Managing Educational Visits Safely

A pupil vanishes in a crowded museum. The coach is an hour late. Someone has an allergic reaction miles from school. Anyone who has led a trip knows that moment, and knows how much easier it is when the planning was done properly.

You'll learn to write a risk assessment in three steps that reflects your group and your activities, and to set staff numbers from it rather than from a fixed ratio. There's advice on placing adults so they aren't all trailing the same group, on consent forms that ask for what you need to know, and on exactly what to do if a pupil goes missing or needs medical help. There's a case for visiting the venue beforehand too, and what to ask if you can't.

It follows DfE and Outdoor Education Advisers' Panel (OEAP) guidance, and there's a handout to keep for your next trip.