Educational Visits

School trips or visits allow pupils to encounter experiences that are unavailable in the classroom. They can help pupils to develop initiative, resourcefulness and independence.

Our schools are able to book residential trips at the Pendarren house outdoor education centre.

It is essential that visits take place with the highest regard for the safety and welfare of pupils. Guidelines have been developed to provide helpful and practical advice to governing bodies, headteachers and teachers in the organisation of school visits.

School visits are classified as follows:

• category one day trips within the UK
• category two residential trips to Pendarren
• category three residential or overseas visits or visits involving adventurous activity.

The school visit category defines how approval for the trip is sought. Our guidelines also define minimum adult to pupil ratios for trips as follows:

Category one and two visits

• one adult for six pupils in years one to three
• one adult for 15 pupils in years four to six
• one adult for 20 pupils in years seven onwards.

Category three visits

• one adult to four pupils in years one to three
• one adult to ten pupils in years four onwards.

These figures are for guide purposes only and reflect the minimum requirement. Schools in Haringey often exceed these levels to ensure the safety of pupils and students alike. The adults may be members of staff and/or parent volunteers. Volunteers will be carefully selected and be known to other adults and pupils on the visit. Volunteers for residential visits will have been screened for criminal convictions in the same way that permanent staff in education establishments are checked.

There are currently no documented guidelines for supervision levels for nursery and reception classes, but good practice would indicate a ratio of one adult to two children, with criminal conviction checks as given above.

Schools may make charges or request a voluntary financial contribution for trips. Children of parents on certain benefits will not be asked to pay the full charge for residential visits.

For further information see the school visits and journeys guidance to schools document in the attached files section below.

Further information

Health and Safety Team
48 Station Road
Wood Green
London N22 7TY

Tel 0208 489 3297 / 4661
Email healthsafety.childrenservice@haringey.gov.uk

The health and safety of pupils on educational visits guidelines on the DfES website also provides further information. See the external links section below.

Attached Files

Filename	Filetype	Size
school visits and journeys guidance to schools.pdf	PDF	258K
PDF documents require Adobe Acrobat reader. Please click here to download.

Useful External Links

The following links are not part of the Haringey Council website. Please read our legal disclaimer before using these links

• Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits Guidelines on the DfES website
• Children and Young People's Services map location

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