In response to user feedback, we have simplified the National Guidance home page, reducing the clutter and the amount of scrolling required to see the whole page.
This has also enabled us to make the latest news section more prominent and to add links to the most common downloads of documents.
If you have any comments on the new look, please let us know here.
We have made some minor revisions to the questionnaire: 8p Provider Statement. This is to strengthen the point that if a provider currently holds an LOTC Quality Badge, you do not need to get them to complete the questionnaire.
In response to requests from a number of people we have also created 8q Provider Statement (Word Version) for those who would like to be able to customise the questionnaire to meet their employer’s requirements.
You can download 8p Provider Statement (PDF Version) here, and 8q Provider Statement (Word Version) here.
Over the past few days we have been in touch with the Metropolitan Police, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure and the Department for Education to ensure that our guidance on visits and the threat from terrorism is up to date and that it is consistent with what they are saying.
As a result we have updated 6k FAQs: Visits and the threat from terrorism to include some additional advice that we think you will find useful.
You can download the revised guidance here.
We will all be painfully aware of the terrorist attacks in London on Saturday evening. Following the meeting of the UK’s emergency team (cobra) on Sunday morning, the terrorist threat remains ‘severe’ (it was de-escalated from ‘critical’ during last week). The Home Secretary believes that they have the perpetrators of this attack and the Prime Minister has confirmed that we should stay vigilant and carry on as normal. (Report any suspicious activity to the police on 999 or the anti-terrorist hotline: 0800 789 321).
Consider every visit as you would normally, deciding what to do about each event on its merit. To assist in the visit planning there is helpful guidance for Visit Leaders on the threat of terrorism, which includes when visiting a major city, venue or event. See the document 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.
With heightened security in the UK following the Manchester incident, here is a reminder of OEAP’s 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.
Some advisers have been asked what difference does the increased security level make to visit plans? In its advice to the public, the Government explains how we should respond;
‘Threat levels in themselves do not require specific responses from the public. They are a tool for security practitioners working across different sectors of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and the police to use in determining what protective security response may be required….Sharing national threat levels with the general public keeps everyone informed. It explains the context for the various security measures (for example airport security or bag searches) which we may encounter in our daily lives.’
It may help also to reassure parents if the visit leader telephones the venue to check about its advice to visiting groups and the measures it has in place.
On 1st March 2017, new regulations for child booster seats come into force. We have updated 4.5d Seat belts and child restraints to ensure that our guidance reflects the new regulations.
You can read the updated guidance here.
Ofsted’s School Inspection Handbook includes a clarification for schools, which states that they do not want schools preparing things that are solely for inspection purposes, including the way that they review aspects of their performance. They want to see schools doing what is best for their pupils, and assessing it against the core areas set out in legislation.
Accordingly, we have created three new documents aimed at helping inspectors and schools to make the best use of the evidence provided by a school’s outdoor learning and off-site visits during the Ofsted inspection process:
5.1d Ofsted Inspection is intended for self-evaluation. It provides examples of questions which may help you to consider and assess the contribution of Learning Outside towards school improvement and overall effectiveness.
3.4p Ofsted Inspector – Towards inspection of Teaching and Learning Outside sets out some aspects that inspectors may choose to explore when a school believes that teaching and Learning Outside makes a positive difference to outcomes for children and young people.
5.1e Ofsted Inspector – Suggested reading includes a list that provides the context of Learning Outside in the local learning area with examples explaining some of the benefits for children and young people.
These new documents supersede the document 2.4a Ofsted and LOtC Summary, which has therefore been withdrawn.
We have revised the document 4.4h Using external providers and facilities to emphasise the importance of ensuring that any provider that you choose meets acceptable standards. This may be as simple as checking that the provider holds appropriate external accreditation. 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.
You can find further details of the badge and also check a provider’s accreditation status here.
We have been asked whether there is any advice we can give to visit leaders arranging residential visits who know that some of the participants are in a sexual relationship. A new document 6m FAQs – Young people in a sexual relationship sets out the legal position along with some other issues that you will need to consider. You can download the new document here.
If you have transgender young people in your group, what do you need to know and what do you need to do?
The latest document in our Frequently Asked Questions series takes you through the things that you need to consider when planning your visit.
You can read the new document here.
