Stuart Nundy – Head of Service

Aims

• To demonstrate the range of visits going on in schools

• To clarify the value and purpose of outdoor learning

• To identify the role of Governors -

Good news locally …

• Summary for 2014 (Hants, S’ton, P’mouth, West Berks)

• Total number of LA notified visits - 8611• Total number of participants - 210796 • Total number of participant days - 398934

and purposes ..• Adventure Education, Aim Higher, Art, Biology,

Business Studies, Career Education, Citizenship, Cultural, D&T, Duke of Edinburgh, Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), English/Drama, Environmental Education, Exchange, Geography, History, Individual Placement, IT, Leadership/Team Development, Mathematics, Media/Film Studies, Modern Foreign Language, Music, PE / Sport, PSHE, RE, Reward, Science, Work Experience …

Which context?

School grounds…

Fieldwork and open country…

Cultural and residential visits...

Adventure activities…

Benefits of Educational

Visits

A key role of Governors is to promote the value and

importance of educational visits

Ten Outcomes:• Enjoyment/Fulfilment

• Confidence

• Social Awareness

• Activity Awareness

• Activity Skills

• Personal Qualities

• Key Skills

• Health and Fitness

• Motivation for Learning

• Broadened Horizons

The area where the most powerful learning takes place

Comfort Zone

“Memorable activities led to

memorable learning.”

(Robin Hammerton HMI 2008)

• Learning outside the classroom was most successful when it was an integral element of long-term curriculum planning and closely linked to classroom activities.

• Too many residential and other visits considered during the survey had learning objectives which were imprecisely defined and not integrated sufficiently with activities in the classroom.

Ofsted Report: “Learning Outside the Classroom

– How far should you go?”

Make explicit reference to your LOtC provision both within your ‘internal’ SEF and during on-site inspection. Challenge - to introduce inspectors to LOtC taking place during the visit – inspection outside the classroom!

• “The schools curriculum provides highly positive, memorable experiences and rich opportunities for high quality learning, has a positive impact on all pupils’ behaviour and safety and contributes very well to pupils achievement, and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development” (Leadership and Management Grade descriptor -Outstanding, Ofsted 2011 – new framework)

Quality and benefit –

The Ofsted framework

Ofsted Report/LOtC Out and About Launch 2008

‘’A week’s residential is worth a term in school’’ (Tim Brighouse)

High quality educational visits? Questions for a Governing Body to ask…..

• What are the intended learning outcomes of this visit for young people?

• Is the visit location/activity/delivery the best way to achieve those learning outcomes?

• How will these learning outcomes be evaluated?

TASK: A healthy progression of Outdoor Learning opportunities for your school?

On site Walking distance

Involving the use of transport

Involving an

overnight stay

Involving adventure

Involving travel

abroad

Post 16

14 – 16

11 - 14

7-11

5 – 7

0 to 5

Legal Framework

The role of governors ensuring in safe visits …

Asking the right questions …

National and your employer’s guidance provide the framework for your establishment – individual policies and practice

They derive from current good practice and Health &Safety law

Your establishment guidance should then be followed by everyone concerned (evidence of compliance)

This relationship forms the basis of the legal-support system, should an incident or challenge occur

Roles and responsibilities

Legal Duty of Employers

Under the Health & Safety at Work Act (1974) and associated regulations, employers must ensure that employees are provided with appropriate:

• guidance• training• access to advice

LA/Employer• The Outdoor Education Service

The Establishment/Setting• The Governing Body/Managing Body • The Head/Manager • The EVC• The Visit Leader

Roles within the LA and the Establishment

Forming an Establishment Policy

Your policy should:

• Refer to employer guidance (not repeat it)

• Be concise

• Be familiar and accessible to all staff

• Reflect what you do

• Inform any inspection/ monitoring

What to monitor?• The planning and approval process – is it working in your

establishment?

• Visit arrangements through communication, paper work, programmes, written RA, and discussions with visit leader

• Reports, reviews, evaluations of visits

• Observation of visit leaders in action (field monitoring)

• Accidents/incidents – regularity/patterns?

‘...planning is an unnatural process – it is much more fun to do something else. And the nicest thing about not planning is that failure comes as a complete surprise; rather than being preceded by a period of worry and depression...’

Sir John Harvey-Jones

It’s always good to remember why we have Educational Visits!