It is imperative that your off-site visits following the requirements and legislation below to ensure maximum safety and quality standards at all times.
Requirements for all off-site visits:
- It is a requirement that each LA school should have a trained EVC.
The EVC should be a senior member of staff who will act as a focus for good practice on visits from that establishment.
- The policies and procedures outlined in this section must be followed for any off-site visits.
- In particular all Category C visits (higher risk visits) must be approved by Bob Burson, the County Council's Outdoor Education Advisor.
- Off site visits will not take place if there is no trained EVC on the staff.
Experienced technical advice is available through the Outdoor Education Adviser – see the contact details on the right hand side of this page.
Legislation for all off-site visits:
The Activity Centres (Young Persons Safety) Act 1995 and the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 1996 was introduced following tragedies involving pupils and students, engaged in adventure-type activities, and requires certain providers of specified activities to be licensed.
The following activities are within the scope of the license scheme and since April 2003, are classified as “Category C” visits in the Educational Trips and Visits policy and the procedures for approval should therefore be followed:
- caving (underground exploration in natural caves and mines including pot holing, cave diving and mine exploration)
- climbing (climbing, traversing, abseiling and scrambling activities except on purpose-designed climbing wall or abseiling towers)
- trekking (walking, running, pony trekking, mountain biking, off-piste skiing and related activities when done in moor or mountain country, which is remote i.e. over 30 minutes travelling time from the nearest road or refuge)
- water sports, (canoeing, rafting, sailing and related activities when done on the sea, tidal waters or larger non-placid inland waters)
Anyone who provides, in return for payment, any of the above activities to young persons under 18, must have a licence and abide by its conditions.
The scheme is aimed at those who sell adventure activities to schools and to the public. Schools should therefore, as part of their assessment of an activity provider, confirm that the provider has satisfied the licensing criteria.
Whilst the license scheme does not cover activities offered by schools to their own pupils, comparable safety standards should be provided.