Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During August 2022, we made revisions to two guidance documents, made minor amendments to one guidance document and deleted one document.
You can find links to the documents in the table of amendments.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During July 2022, we created one new document, made revisions to seven guidance documents and made minor amendments to seven guidance documents.
You can go straight to the table here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 4.4o Joint Visits and Partnership Working.
The new document provides guidance for when schools or other establishments organise visits for participants from more than one establishment, or when they set up partnership arrangements with other establishments or providers.
You can download it here.
For the purposes of OEAP National Guidance, an adventure activity is defined as an activity which is exciting and challenging and which involves significant inherent risk of harm, without which the activity would lose much of its value, or which takes place in a remote or hazardous location.
The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) produces National Guidance, which provides comprehensive support for the management of high-quality outdoor learning, educational visits and adventurous activities.
“Adventure activities require a higher level of risk management, and may require specific competence, in order to reduce the risks to an acceptable level.”
So says the OEAP National guidance document 7.1a Adventure activities.
Adventure activities can be hugely beneficial for those fortunate enough to benefit from them. Participating in adventure activities can be one of the highlights of a young person’s learning experiences.
While any off-site activity will probably be exciting, adding an extra dimension of personal challenge through participation in adventure activities can make the experience particularly memorable, the learning that takes place often being life-long.
“Students are active participants, not passive consumers, and a wide range of learning styles can flourish.”
The guidance document covers:-
Adventure activities require a higher level of risk management, and may require specific competence, in order to reduce the risks to an acceptable level.
To ensure this, employers and establishments should consider whether their policies should include special requirements for adventure activities, such as an approval process for leaders and activities.
Additional guidance regarding this can be found within 4.3c Risk management – an overview.
“Risk management is therefore not about eliminating risk – it is about reducing it as low as reasonably practicable and deciding if this is acceptable in order to gain the potential benefits. This is recognised by both HSE and the Department for Education (DfE).”
The download also contains direct links a variety of other supporting OEAP National Guidance documents.
The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) produces National Guidance, which provides comprehensive support for the management of high-quality outdoor learning, educational visits and adventurous activities.
One useful and efficient way for an employer to access relevant information is provided by the ability to search documents by role: National Guidance for employers is just one such category that can be found within OEAP National Guidance (NG).
The documents outlined below give essential guidance to you for your role and responsibilities – and will help you to implement appropriate systems.
Relevant Guidance for employers occurs in the following three categories of NG:
The document 3.1a Requirements and Recommendations for Employers is particularly helpful for people in senior or controlling positions in organisations that employ staff who provide outdoor learning and off-site visits. Roles that this is pertinent to include:-
“Employers are legally responsible for the activities that take place in their establishments. This includes a common law duty of care towards their employees and participants in the activities, and duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974) (HSWA) and other legislation.”
In addition to their responsibilities as an employer, local authorities also have a duty under the Children Act (2004) to ensure that there are clear and effective arrangements to protect from harm all children and young people in their area.
This means that, even though they are not responsible under the HSWA for health and safety in establishments for which they are not the employer (such as independent schools and academies), they do have an overarching responsibility to ensure that all establishments have suitable and sufficient arrangements in place for managing health and safety and child protection, including during outdoor learning and off-site visits.
The OEAP NG guidance document 3.2a Underpinning Legal Framework and Duty of Care will also prove to be most helpful.
There are also links to many other supporting OEAP National Guidance documents.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During June 2022, we made revisions to three guidance documents and made minor amendments to nineteen guidance documents.
You can go straight to the table here.
The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) produces National Guidance, which provides comprehensive support for the management of high-quality outdoor learning, educational visits and adventurous activities.
One useful and efficient way to access relevant information is enabled by the ability to search documents by role: National Guidance for parents (parents, legal guardians and others who have parental responsibility for a participant) is one such category that can be found within OEAP National Guidance (NG).
NG also helps with parents who may have more than one role within the supervision arrangements for the visit: care must be taken to ensure that the role of parent does not conflict with this other role.
Relevant Guidance for parents occurs in the following three categories of NG:
Not surprisingly, it is generally recommended that the ideal starting point is Basic essentials. Document 1a Glossary and Definitions deals with an overview of terms and definitions that will prove to be a useful reference. It states, for example, that an “Adventure Activity” is
“An Activity which is exciting and challenging and which involves significant inherent risk of harm, without which the activity would lose much of its value, or which takes place in a remote or hazardous location.”
Another significant NG document is the Legal framework and employer systems download 3.4n Guidance for Parents, which includes information on
*This category provides useful information for those parents wishing to take an active part in an activity:-
“Sometimes schools, colleges, youth groups and other establishments ask parents to give practical help during a visit. If you are considering helping with a visit, please see OEAP National Guidance document 3.4m Helper”.
There are also links to many other supporting OEAP National Guidance documents.
We have revised OEAP National Guidance document 6h FAQ: Adventure Activity Qualifications, to provide links to a range of National Governing Body guidance. Some include matrices setting out the qualifications that are appropriate for each level of the activities.
You can download the revised document here.
“Establishments must ensure that the staffing of visits enables leaders to supervise young people effectively” says the National Guidance document Ratios and Effective Supervision.
The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) produces National Guidance, which provides comprehensive support for the management of high-quality outdoor learning, educational visits and adventurous activities.
This significant document covers decisions that will need to be made with regards to the staffing and supervision of learning outside the classroom related activities. Consideration should be given to:-
“Staffing ratios are a risk management issue and should be determined through the process of risk assessment. It is not possible to set down definitive staff/participant ratios for a particular age group or activity.”
“Staffing, especially for visits to remote locations or overseas, should take into account how the group will be supervised effectively given the possibility of a leader becoming indisposed or having to leave the group, for example to accompany a sick child to hospital”, advises the document.
The download also contains direct links a variety of other supporting OEAP National Guidance documents.
During May 2022, we made revisions to three OEAP National Guidance documents and made minor amendments to nine documents.
You can find links to the documents in the Table of Amendments.
The table shows all changes to OEAP National Guidance in date order with notes from OEAP National Guidance writers.
As the lead body for guidance, advice and training related to outdoor learning and educational visits in England and Wales, the Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) supports members in their work with schools and services to children and young people.
