FEATURE: SCHOOL TRIPS
provision - learning and safety - into one easily recognisable and trusted accreditation scheme for all types of learning outside the classroom providers throughout the UK. This includes museums, art galleries, adventure centres, nature reserves, science learning centres and farms among many other provider types. The LOtC Quality Badge significantly reduces
red tape for teachers when planning visits, removing barriers in tangible terms and gives schools the freedom and confidence to incorporate more learning outside the classroom into the curriculum. In addition, the Council for Learning Outside
the Classroom ensures safety and rigorous standards in LOtC provision by maintaining stringent criteria and processes in awarding the LOtC Quality Badge, which is self-regulated by the industry and spans 10 sectors from sacred spaces to adventurous activities and expeditions overseas. If an organisation does not hold the badge, the
school must check that they’re an appropriate company to use. This could include checking their insurance, legal compliance, health and safety emergency policies, risk assessments, control measures, use of vehicles, staff competence, safeguarding, accommodation standards, licences and sub-contracting arrangements. Obviously, this approach is much more time-consuming for school trip organisers and invites more risk factors than relying on an LOtC badged provider.
Organising your own overseas trip? The guidance recommends that schools wishing to organise their own overseas trips, particularly those involving any kind of adventurous activity should use BS8848 as a framework for their planning and risk assessment. But schools should also be aware that with the introduction of the new Package Travel Regulations last year, it is important for education providers who arrange school trips themselves to be aware they might, by default, become the package travel organiser, meaning they are legally and financially liable if anything goes wrong.
The role of the School Travel Forum Since 2008, the School Travel Forum has managed both member and non-member applications for the awarding of the LOtC Quality Badge for all travel companies operating Study, Sports and Cultural Tours by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom's Quality Badge award. All companies holding or applying for an award
are audited by independent experts each year to ensure they are complying with the STF’s safety management systems, financial protection requirements and fair trading policies. These standards are informed by experts and
stakeholders and represent current good practice, upheld by qualified external auditors. The LOtC Quality Badge provides schools with an easy and highly effective means of exercising due diligence in this area. The School Travel Forum also offers guidance
and support in helping schools to understand the areas of risk assessment which fall under their responsibility and those that are the responsibility of the external provider. The risks for the school to consider are those associated with its own group management, which is different to thinking about the whole safety management of any location. Many leaders have made the mistake of asking for reams of risk assessment material from suppliers, which in fact hinders a good process. For further information please go to
http://www.schooltravelforum.com/teachers- toolkit where you will find further health and safety advice and guidance notes. All STF Assured Members are required to work
so that clients benefit from the protection of the Package Travel Regulations and additionally all STF members are also ABTA members. This firstly means that STF members (school tour operators) are bound not just by the STF Code of Practice but also the ABTA Code of Practice, ensuring that their customers are getting the highest levels of customer service available. Secondly, this also means that the customer (schools) can be confident that the tour operator has relevant financial protection and that there is further support from ABTA should anything go wrong with the booking.
Where to look for further advice and information
OEAP’s National Guidance The new DfE guidance also provides links to OEAP’s National Guidance for the management of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom, which gives comprehensive advice on all aspects of educational visits. Schools can also get advice on these plans from their outdoor activity adviser or from the OEAP website. Local Authorities, Academy Trusts and schools
who do not currently employ or engage an Outdoor Education Adviser can consult the National Guidance document ‘3.4d Outdoor Education Adviser’
https://oeapng.info/ downloads/download-info/3-4d-la-outdoor- education-adviser/ to assist them in determining the knowledge, training and experience required of potential employees or consultants.
ABTA The purpose of this industry body is to help its members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers travel with confidence. The ABTA brand stands for support, protection and expertise. This means that consumers can have confidence in ABTA and a strong trust in ABTA Members. These qualities are core to the organisation, as they ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from ABTA members. ABTA helps its members and their customers
navigate through today's changing travel landscape by raising standards in the industry; offering schemes of financial protection; providing an independent complaints resolution service should something go wrong; giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal. ABTA currently has around 1,200 Members,
with a combined annual UK turnover of £38 billion. For more details on how ABTA helps the British public travel with confidence, visit
www.abta.com
January 2019
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