Please see the Updates tab for information about all new and revised documents uploaded last month.
We have also made a change to the Table of Amendments for last month, to provide a short sentence describing what has changed for each revised document.
OEAP has developed new membership criteria and an accreditation process for Outdoor Education Advisers. It means that an Accredited Member of OEAP has demonstrated that they have all of the competences set out in the National Guidance document 3.4d Outdoor Education Adviser. We have recently updated the document, and you can read it here.
We were recently asked to add some guidance about indirect and remote supervision for younger children on a visit.
DfE have recently updated their guidance on charging for educational visits. The update doesn’t change anything that we say in 3.2c Charging for School Activities, since the relevant legislation (sections 449 to 462 of the Education Act 1996) has not changed.
However, we have taken the opportunity to review 3.2c to ensure that it is as clear as possible. You can download it here.
Please see the Updated Documents page for details of National Guidance documents that have been amended over the past two months. You can find the page here.
You can now browse documents that set out the particular responsibilities of a Local Authority, as well as its responsibilities as an Employer. These documents are aimed at Directors of Children’s Services (and equivalent roles), Heads of Service, and local authority staff who have involvement with children and young people, such as through social services, youth services, education services etc.
See Local Authority Officer, under the Essential Guidance tab.
A new National Guidance document has been published: 3.1c “Corporate Parenting”. This document provides guidance to Local Authorities about their role as Corporate Parents in relation to to outdoor learning, off-site visits and Learning Outside the Classroom. It discusses the need to achieve the right balance between safeguarding and the encouragement of opportunities for Looked-After Children, by ensuring that appropriate systems and advice are in place for different settings. It also highlights other relevant National Guidance documents.
You can download the new document here.
Do you ask to see a provider’s risk assessments?
Risk assessments tend to be technical documents. Unless a visit leader is qualified to understand, assess and, if necessary, challenge them, there is little purpose in asking for copies. It makes much more sense to gain the information you need through a pre-visit or dialogue with the provider.
Nevertheless, providers tell us that they still get asked for copies of their risk assessments. We have therefore updated the documents 6a FAQ Asking for a provider’s risk assessments and 4.4h Using external providers and facilities to underline that there are more effective ways to gain the information that you need.
The easiest way to check that the quality and safety of most providers has been externally accredited is to look for the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge.
Following an explosion on a London underground train at Parsons Green station on Friday 15th September, the Government raised the threat level within the UK to “critical”. It has now been lowered to “severe”. In its advice to the public, the Government explains that:
‘Threat levels in themselves do not require specific responses from the public.….Sharing national threat levels with the general public keeps everyone informed. It explains the context for the various security measures which we may encounter in our daily lives.’
As an outcome, the Prime Minister said that we will see more armed police providing extra reassurance and protection. The Metropolitan Police’s Assistant Commissioner has explained that we should remain “vigilant” but said that people “should not be alarmed”.
Unless the Government or your Local Authority Outdoor Adviser directs otherwise, consider every visit as you would normally, deciding what to do about each event on its merit. OEAP has created guidance on planning visits when there is a threat from terrorism – 6k FAQs: Visits and the threat from terrorism. You can download the guidance here.
As part of your planning, you will be taking into account the natural anxiety of parents, teachers and pupils. If making a decision to postpone or cancel, talk to your provider and insurer and understand the implications for recovery of costs.