“When planned and implemented well, outdoor education, offsite visits and adventurous activities contribute significantly to raising standards and developing knowledge and skills in ways that add value to everyday experiences in the classroom.”
They believe 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 their school curriculum.
“The OEAP recommends employing or engaging an OEAP member who can provide high quality advice and training. They have extensive, detailed and appropriate knowledge and experience of all relevant types of establishment and the range of outdoor learning, educational visits and adventurous activities that are provided to young people.”
OEAP members are advisers who support Local Authorities, schools and Academy Groups in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and many overseas settings. They work together to share and develop good practice in Offsite Visits, Outdoor Learning and Learning Outside the Classroom.
The OEAP National Guidance document 4.2b Residentials, gives guidance on the residential element of a visit, as this introduces specific additional management issues.
While the types of residential visit and accommodation vary, the choice should, says the guidance:
“Residential visits create powerful learning opportunities for young people, which can lead to step changes in an individual’s personal development and confidence.”
Topics that will prove to be invaluable for anyone in the early stages of planning a residential visit include:-
*Irrespective of the type of residential experience, there are some general issues to recognise and manage, including fire safety, group safety and security, catering, drinking and drugs (including smoking), gender issues and appropriate relationships, and epidemics and the risk of infection.
The download also contains direct links a variety of other supporting OEAP National Guidance documents.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During April 2022, we added one new guidance document, deleted a guidance document after merging its contents with another, made revisions to fourteen guidance documents and made one minor amendment to a guidance document.
You can go straight to the table here.
If you’re new to the area of outdoor education or learning outside the classroom, it can sometimes seem a little overwhelming with regard to aspects of health and safety, planning, organisation and so on.
The good news is that the Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (also known as the OEAP) has put together a comprehensive package of help, advice and expertise called National Guidance.
A useful introduction is 1a Glossary and Definitions which will remove any uncertainty regarding terminology used in the sector.
When you’re ready to get going, the document 1b Foundations explains the OEAP National Guidance starting points for the planning and management of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom.
There are three basic premises:-
The topics included will help you get off to a flying start – and will point you in the direction of further sector specific information that may vary depending on your role or status.
This invaluable overview covers a number of key topics, including:-
The download also contains direct links a variety of other supporting OEAP National Guidance documents.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 4.5e Hiring a Coach to include a new section “During the Journey”.
You can find the revised guidance here.
We have added a link to the UK Health Security Agency’s advice on the prevention and control of infectious diseases to several OEAP National Guidance documents:
7.2i Group Safety at Water Margins
You can also visit the UK Health Security Agency‘s advice here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 7.1m Places of Worship.
The new guidance provides advice about visits to places such as cathedrals, churches, mosques, synagogues and temples, and much of it also applies to other places regarded as sacred, such as shrines, holy sites and places of pilgrimage.
You can download the new guidance here.
The OEAP National Guidance document 7.1v Snowsport Visits, has been updated to give more advice on reducing the otherwise significant environmental impact that these activities can have.
This guidance defines ‘snowsport’ to cover both skiing and snowboarding activities.
There are huge benefits to be achieved with a snowsport residential visit says the guidance – not least by a significant contribution to a young person’s personal and social development. Plus points often include for example, respect for self, others and the environment, self-awareness and self-confidence and an interest in a healthy physical activity that may become a lifelong pursuit.
The update with this particular document deals specifically with ways to reduce the potentially high environmental impact of this otherwise worthwhile form of outdoor education.
“The development of snowsport resorts can have a significant negative impact on the mountain landscape and wildlife, snowmaking uses large amounts of energy and water, and travelling (especially flying) to a resort has a high carbon footprint.”
Example given of ways to mitigate the impact include:-
Other topics covered include:-
The download also contains direct links a variety of other supporting OEAP National Guidance documents.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance document 7.1v Snowsport Visits to include advice about managing the environmental impact of snowsports.
You can download the revised guidance here.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance document 4.4k Coronavirus to refer to new guidance from HSE, to remove links to DfE guidance that has now been withdrawn, and to advise that assessing the risk of coronavirus should now form part of the normal risk assessment process.
You can download the revised guidance here.
We have made a number of amendments to OEAP National Guidance document 8p Provider Statement, including removing questions about coronavirus, which should now be part of a provider’s risk assessment process, and removing some questions from Part 1 that are covered by the Quality Badge. There is also a Microsoft Word version 8q Provider Statement – Word Version.
You can find the revised document in PDF form here, and a Microsoft Word form here.
We have revised OEAP National Guidance document 4.3c Risk Management – An Overview to provide greater clarity about the importance of balancing risks and benefits during the process of risk assessment.
You can read the revised guidance here.
We have completely revised OEAP National Guidance document 3.2g Vetting and DBS Checks, giving more context to the need to make vetting checks beyond the legal requirements, and to why a provider might not be in a position to obtain checks on some staff.
We have also amended 4.3e Safeguarding as a result.
You can find the Vetting and DBS guidance here and the Safeguarding guidance here.
We have revised OEAP National Guidance document 4.4k Coronavirus to take account of the most recent UK Government guidance update. We have also revised OEAP National Guidance document 7r Overseas Visits for the same reason, and have taken the opportunity of this revision to give more prominence to considering the environmental implications of travelling overseas.
You can download the coronavirus guidance here and the overseas visits guidance here.
We have revised OEAP National Guidance documents 3.1a Requirements & Recommendations for Employers and 3.4f Member of a Management Board or Governing Body to ensure that they are clear about the responsibilities of governors and others who might be in controlling positions in employer organisations.
The roles that the guidance applies to include Chief Executive; Chair; Company Secretary; Director; Councillor; Trustee; Governor; Proprietor and Owner, in organisations such as local authorities; academies and multi-academy trusts; voluntary-aided and foundation schools; independent schools and charities.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 7r Overseas Visits to refer to the NHS Covid Pass now being available for 12-16 year olds and to provide some additional advice about collective passports.
You can download the revised document here.
We have revised OEAP National Guidance document 3.2a Underpinning Legal Framework and Duty of Care to make what we say clearer, and, in doing so, we have added a section on the responsibilities of local authorities and Directors of Children’s Services. As a result we have also revised OEAP National Guidance document 3.4a Director of Children’s Services.
