A HANDBOOK FOR GROUP LEADERS
This is Part 3 of a 3-part supplement to Health and Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits: A Good Practice Guide (HASPEV). See also HASPEV; Health and Safety: Responsibilities and
Powers; and the other parts of this supplement: Standards for LEAs in Overseeing Educational Visits and Standards for Adventure
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this handbook is to provide practical information that might be helpful to group leaders and others, day to day, whilst taking part in an educational visit. It adds to and brings
together in one place, the advice for group leaders that is spread throughout the Good Practice Guide “Health & Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits” (HASPEV). It does not cover planning
arrangements before the visit, which can be found in HASPEV.
The handbook is not a substitute for training. We recommend that all group leaders have access to training before taking pupils on educational visits.
The handbook does not seek to replace local or other professional guidance or regulations. Community and voluntary controlled schools should follow LEA guidance as a first recourse. No
guidance should be taken as an authoritative interpretation of the law. That is for the courts. The handbook includes advice on supervision, ongoing risk assessment, emergency
procedures, and some specific types of visit. The printed version of the handbook will be in loose-leaf style, which will allow for easy amendment when new information comes to light and
for additional pages to be added on new topics. Amendments and any new topics will be posted on the web at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/visits, from where they can be downloaded
and printed for inclusion in the handbook.
Like HASPEV, the supplement can be adopted or adapted by LEAs or others for their own purposes. Please acknowledge the Department as the source for any such use and declare any
local variation of the text.
Enquiries about the contents of this Supplement should be addressed to the Department’s Pupil Health and Safety Team on 020 7925 5536.
CONTENTS
SUPERVISION
Responsibility
Head counts etc.
The Buddy System
Remote Supervision
Rearranging Groups
Down Time
Night Time
ONGOING RISK ASSESSMENT
Check the local weather forecast
Local Knowledge
Plan B
Behaviour problems, illness or injury
EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Preparation
Emergency procedures framework during the visit
ADVICE ON SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES
Coastal visits
Swimming in the sea or other natural waters
Farm Visits
SUPERVISION
HASPEV Chapter 3 and Standards for Adventure give advice on supervision ratios, vetting suitability of supervisors and brief advice on responsibilities, competence, head counts and
remote supervision. This section aims to give more practical advice on supervision “in the field”.
Responsibility
The Group leader is responsible overall for the group at all times. In delegating supervisory roles to other adults in the group, it is good practice for the group leader to:
? allocate supervisory responsibility to each adult for named pupils;
? ensure that each adult knows which pupils they are responsible for;
? ensure that each pupil knows which adult is responsible for them;
? ensure that all adults understand that they are responsible to the group leader for the supervision of the pupils assigned to them;
? ensure that all adults and pupils are aware of the expected standards of behaviour.
It is good practice for each supervisor to:
? have a reasonable prior knowledge of the pupils including any special educational needs, medical needs or disabilities;
? carry a list/register of all group members;
? directly supervise the pupils (except during remote supervision) – particularly important when they are mingling with the public and may not be easily identified;
? regularly check that the entire group is present;
? have a clear plan of the activity to be undertaken and its educational objectives;
? have the means to contact the group leader/other supervisors if needing help;
? have prior knowledge of the venue – the group leader should normally have made an exploratory visit, see Standards for LEAs in Overseeing Educational Visits;
? anticipate a potential risk by recognising a hazard, by arriving, where necessary, at the point of hazard before the pupils do, and acting promptly where necessary;
? continuously monitor the appropriateness of the activity, the physical and mental condition and abilities of the group members and the suitability of the prevailing conditions;
? be competent to exercise appropriate control of the group, and to ensure that pupils abide by the agreed standards of behaviour;
? clearly understand the emergency procedures and be able to carry them out;
? have appropriate access to First Aid;
Each pupil should:
? know who their supervisor is at any given time and how to contact him or her;
? have been given clear, understandable and appropriate instructions;
? rarely if ever be on their own;
? alert the supervisor if someone is missing or in difficulties;
? have a meeting place to return to, or an instruction to remain where they are, if separated;
? understand and accept the expected standards of behaviour.
Head counts etc.
Whatever the length and nature of the visit, regular head counting of pupils should take place, particularly before leaving any venue. It is good practice for all supervisors to:
? carry a list/register of all pupils and adults involved in the visit at all times;
? ensure that pupils are readily identifiable, especially if the visit is to a densely populated area. Brightly coloured caps, T-shirts or a school uniform can help identify group members more easily;
? avoid identification that could put pupils at risk e.g. name badges (though some schools find it useful to provide pupils with badges displaying the name of the school or hotel and an emergency contact number, or for visits abroad a note in the language of the country being visited);
? ensure that all pupils are aware of rendezvous points;
? ensure that all pupils know what to do if they become separated from the group.
‘Buddy’ system
Each child is paired with a buddy. Each regularly checks that the other is present and is OK. A variant of this is the ‘circle buddy’ system – the pupils form a circle at the start of the visit so
that each pupil has a left side buddy and a right side buddy. He or she will check on these when asked. Thus two pupils cannot vanish together and not be missed (as might happen with paired
buddies).
Remote Supervision
Supervision can be close or remote but is always 24 hours:
? close supervision occurs when the group remain within sight and contact of the supervisor;
? remote supervision occurs when, as part of planned activities, a group works away from the supervisor but is subject to stated controls (e.g. during certain Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions). The supervisor is present though not necessarily near or in sight, but his or her whereabouts are known;
? down time (or recreational time) – for example during the evenings – may involve
close or remote supervision, but should not be unsupervised - the supervisors continue to be in charge;
? it is essential that everyone involved in the visit understands the supervision arrangements and expectations.
When supervision is remote:
? groups should be sufficiently trained and assessed as competent for the level of activity to be undertaken, including first aid and emergency procedures. Remote supervision will normally be the final stage of a phased development programme;
? pupils will be familiar with the environment or similar environments and have details of the rendezvous points and the times of rendezvous;
? clear and understandable boundaries will be set for the group;
? there must be clear lines of communication between the group, the supervisor and the school. Do not rely exclusively on mobile phones;
? the supervisor should monitor the group’s progress at appropriate intervals;
? the supervisor will be in the expedition or activity area and able to reach the group reasonably promptly should the group need support in an emergency;
? there should be a recognisable point at which the activity is completed;
? there should be clear arrangements for the abandonment of the activity where it cannot be safely completed.
