8.3 Supervision of children on outings and visits

Policy statement

Children benefit from being taken out of the setting to go on visits or trips to local parks or other suitable venues for activities which enhance their learning experiences. We at Thorpe Acre Preschool Playgroup, ensure that there are procedures to keep children safe on outings; all staff and volunteers are aware of and follow the procedures below.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, children should have access to outdoor play and learning opportunities as normal, as long as social distancing measures are followed.

Procedures

• All offsite activity has a clearly identified education purpose, with specific learning and development outcomes.
• There is a designated lead for each excursion, who is clear about their responsibility as designated lead.
• We ask parents to sign a general consent on registration for their children to be taken out on local short outings, as a part of the daily activities of the setting.
• This general consent details the venues used for daily activities.
• We assess the risks for each local venue, which is reviewed regularly.
• We always ask parents to sign specific consent forms before major outings and the risks are assessed before the outing takes place.
• Our Manager and all staff taking part in the outing sign off every risk assessment.
• Children with allergies or who have specific needs, have a separate risk assessment completed ie child with allergies visiting the supermarket.
• An excursion will not go ahead if concerns are raised about its viability at any point.
• Settings who operate Forest Schools/Beach School Sessions, a separate Forest/Beach School Risk assessment is conducted and Forest/Beach school standard procedures are followed at all times.  The designated lead is always a level 3 trained Forest or Beach school practitioner.
• Any written outing risk assessments are made available for parents to see.
• Our adult to child ratio is high, normally one adult to four children or less, depending on their age, sensibility and type of venue as well as how it is to be reached.
• A minimum of two staff accompany children on outings, unless the whole setting is on the outing, a minimum of two staff remain behind with the rest of the children
• Named children are assigned to individual staff members, to ensure that each child is well supervised, that no child goes astray and that there is no unauthorised access to children.
• Staff frequently count their designated children and ensure that hands are held or that children hold onto the rope of our walking bus.
• Parents who accompany us on outings are responsible for their own child only.  Where parents have undergone vetting with us as volunteers, they may be included in the adult to child ratio and have children allocated to them.
• Outings are recorded in an outings record book kept in the setting stating:

• The date and time of outing.
• The venue and mode of transport.
• Names of staff assigned to Children.
• Time of return.

• Staff take a mobile phone on outings, as well as supplies of tissues, wipes, spare clothing and nappies, medicines required for individual children, a mini first aid pack, snacks and water (depending on the type of outing). The amount of equipment will vary and be consistent with the venue and the number of children as well as how long they will be out for.
• We ensure parents have been informed of the need to apply a high factor sun cream to children before the start of the trip and ensure they are dressed appropriately for the type of outing and weather conditions.
• Staff take a list of children with them with contact numbers of parents/carers, as well as an accident book and a copy of our missing child policy.
• We provide children with badges to wear with the setting name and telephone number – but not the name of the child, on major outings such as park, zoo, museum and farm.
• Records are kept of the vehicles used to transport children with names of drivers and appropriate insurance cover.
• We ensure that seat belts are worn whilst travelling in vehicles and that booster seats and child safety seats are used as appropriate to the age of the child.
• As a precaution, we ensure that children do not eat when travelling in vehicles.
• We ensure that contracted drivers are from reputable companies, do not have unsupervised access to the children and are not included in the ratios.

Other useful Pre-school Learning Alliance publications

• Daily Register and Outings Record (2012)
• Managing Risk (2009)

Updated June 2020