We have created a new search facility for the OEAP National Guidance website. The search will now find all guidance documents containing your search term in its title or on its information page. If you don’t find what you are looking for, or if the search produces a lot of results, you may need to use an alternative or more specific search term.
You can find the search here.
The European Union has created an app and website Re-open EU, which provides information on the various measures in place in each EU country, including quarantine and testing, the EU Digital COVID certificate, and mobile coronavirus contact tracing and warning apps.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance documents 4.4k Coronavirus and 7r Overseas Visits to refer to it.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance documents 4.4k Coronavirus and its Welsh language translation 4.4k (Cym) Coronafeirws to bring the Welsh guidance up to date and repair some broken links.
You can download the English version here, and the Welsh version here.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During December 2021, we made revisions to guidance documents five times and made three minor amendments to guidance documents.
You can go straight to the table here.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During November 2021, we made revisions to guidance documents eleven times and made one minor amendment to a guidance document.
You can go straight to the table here.
The Department for Education has advised that schools, Further Education providers, Higher Education providers and out-of-school settings should consider whether to go ahead with any planned international educational visits, recognising the risk of disruption to education resulting from the need to isolate and test on arrival back into the UK.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance documents 4.4k Coronavirus and 7r Overseas Visits accordingly.
We have fully revised OEAP National Guidance document 3.4n Guidance for Parents, including making it more relevant to a variety of educational settings. The document gives guidance to parents on issues such as consent, information they should expect to receive about educational visits, what they can expect, and what is expected from them.
You can download the revised guidance here.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During October 2021, we made revisions to guidance documents fifteen times and made minor amendments to guidance documents twice. We also deleted one document.
You can go straight to the table here.
The DfES/CCPR document “Group Safety at Water Margins” was written 20 years ago. In 2017 we rewrote it as OEAP National Guidance document 7i Group Safety at Water Margins, updating the links and some of the wording. We have now completely revised the document, bringing it up to date to cover issues that were not considered in the original. You can download the revised version here.
At the same time we have updated OEAP National Guidance document 7o Natural Water Bathing, which shares some of the same issues. You can download it here.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 3.4m Helper to improve the clarity of the guidance. You can download it here.
Did you know that if you drive abroad, your vehicle must now have a UK identifier?
If your number plate has any of the following:
you must display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of the vehicle. If you are driving in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a UK sticker no matter what is on your number plate. If you have a GB sticker, you must cover or remove it before driving outside the UK.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance document 4.5b Transport in Minibuses accordingly.
You can download the document here.
We have amended four OEAP National Guidance documents to draw attention to the importance of considering potential allergies when providing catering for young people on educational visits, with specific reference to the new “Natasha’s Law“.
The amended documents are:
3.2a Underpinning Legal Framework and Duty of Care
6o FAQ: Allergies and Anaphylaxis (which has also been revised and renamed to cover allergies more generally).
We have deleted the OEAP National Guidance form 8r “Additional Provider Statement”, and have instead added questions about coronavirus to the forms 8p Provider Statement and 8q Provider Statement – Word Version.
At the same time, we have added additional points about coronavirus to 4.2a Residentials, 4.4f Checklist – Assessing a Provider and 4.4g Selecting External Providers and Facilities.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During September 2021, we created two new OEAP National Guidance documents, revised nine guidance documents and made minor amendments to one guidance document.
You can go straight to the table here.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance form 8r Additional Provider Statement for Residentials during Coronavirus. The amendments include additional questions about ventilation, and the provider’s ability to respond to changes in health advice.
You can download the revised form here.
We have revised OEAP National Guidance document 4.5b Transport in Minibuses to update the section on towing a trailer, and to make clear that although the document focuses on minibuses, much of it is also relevant to smaller vehicles such as people carriers and nine-seater vans.
You can download it here.
We have completely revised OEAP National Guidance document 7x Swimming Pools. Among other changes, the guidance now includes a section about qualifications and the assessment of competence.
You can download the revised guidance here.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 7r Overseas Visits to give more emphasis to the importance of checking the regulations of the countries to be visited, such as whether or not there is a requirement to be vaccinated against COVID.
We have supplemented this guidance with a new OEAP National Guidance document 3.3g Checklist – Visit Leader of an Overseas Visit – a new checklist for organising overseas visits.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 4.4k Coronavirus to reflect the most recent changes in government guidance in both England and Wales. The revised guidance also:
We have amended OEAP National Guidance documents 4.2b Residential Visits, 7r Overseas Visits and 7q Overseas Expeditions accordingly, and to reflect the fact that DfE and the Welsh Government no longer advise against residentials or overseas visits.
You can download the revised Coronavirus guidance here.
We have rewritten OEAP National Guidance document 7e, which was previously about jellyfish stings, and have renamed it “7e Bites and Stings“. The revised guidance now includes links to advice about bites and stings from insects, snakes, animals and humans as well as jellyfish and other sea creatures. It also includes links to advice about stings and burns from some plants.
We have retained the original jellyfish URL for this document, so that other guidance that links to it will find an unbroken link. You can download the revised guidance here.
The UK Sepsis Trust has created a new video, aimed at explaining what you should look for in order to identify sepsis in young people as swiftly as possible. You can watch the video here.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 7.2a Sepsis to include a link to the video. You can download the guidance here.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During August 2021, we created two new OEAP National Guidance documents, revised three guidance documents and made minor amendments to three guidance documents.
You can go straight to the table here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 7u Woodland Activities. It provides guidance about a range of activities that are commonly practised in woodland, although some may take place in other natural or urban environments (such as parks or school grounds).
You can download the new guidance here.
The Government has revised its guidance about educational visits in England to add a contingency framework for managing local coronavirus outbreaks. We have revised OEAP National Guidance document 4.4k Coronavirus accordingly.
You can download the revised document here.
Knowing how to identify sepsis can save lives. Young people often function normally as an illness develops and then experience a sudden and rapid deterioration.
In recent years two young people have died from sepsis on educational visits. It’s important that your visit leadership team knows how to identify the signs and what to do. We have therefore created a new OEAP National Guidance document, 7.2a Sepsis, with the help of the UK Sepsis Trust.
You can download the new guidance here.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During July 2021, we revised seven guidance documents.
