Teach Secondary 13.8

27 teachwire.net/secondary O U T D O O R L E A R N I N G Venturing FORTH O ften, our own holidays and travels can inspire us to take our students out of the classroom and somewhere different, engaging and stimulating that will hopefully provide a compelling experience. All being well, the environment you’ve chosen will leave some lasting lessons, as well as perhaps some special memories – that first trip on the London Tube, a boat trip along the Thames, or chortles when remembering that time Mr Smith got drenched as a bus drove too fast through a puddle... So, you’re inspired to get a trip up and running for your students, and have a great idea to suggest, Maybe it’s a curriculum-focused visit to the Churchill War Rooms, a viewing of a play at the RSC or a field trip to Kenilworth Castle – what should you do first? Notice and cover The single best way of getting a trip authorised, at the lowest possible cost, is to discuss the purpose and audience of the trip with your school’s educational visits co-ordinator (EVC) at the earliest opportunity, having worked out all the details regarding staffing and costs (transport, entry and cover) beforehand. This will get your trip confirmed on the school calendar at the earliest opportunity, give staff notice of the event and any impact in their classrooms, and provide your school (specifically, the person who organises cover – someone you should keep sweet at all times) with plenty of time to work out the best way of covering you and any accompanying colleagues. It also gives your school the chance to work out how best to pay for any bought-in cover, if needed. There will be three options here – you have very nice colleagues who’ll happily cover any absences for those attending; the school pays for cover; or the cover expenses are added to the cost of the trip paid by students’ families. Seeking approval or confirmation for a trip at comparatively late notice can cause a number of issues, such as difficulties booking transport at competitive prices, potential calendar clashes (which is why you should always check your school calendar early on to ensure there are no other events in the offing) and unexpected disruption for colleagues. This could result in higher costs for the trip, or a flat refusal for the trip to take place at all. Push too hard and too late, and it could even result in you sustaining reputational damage and make any future trips you plan subject to greater scrutiny. Details and time Don’t get me wrong – every now and then a fantastic opportunity can come along at very short notice. If that happens, then it’s incumbent upon you to make leadership and your trips coordinator aware as soon as possible, if you want to improve the chances of the trip being greenlit and given the necessary support. Working out details early lets you examine those important details – such as whether the school minibus(es) will be available, along with staff qualified to drive them. It might be possible for support staff to provide such assistance, and potentially attend the trip as staff, thus reducing the cost for students and alleviating cover issues. The earlier the trip can be confirmed, the more time you’ll have to complete the necessary admin your school will need for the trip to be fully authorised – particularly those essential elements, like completing risk assessments and ensuring that a first aider will be in attendance. School trips are important for letting students experience events or places they wouldn’t otherwise get to see, or even know about. A colleague once took some of our students to the coast, one of whom remarked that it was the first time they’d ever seen the sea! So, to all those staff who organise the trips, provide those unforgettable experiences and leave wonderful memories – I salute you, and thank you. Just make sure your school processes are followed at all times, and seek out your EVC at the earliest opportunity. Happy travels! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Daniel Harvey is a GCSE and A Level science teacher and lead on behaviour, pastoral and school culture at an inner city academy If you want to organise a memorable school trip, you need to talk to the right people as early as possible, advises Daniel Harvey TEACH SECONDARY SPECIAL OUTDOOR LEARNING “The earlier the trip canbe confirmed, themore time you’ll have to complete the necessaryadmin”