The Department for Education has published new guidance for health and safety on educational visits. The guidance links to Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel National Guidance, and endorses the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom’s Quality Badge, the national accreditation which ensures providers have the appropriate safety standards and liability insurance in place. The new guidance also recommends that every school should appoint an Educational Visits Co-ordinator.
Welcoming the new guidance, Adrian Clarke, OEAP National Chair, said 'We believe that every child in every school should have access to a comprehensive programme of high-quality outdoor learning, educational visits and adventurous activities as an integral part of a compelling school curriculum. OEAP has worked closely with DfE to help ensure that the new publication gives schools a great starting point in finding out how to organise high-quality educational visits with a minimum of red tape.'
Kim Somerville, Chief Executive Officer, Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, said 'We want more schools to take learning beyond the classroom walls but understand that can be a daunting prospect for time-strapped schools. Our Quality Badge provides peace of mind for teachers. This is the only national award that endorses good-quality education provision and effective risk management across all types of learning outside the classroom provider – from museums to galleries, farms to nature reserves, adventure centres to overseas expeditions. We are pleased that the Department for Education has recognised the value of this accreditation and is encouraging schools to seek it out when planning their school trips and visits.'
Image courtesy of Royal Association of Culinary Arts Chefs Adopt a School Trust