You can go straight to the table here.
The Government has revised its guidance about educational visits in England, effective from 19th July 2021. We have therefore revised OEAP National Guidance documents 4.2b Residentials, 4.4k Coronavirus and 7r Overseas Visits accordingly.
When you use the Search National Guidance function on the OEAP National Guidance home page, the search will sometimes turn up long-deleted versions of a document. This is because Google saves frequently searched-for documents to its own servers to help to provide swift search results. An old version of a document that we have deleted and replaced may remain on their servers for some time.
To check whether you have the most recent version of a guidance document, we recommend that you download it via the Contents tab or Browse Documents button.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table also includes links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During June 2021, we created four new Welsh translations of existing guidance documents and revised sixteen guidance documents.
You can go straight to the table here.
We have revised OEAP National Guidance document 8i Model Code of Conduct to add a section on Coronavirus. We also clarify that, for many groups or visits, it may not be necessary to have a detailed list of expectations and requirements, or even to have a written code of conduct at all. You should judge what is appropriate in your circumstances.
You can download the revised document here.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance documents 4.2b Residentials and 4.4k Coronavirus to provide information about the Welsh Government’s most recent guidance on residential visits.
You can find both documents here.
We have added some further questions to OEAP National Guidance document 8r Additional Provider Statement for Residentials during Coronavirus. These include asking the provider to confirm the maximum number of participants and staff who will share sleeping accommodation, and whether changes from normal accommodation arrangements have affected security or safeguarding.
You can download the revised guidance here.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 7L Camping, to add a paragraph about camping during coronavirus restrictions.
You can download the revised document here.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance document 3.1a Requirements and Recommendations for Employers to update what we say about training and to improve the flow of the document.
You can download it here.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show how many documents we have added or revised in the previous month. We include a link to an update table showing brief summaries of each amendment. The table has been changed this month to include links to each of the new or newly-amended documents.
During May 2021, we created one new guidance document, revised seven guidance documents and made minor amendments to one guidance document.
You can go straight to the table here.
We have updated the OEAP National Guidance document 3.3f Checklist – Young Person. The checklist is intended to be completed by each young person who is about to take part on an educational visit. It can be a useful way to ensure that they are aware of what they need to know.
You can download the checklist here.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show the documents that have been added or revised in the previous month. We include links to each document and a table showing brief summaries of each amendment.
During April 2021, we created three new guidance documents, revised eight guidance documents and made minor amendments to six guidance documents.
You can view the updates page here.
We have made some significant revisions to OEAP National Guidance document 7h Field Studies, and added links to other relevant guidance.
You can download the revised document here.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 3.2e Inclusion. The document takes you through the legal position and provides some advice about how to ensure that your educational visits are inclusive.
You can download the updated document here.
What does good leadership and management of visits look like? We were asked that by an outdoor education adviser, and, as a result, we have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 4.2e Leadership and Management.
We have also created a new OEAP National Guidance document 4.2f Facilitating Learning and Development, which focuses on the processes that leaders can use to help participants to learn and develop.
This led us to review and revise OEAP National Guidance document 5.1a Establishment Self-Evaluation Form, and provide a Microsoft Word version as 5.1b. It now gives links to relevant guidance documents, and is aligned with the Headteacher/Manager checklist (document 3.3b).
We have updated OEAP’s National Guidance document 7a Adventure Activities to bring it in line with other more-recently revised documents, to include a fuller definition of adventure activities and to create links to other relevant documents.
Alongside this we have also updated OEAP’s National Guidance document 1a Glossary and Definitions to include the adventure activities definition.
You can download 7a here.
Each month we amend the National Guidance Updates page to show the documents that have been added or revised in the previous month. We include links to each document and a table showing brief summaries of each amendment.
During March 2021, we added seven new guidance documents and revised three existing guidance documents.
You can view the updates page here.
If this is your first visit to OEAP’s National Guidance website, or if you are referring someone new to it, a good place to start is the First Visit? tab in the menu bar. Here you will find a brief explanation of what OEAP’s National Guidance is, and advice about how best to find your way around the site.
Click here for more information.
We have created a new document 6v FAQs: Mental Health, which considers how outdoor learning can contribute to mental health and refers to the growing body of evidence that well-managed outdoor learning and adventure activities can be powerful ways of helping children and young people to develop their emotional and psychological wellbeing, mental resilience and happiness.
You can download the new FAQ here.
We have updated the Welsh language version of our Coronavirus guidance 4.4k (Cym) Coronafeirws.
You can download it here.
Rydym wedi diweddaru fersiwn Cymraeg o’n canllaw 4.4k (Cym) Coronafeirws.
Gallwch ei lawrlwytho yma.
Each month we amend the OEAP National Guidance Updates page to show the documents that have been added or revised in the previous month. We include links to each document and a table showing brief summaries of each amendment.
During February 2021, we created three new guidance documents, revised 7 guidance documents and made minor amendments to two guidance documents.
You can view the updates page here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 7d Trampoline Parks, which provides advice about deciding whether to use a trampoline park and, if you do, how to manage the visit. It replaces FAQ 6n Visiting Trampoline Parks.
You can download the new guidance here.
The COVID Symptom Study is a not-for-profit initiative run by health science company Zoe with scientific analysis provided by King’s College London, endorsed by the UK, Welsh and Scottish Governments. It includes a COVID Symptom Study for School Communities. Getting involved in this has the following benefits:
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 4.4k Coronavirus to include information about the study, including how you can join.
You can download the document here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance mind map, 8.2a Learning Outcomes Mind Map, based on the information in document 2.1b Learning Outcomes. It provides a summary of the many areas where outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom can be particularly effective in achieving educational aims and desired learning outcomes. It replaces an earlier mindmap that was numbered 5.2a.
You can download the new mind map here.
You can find guidance on the systems, roles and training necessary to effectively manage outdoor learning and off-site visits in several OEAP National Guidance documents. At the request of an OEAP Outdoor Education Adviser, we have created a new FAQ, 6f FAQs: Systems, Roles and Training, which provides a summary and links to relevant documents.
You can download the new FAQ here.
We have amended OEAP National Guidance document 4.3b Ratios and Effective Supervision to clarify that, if staff who are not competent or confident are taking part in an activity, the activity leader may need to regard them as participants when considering the leader to participant ratio.
