Education Trips, Visits and Event Policy

SCHOOL AIMS:

• To promote a culture of excellence in teaching and learning.
• To provide a broad and balanced curriculum that reflects the international nature of the DBIS student community.
• To encourage internationalism and develop intercultural understanding, providing students with the skills, dispositions, and knowledge to participate in an increasingly inter-connected world.
• To ensure a supportive, happy and secure environment for learning.
• To develop leadership skills and a sense of service to others through a range of extra-curricular opportunities locally and internationally.
• To encourage the physical and emotional wellbeing of each individual.
• To use innovative pedagogy and technology to enrich learning.
• To work in partnership with parents, alumni and the local and wider community in the ongoing development of the school.
• To foster a learning community where every student, teacher, staff member, parent and DBIS alumni has an ongoing passion for learning.

RATIONALE:

Educational trips and visits can be made for a variety of reasons and have the potential to enhance learning in all curriculum areas. The range of opportunities that exist is unlimited and may encompass School camps, visits to places of educational interest, curriculum related field trips as well as sports and cultural trips. Student safety is of paramount importance and the Head of School reserves the right to postpone or cancel any trip, visit, camp or event if it is believed that student safety is of concern.

PURPOSES:

1. To enrich the classroom programme and enhance learning by providing safe first hand experiences in a wide range of activities.
2. To provide opportunities for the community to participate in the education of our students through sharing knowledge and experiences.
3. To assist our students to understand and appreciate other cultures, both past and present.
4. To enable our students to appreciate the different aspects of their local environment and beyond.
5. To ensure that related safety issues have been assessed and addressed prior to any approval being confirmed for trips, visits and camps to proceed.

GUIDELINES:

1. In planning school trips and visits careful consideration must be given to the needs of our students and the safety of all concerned.
2. Definite educational objectives relating to the curriculum and to school and class programmes must be established and stated in seeking approval, through respective line management Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members.
3. First priority should be given to the utilisation of resources in our school’s local area.
4. An adequate adult/student ratio must be maintained throughout all trips. The ratio for all trips and visits will depend on the nature of the trip (such as trips involving water based activities) and the ages of our students and must be cleared through respective line management SLT members. The adult/student ratio must be noted in the teacher's planning and the associated risk assessment sheets. Our recommended ratios are shown further down and DBIS has used information from the Department of Children, Schools and Families in the UK along with local contextual information to determine our ratios. These should be followed unless further discussion with respective line management SLT members has taken place.

For local, non-adventurous day excursions our preferred ratios are:

• 1 adult for every 3 pupils in school years FS-1 and FS-2
• 1 adult for every 5 pupils in school year 1
• 1 adult for every 6 pupils in school years 2 to 3
• 1 adult for every 8 pupils in school years 4 to 5
• 1 adult for every 10 pupils in school year 6 (as a minimum)
• 1 adult for every 15 pupils in school year 7 and above

For international, residential and adventurous day excursions our preferred ratios are:

• 1 adult for every 4 pupils in school years 1 & 2
• 1 adult for every 8 pupils in school years 3 to 6
• 1 adult for every 10 pupils in school year 7 onwards

*Parent Funded Educational Assistants (PFEAs) are not to be included in the ratios.

*Trip leaders should exercise professional discretion for ratios depending on the type of trip or activity and cohort.

