport and emergency procedures. Importantly, the tour operator should also provide details of independent checks made by appropriate external organisations on their safety management system. 

     In some instances a tour operator may have been 'badged' under the Quality Badging scheme.