OEAP National Guidance Document 4.4h Using External Providers provides advice about activities led by a provider. We have amended that advice to add the same point.
We have updated OEAP National Guidance document 3.2h Visits and the Package Travel Regulations. Originally, this guidance document was aimed at establishments organising their own residential visits, to help them decide whether and how their visits are affected by the Regulations. We have added more information for establishments that purchase packages from a provider.
You can download the revised guidance here.
Each month we amend the National Guidance Updates page to show the documents that have been added or revised in the previous month. We include links to each document and a table showing brief summaries of each amendment.
During January 2021, we created four new guidance documents, revised 21 guidance documents and made minor amendments to two guidance documents.
You can view the updates page here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 2.1b Learning Outcomes, which provides a summary of the many areas where outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom can be particularly effective in achieving educational aims and desired learning outcomes.
You can download the new document here.
When taking younger children on an educational visit, how comfortable do you feel moving from direct to indirect supervision? Or even to remote supervision? The new OEAP National Guidance document 4.2d Indirect Supervision of Younger Children takes you through the process of planning a gradual move away from direct supervision, with examples.
You can download the new guidance here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 7s Hosting a Homestay. The guidance is aimed at parents who are organising and hosting a homestay guest in their own home.
You can download the new guidance here.
We have created a new OEAP National Guidance document 4.4m Young People in a Sexual Relationship that takes you though the legal position and the steps you should take if you know or suspect that any young people who are taking part in an educational visit are involved in, or developing, a sexual relationship.
You can download the new document here.
Schools and nurseries that are open for vulnerable children and children of priority workers can help to keep the coronavirus at bay by teaching outside as much as possible. The OEAP Outdoor Learning Cards are designed to give you lots of ideas for delivering the curriculum outside the classroom.
You can find out more by reading the newly-updated OEAP National Guidance document 7.3a Using OEAP Outdoor Learning Cards.
During December 2020, we revised one document twice and made a minor amendment to one other.
The National Guidance Updates Page lists the documents with links to each one, plus a link to a table that summarises the reasons for amendments.
You can find the Updates page here.
Each month we amend the National Guidance Updates page to show the documents that have been added or revised in the previous month. We include links to each document and a table showing brief summaries of each amendment.
You can view the updates page here.
Many providers are now making promises of refunds or postponement if a visit cannot go ahead as a result of Covid-19, which will hopefully encourage establishments to begin planning again for educational visits. Where a promise has been made, you are encouraged to check that the promise is included in the terms and conditions of the contract and/or insurance policy. We have updated National Guidance documents 3.2i Contracts and Waivers, 4.4c Insurance and 4.4k Coronavirus to draw attention to this.
We have also amended 4.4k Coronavirus to increase the prominence of the reasons why you should be encouraging more of your learning to take place outdoors during the pandemic, and to add more details about the current restrictions on school sport.
During October, we revised nine documents, made a minor amendment to one document, and created three new documents. The National Guidance Updates Page lists the documents with links to each one, plus a link to a table that summarises the reasons for amendments.
You can find the Updates page here.
Do you know how to review and evaluate your educational visits? We have created two new National Guidance documents to help you: 4.2c Reviewing and 5.1d Evaluation.
During the coronavirus pandemic, some schools have been concerned that package travel organisers have been unwilling to give a refund as their contract was between the company and the school, rather than made directly with participants or their parents. The Competition and Markets Authority has recently taken the view that the Package Travel Regulations do apply in these cases, and that individual customers should be entitled to a refund if they have paid money in advance for a group visit that is cancelled because of the pandemic.
We have updated 3.2h Visits and the Package Travel Regulations, 3.2i Contracts and Waivers, and 4.4k Coronavirus in the light of this, and included a link to what the Competition and Markets Authority said.
Did you know that you can scroll through a list of all of the documents on the National Guidance website?
Just hover your mouse over the contents tab on the black menu bar, and you will see the option “View All Documents”. Click this to see the full list.
When we add new documents, or revise older documents, they appear immediately in this list, but they may take rather longer to appear in the Google search facility. So we recommend this as a way to ensure that what you are reading is the latest version.
OEAP and CLOtC have updated their guidance for supporting teachers in taking learning outside the classroom.
You can download the revised guidance, 7.3b OEAP (2020): Get Outside – Supporting Teachers to Take Learning Outside the Classroom, here.
We have updated the documents in Section 2 of National Guidance, which makes the case for outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom. As well as updating existing documents, we have added several additional research reports.
For more information, see the National Guidance Updated Documents page.
We have updated 2.3a National Curriculum and Learning Outside the Classroom
OEAP has created three new guidance documents aimed at helping you to use learning outside the classroom to manage and adapt to the current Covid-19 situation, while building strong foundations for improving school outcomes.
The documents are 7.3b OEAP (2020): How to Take Your Learning Outside the Classroom, 7.3c OEAP (2020): Learning Outside the Classroom – Activity Cards and 7.3d OEAP (2020): Taking Learning Outside the Classroom – Adapting Activities.
We have fully revised and updated four documents that are fundamental to National Guidance: 1b Foundations, 1c Status, Remit and Rationale, 4.3a Good Practice – the Basics and 4.3c Risk Management – an Overview.
Alongside this we have deleted document 5.2b “Planning Basics” because its content is covered in the other four documents, and because document 3.3e Checklist – Visit Leader provides a comprehensive prompt for visit planning with links to useful documents across National Guidance.
We have revised a number of National Guidance documents, either to refer to pandemics as one of the risks you should consider, or to link to the new document 4.4k Coronavirus.
The amended documents are as follows:
3.3b Checklist – Head Teacher or Manager
4.2a Group Management and Supervision
4.3b Ratios and Effective Supervision
4.3f Risk Management – Some Practical Advice
4.4f Checklist – Assessing a Provider
4.5f Checklist – Assessing a Coach Hire Provider
8p Provider Statement (PDF version)
8q Provider Statement (Word Version)
We have completely revised the suite of documents in section 4.1 of National Guidance that covers emergencies and critical incidents. Some documents have been merged with each other, and some have been renumbered. If your own guidance includes links to these documents, we recommend that you review the links.