5. Consideration of the active attendance and safe involvement of all students must be applied. Inclusion of students with varied needs, where possible within broader as well as individual risk assessment, (medical and behavioural) must be considered individually and discussed with respective line management Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members before any decisions can be taken.
6. An accident and incident log must be maintained during all overnight trips noting the student’s name, the time and nature of the incident and the follow-up action/treatment. Log books will be issued prior to and collected at the conclusion of an overnight trip by our Medical room staff. All noted accidents and incidents will be transferred to our database.
7. Any accidents or incidents occurring during an overnight trip must be conveyed to parents/caregivers by a member of DBIS staff. This should occur either during the trip or at the return of trip handover.
8. Approval in principle is required from the respective line management SLT member before detailed planning is presented and final approval is sought. Major trips including all camps require the approval of the Head of School DBIS. Parent approval should be covered by the general permission sought when entering DBIS. Overnight camps require individual student approval from parents.
9. Careful consideration must be given to health and safety issues and a comprehensive assessment of the risks needs to be completed, with a risk assessment form being completed. (Please see Appendix 1 for the Risk Assessment Procedure)
10. One staff member going on the trip or visit must have carried out a pre-trip visit.
11. An appropriate first aid kit must be taken on all trips and visits.
12. All overseas trips must include a risk assessment from SOS International.
13. All parents/caregivers assisting with the trip/visit must complete the volunteers code of conduct and self-declaration safeguarding form.
14. A mobile phone must be taken on all trips/visits and be accessible by the teacher in charge. Contact details of staff and parent helpers must be available to our school office. The two permanent numbers for international school trips are +852 4679 3301 and +852 4679 3302.
15. The most senior staff member or delegated person on the trip is responsible for contacting their respective line management SLT member at least twice per day on any overnight trip to provide a ‘base contact’ and an updated safety briefing.
16. All overnight trips must have a teacher with a current First Aid Certificate or a School Nurse in attendance.
17. All overnight trips must have sufficient qualified teachers (at least 80% of the required adult supervision ratio) in attendance throughout the trip. Education Assistants may make up the complement to the 80% teacher requirement.
18. In the event of an accident or emergency for any trip or visit, the most senior staff member or delegated person is to contact our school as soon as possible so that appropriate contact with parents/caregivers and any other group can be made.
19. The costs of all trips and visits will usually be met by families.
20. Costs associated with all trips and visits, including overnight camps, must be approved in the first instance by the respective line management SLT member. Any variation to trip planning must have prior approval of the Head of Phase. The Principal should be consulted for any additional international trips.
21. All school trips, visits and camps will be reviewed from time to time by the SLT. The Head of School reserves the right to postpone or cancel any school trip, visit or camp where, in the opinion of the Head of School, the purpose or the safety of students is considered to be compromised.
22. In the case of inclement/adverse weather conditions, any member of our SLT has the delegated authority to postpone or cancel any scheduled trip, visit, event, activity or tournament involvement.

CONCLUSION:

School trips and visits can lead to students developing a greater appreciation of their own community and beyond, and contribute to their intellectual, social and emotional growth. Carefully planned trips and visits are encouraged as an integral part of our student’s development. Student safety is of paramount importance.

Created: 10.11.05

Last Reviewed: 10.11.23

Approved 11.01.18

Appendix 1 - Risk Assessment Procedure

All educational trips, visits and events require a risk assessment to be carried out. The following guidelines are to be followed each time.

1. The official school template should be used for all trips, visits and events. If an event organiser has their own Risk Assessment form the official DBIS template should also be completed.
2. Medical information must be taken from iSAMS and included in the Risk Assessment form. The school nurse must also be given the names of all students involved so they can provide any up-to-date medical information that may not be on the system.
3. Risk Assessment forms must be completed 3 weeks in advance of the trip, visit or event and signed off by the SLT line manager.
4. Completed Risk Assessment (with a digital signature, not typed) should be saved in the appropriate folder on the DBIS Shared Drive (Team Drive) and approved by the SLT line manager a minimum of 3 Weeks before the trip.

Overseas Trips, Visits and Events

For international trips, the below procedures should be considered and further discussed with the school principal.

1. The need for having International SOS (ISOS) cover (contacted via this email - hongkong@internationalsos.com) must be agreed upon with the School Principal the time of confirming the trip, visit or event. They will provide medical and travel security advice about the specific location being visited. This information should form part of the Risk Assessment form.
2. Where ISOS is being used they must be contacted 2 days before departure for any last-minute up-to-date information to be shared.

Secondary Appendix for Education Trips, Visits and Event Policy