The new suite of documents is as follows
4.1a Avoiding Accidents and Emergencies
4.1b Emergencies and Critical Incidents – Overview
4.1c Emergencies and Critical Incidents – Guidance for Leaders
4.1d Emergencies and Critical Incidents – Guidance for Establishments
4.1e Emergencies and Critical Incidents – Guidance for Employers
4.1f Emergencies and Critical Incidents – Guidance for First Contact
4.1g Model Emergency Procedures for Visit Leaders
4.1h Model Emergency Plan for Establishments
4.1i Model Critical Incident Plan for Employers
We have also made minor amendments to a number of other documents to update the links to emergency documents.
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the Government has temporarily modified the requirements for first aid qualifications in Early Years Foundation Settings. We have therefore updated the National Guidance document 4.4b First Aid to refer to that.
We have also taken the opportunity to update the guidance about ensuring that any medication is within its expiry date, and about recording and reporting.
You can download the revised document here.
The Health and Safety Executive have released the following statement:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is aware that people holding Offshore Medic (OM), Offshore First Aid (OFA), First Aid at Work (FAW) or Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) certificates nearing expiry date, might experience disruption to access to requalification training as a result of events or circumstances generated by the coronavirus pandemic.
HSE’s current guidance on the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981: here and the Offshore Installations and Pipeline Works (First-Aid) Regulations 1989: here is that those holding an OM, OFA, FAW or EFAW qualification should undertake retraining before their original certificate expires and HSE strongly recommends that employers, and individuals holding those qualifications should plan for requalification training well in advance of expiry dates.
If however requalification training is prevented for reasons associated directly with coronavirus or by complying with related government advice, it is reasonable and practical to extend the validity of current certificates by up to 3 months. Anyone taking advantage of this extension should be able to describe clearly their reasons for delaying requalification training, and demonstrate steps they have taken to undertake the training, if required.
This guidance comes into effect for certificates expiring on or after 16th March 2020. HSE will review this matter over the coming months and will issue further statements as necessary.
The Department of Education has commented as follows:
The Department for Education supports the HSE statement regarding the extension of first aid certificates during coronavirus emergency and that it can be applied to paediatric first aid certificates held by staff in early years provision.
Safety Training Awards (STA) have stated that other qualifications that they issue may also be subject to extension for these reasons. See their statement here.
National Guidance document 4.4h Using External Providers and Facilities had become unwieldy as a result of covering such a wide ground. We have therefore split it into a new document 4.4g Selecting External Providers and Facilities, covering the selection process, and a revised document 4.4h Using External Providers covering monitoring and the respective roles of establishment and provider staff. As a result we have also made a minor amendment to 4.4f Assessing a Provider Checklist.
You can find all three documents in the Good Practice Section (section 4) of the National Guidance website.
When we create new documents or make significant revisions to existing documents, we will usually tell you here on the News section of the National Guidance website. All amendments are listed on the Updates page, and it is worth checking here from time to time to find out about documents that have had minor amendments.
Choosing one coach company from another may seem a difficult task if you have no specialist transport knowledge. However, there are are ways to provide some assurance of suitability, and we have created a new checklist: 4.5f Checklist – Assessing a Coach Hire Provider to help you.
You can download the new checklist here.
We have also made minor amendments to the existing guidance document 4.5e Hiring a Coach.
We have updated 4.4d Medication to update advice on written consent and the use of non-prescription medicines, including aspirin.
You can download the document here.
We have updated 4.5b Transport in Minibuses to include additional guidance about checks, inspections, insurance and seat belts.
You can download it here.
We have made minor amendments to 7r Overseas Visits to improve accuracy about visa waivers and health arrangements.
You can download the revised guidance here.
We have created a new National Guidance document 7k Unaccompanied Expeditions. This brings together all information about unaccompanied expeditions into one place, and has enabled us to reduce the previously rather lengthy document 7b Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions so that the latter is now specifically about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.
You can find both documents in the Specialist Activities and Visits section of the National Guidance website.
By popular request, we have created a new document 7L Camping. You can download it here.
We have made extensive updates to three of our checklists: 3.3a Checklist -EVC; 3.3b Checklist – Head Teacher or Manager; and 3.3e Checklist – Visit Leader. You may find the checklists useful for auditing the management of outdoor learning/educational visits.
See Section 3 of OEAP’s National Guidance website for the revised documents.
We have revised 3.2h Visits and the Package Travel Regulations in the light of the Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 (PTR). Most educational visits do not fall in scope of the regulations, but establishments should be aware that some can. It is worth noting that there can be legal implications even when an establishment does not organise a visit, but buys a package from a provider. These are explained in the document.
You can download it here.
Since the 30th May 2019 we have made the following changes:
Minor amendments:
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8b English Homestay Information Form (deleted)
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8.4a English Homestay Information Form
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6c FAQs: Duty of care when working with providers
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3.2d Approval of Leaders
Role: evc, head/manager, Outdoor Education Adviser, visit leader
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3.2i Contracts and Waivers
Role: evc, head/manager, Outdoor Education Adviser, visit leader
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4.3d Parental Consent and Informing Parents
Role: evc, head/manager, Outdoor Education Adviser, parents, visit leader
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4.4j Participant Information and Data Protection
Role: evc, head/manager, Outdoor Education Adviser, parents, visit leader
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8.1q Provider Statement
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8p Provider Statement - Deleted
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3.2a Underpinning Legal Framework and Duty of Care
Role: employer, evc, governors, head/manager, LA Officer, Outdoor Education Adviser
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6q FAQs: Staff Supervising Mixed-Sex Groups
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7.2j Weather and Group Safety
Revised documents:
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1b Foundations
Role: assistant leader, employer, essential, evc, governors, head/manager, LA Officer, Outdoor Education Adviser, parents, visit leader
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7.1b Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expeditions
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3.2d Approval of Leaders
Role: evc, head/manager, Outdoor Education Adviser, visit leader
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3.3e Checklist - Visit Leader
Role: visit leader
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4.4d Medication
Role: evc, head/manager, Outdoor Education Adviser, visit leader
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5.1c Self evaluation and the Ofsted framework
Role: evc, head/manager
New documents:
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6s FAQs: Events Organised by Parents
Deleted documents:
5.3a Writing policies to reduce bureaucracy for routine off-site activities and visits
Update Table
This shows the recent updates and previous documents revision history
[Download not found]
Is a School Responsible for Events Organised by Parents?
That question was put to us recently, so we have created a new FAQ “6s FAQs: Events Organised by Parents“.
You can download it here.
We have updated a number of documents to improve clarity about data protection issues. The revised documents are: 3.2i Contracts and Waivers; 4.3d Parental Consent; 4.4j Participant Information and Data Protection; and 8p/8q Provider Statement.
We have amended National Guidance document 7b Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions to include more detailed guidance on the management and supervision of unaccompanied expeditions.
You can download the revised guidance here.
We have updated 4.5a Transport – General Considerations to include advice on choosing the most appropriate form of transport and to include advice on parents providing transport. We have also updated 4.5e Hiring a Coach to include a link to Government advice.
You can download both from the Good Practice section of National Guidance.
We have amended 7r Overseas Visits to include advice about visits to countries where there is a risk of crime or terrorism.
Alongside this, we have created a new document 4.4e Terrorism to replace 6k FAQs: Visits and the Threat from Terrorism, which had developed into a guidance document rather than a FAQ.
6k FAQs: Visits and the Threat from Terrorism is now a straightforward FAQ, referring you to other sources of information.
We have received feedback that the fill-and-sign PDF versions of the model forms: 8b English Homestay Information Form and 8p Provider Statement cannot be saved once filled in if you are using an un-updated version of Windows 7 or earlier.
We have therefore created Microsoft Word versions of both documents: 8a English Homestay Information Form – Word Version and 8q Provider Statement – Word Version.
We have updated the National Guidance document 3.3c Checklist – Management Board/Governing Body.
Governing Bodies and Management Boards may find this a useful tool for ensuring that they are providing a sufficient oversight of their establishment’s outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom.
You can download the revised document here.
We have updated the National Guidance document 3.1b Establishment Roles and their Inter-Dependence to provide a clearer summary of the roles that OEAP recommends that each establishment should have.
You can download the revised document here.
The following links may be helpful to visit leaders planning visits to EU countries during this time of uncertainty about the Brexit outcome:
Government website: Visit EU after Brexit
ABTA website: Brexit Advice for Travellers
We have amended the National Guidance document 4.4h Using External Providers and Facilities to point out that the limit of public liability insurance for providers that hold the LOtC Quality Badge can be found on the Quality Badge website.
We have also changed 8p Provider Statement so that the questions about public liability insurance are directed only at providers that do not hold the Quality Badge.
We have revised the National Guidance documents 4.4h Using External Providers and Facilities, 4.4f Checklist – Assessing a Provider and 8p Provider Statement. The revisions clarify the guidance about accreditation and explain why you should not ask for a provider’s risk assessments.
We have also added a new section to 4.4h Using External Providers and Facilities about working with provider staff, which links closely with our new guidance about roles and responsibilities in 4.2a Group Management and Supervision.
We have revised the National Guidance document 4.4c Insurance. This was initially to add a reference to the Government’s Risk Protection Arrangement for academies, but ended up being a more comprehensive revision.
You can download the revised document here.
We have made minor amendments to 1a Glossary and Definitions to clarify the definitions of Activity Leader, Assistant Leader, Helper and Visit Leadership Team.
You can download the revised document here.
We have amended 7f Exchanges and Homestays in response to requests for more clarity about monitoring and supervision on homestays. The amendments have reflected our thinking in recent updates of 4.4h Using External Providers and Facilities (seeing homestay hosts as providers) and 4.2a Group management and Supervision (more clarity about roles and responsibilities).
Do you take young people on visits to farms? We have just updated the document 7g Farm Visits to cover a wider range of farm visits and to provide more comprehensive information about how to prepare for your visit and what to do when you are there. You can download the document here.
We have updated the document 4.2a Group Management and Supervision to be clearer about how important it is that leaders and helpers fully understand their roles and responsibilities. A new section explains the roles of Visit Leader and Activity Leader, and gives guidance on leaders working together or alone, and on parents as leaders
You can download it here.
We have updated 3.2g Vetting and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Checks to better explain that there are costs involved with all DBS checks, including those for volunteers such as homestay hosts. We hope that this gives greater clarity to the arrangements in the DfE document Keeping Children Safe in Education 2018.
You can download the revised document here.
Since the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we have received a number of requests for further information about how this impacts upon the collection, use and retention of participant information for educational visits. We have also received enquiries about how data protection applies to photographs of children.
We have therefore revised and expanded upon our guidance document 4.4j Participant Information and Data Protection, and made corresponding amendments to 3.2a Underpinning Legal Framework, 4.3d Parental Consent, 4.3e Safeguarding, 4.4h Using External Providers and Facilities, 5.3b Writing an Establishment Visit Policy and 6d FAQ Retention of Documents. We have also included a section about data protection in the new document 3.2i Contracts and Waivers.
We have created a new guidance document 3.2i Contracts and Waivers. It provides advice on contracts, terms and conditions, data protection, use of “acknowledgment of risk” forms and waivers.
You can download the new document here.
We have updated two documents: 4.4b First Aid, and 6k FAQs: Visits and the Threat from Terrorism to refer to the government’s recent advice on first aid during a terrorist incident
The Department for Education (DfE) has revised its guidance “Health & Safety on Educational Visits“. You can view the guidance here.
The guidance provides a summary of eight key points for organising educational visits, and refers the reader to OEAP’s National Guidance, which provides greater detail on each of these points. To read the more detailed guidance, follow the links below:
We have made minor amendments to 3.4n Guidance for Parents, 4.2a Group Management and Supervision and 4.3b Ratios and Effective Supervision to provide advice about when a visit leader or helper is also the parent of one of the participants.
We have updated our guidance about exchange visits and homestays to provide greater clarity about when a DBS check may be required. This has involved amending documents 3.2a Underpinning Legal Framework, 3.2g Vetting and DBS checks, 7f Exchanges and Homestays and creating a new FAQ 6r Hosting a Homestay.
We have also revised 8a English Homestay form (Word version) and 8b English Homestay Form (PDF version) so that they can be used to collect more of the information needed to make vetting decisions for homestays in the UK.
Recent research has called into question the commonly-accepted treatment for lion’s mane jellyfish stings. Medical authorities have yet to have a chance to consider this research, so it is not yet included in NHS advice. With many people heading for the sea this summer, we have updated 7e Jellyfish and Portuguese Man-of-War Stings to refer to the new research.
You can download the revised guidance here.
The Government has recently updated its guidance on Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSiE). As a result, and after discussions with DfE, we have made minor amendments to National Guidance document 3.2g Vetting and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), specifically about DBS checks for adults involved in homestays. We have similarly updated the document 7f Exchanges and Homestays.
You can download the revised document 3.2g here, and you can download the revised 7f here.
As a result of a recent Teaching Regulation Agency (TRA) ruling of a prohibition order against a head teacher, we have revisited National Guidance document 4.5c Transport in Private Cars to ensure that our advice on a member of staff transporting a young person alone in their car is as clear as possible and cannot be misinterpreted.
You can download the revised document here.
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.
We have decided it was time to replace the 2001 DfES/CCPR document Group Safety at Water Margins, which we had added to National Guidance in 2014. Although the content of the original document remains current, many of its links are out of date.
We have therefore created a revised document 7i Group safety at water margins, which updates the previous document. It covers activities that might take place near or in water – such as a walk along a river bank or seashore, collecting samples from ponds and streams, or paddling or walking in gentle, shallow water.
It does not cover swimming and other activities that require water safety or rescue qualifications and equipment or water-going craft. Leaders planning for young people to enter the water should also read document 7o Natural water bathing elsewhere in this guidance.
You can download the new document here.
Do you know how to evaluate the impact of learning outside and off-site visits in terms of their impact on outcomes for pupils?
In the document School inspection handbook, Ofsted explains that self-evaluation is intended to help schools to assess how well they are doing against the core areas set out in legislation. Ofsted do not want schools preparing solely for inspection purposes, but the headings and questions in our revised document 5.1c Learning outside and off-site visits: self evaluation using the Ofsted framework correspond to the Ofsted framework and will help schools to review and evaluate the effectiveness of their learning outside provision.
This document combines and replaces the information in three other previous Ofsted-related documents: 3.4p, 5.1d and 5.1e. These will be deleted.
You can download the revised document here.
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.
OEAP is determined to continue to provide National Guidance, and to keep it regularly updated. We think it is vital that this resource remains free to all who wish to use it.
We therefore welcome offers of financial support from organisations committed to providing freely-available guidance in support of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom. This support is offered altruistically as it confers no influence or control over any aspect of NG beyond contributing to its continued existence.
OEAP is therefore pleased to announce that the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has joined the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) and the School Travel Forum (STF) as organisations who have agreed to contribute to the cost of maintaining and updating this resource.
We have added a new page to the “About” tab on the National Guidance home page where we list the organisations who provide financial support for National Guidance. You can view the page here.
The English Outdoor Council published its new guide: High Quality Outdoor Learning in 2015. The guide is now available as a PDF for download.
It outlines the benefits of working in outdoor contexts and has been written to help evaluate, and set about improving, or further improving, the quality of outdoor learning. In support of this, it identifies ten key outcomes of outdoor learning, with a range of indicators attributed to each one.
You can download the guide here.
OEAP is determined to continue to provide National Guidance, and to keep it regularly updated. We think it is vital that this resource remains free to all who wish to use it.
We therefore welcome offers of financial support from organisations committed to providing freely-available guidance in support of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom. This support is offered altruistically as it confers no influence or control over any aspect of NG beyond contributing to its continued existence.
OEAP is therefore pleased to announce that the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and the School Travel Forum have agreed to contribute to the cost of maintaining and updating this resource.
The Government has provided an update on the future of the AALA in England.
It has announced that licensing will continue, but that the licensing authority in England will be reformed to make its focus the active encouragement of greater levels of outdoor activity.
You can read the update here.
HSE has revised the AALA Qualification matrices (AALAN 5.18 (rev1) – previously L77 Guidance from the Licensing Authority) to improve clarity in the paddle sports tables in order to accurately reflect the availability of awards. You can find the revised document on the HSE website here.
A report published by the Government this week states that Ministers have decided that there remains a place for the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA). The Improving Health and Safety Final Report says that this is because it is important that parents and other carers of children can have confidence that activity providers are following good safety practices.
AALA will therefore be retained.
You can find the report here
We have acquired a PDF of the research document “Raising Achievement through the Environment: The Case for Field Work and Field Centres” and have added it to the National Guidance research and reports section as document 2.4f.
Although this document is over ten years old, it is a valuable addition to the case for outdoor learning, in that it was able to demonstrate that pupils can learn more in the field than they can within the classroom alone.
40 pupils from a year 6 group underwent a field study course at a centre, involving learning in groups in the field. 45 pupils remained at school as a control group, following the same curriculum topic – the geography of rivers at Key Stage 2. The control group mirrored the learning format but remained within the classroom. Both groups showed improved levels of knowledge, but, in understanding and skills, the centre-based pupils out-performed the control group by a factor of four.
In-depth analysis of the data and interviews suggested that fieldwork improves memory (“it puts pictures into your mind”), improves understanding, improves depth of meaning, improves awareness of personal growth, and improves motivation to learn.
You can read the document here.
In response to requests from a number of users of this website, we have created a list of all of the documents that are here. Previously, the only way to view them was to look at each group of documents.
The entire list is now available from the “Contents” drop down menu. You can also view it by following this link.
OEAP will shortly be launching a Visit Planning & Management system called eVisit. It is designed to work in harmony with National Guidance. If you would like more information about eVisit please contact rebeccathomson@qes-online.com
HSE has revised it’s guidance on controlling risks in the workplace. It is no longer called the “Five Steps To Risk Assessment” but the five steps are still there. You can download a free copy of Risk Assessment: A Brief Guide To Controlling Risks In The Workplace from the HSE website.
One quote from the document worth repeating: “A risk assessment is not about creating huge amounts of paperwork, but rather about identifying sensible measures to control the risks in your workplace.” It’s about what you do, not about what you write.
The Welsh Government have recognised OEAP’s National Guidance for use by all schools, youth services and other children’s services in Wales.
Croeso to our new friends in Wales.
