Early Years Outings Policy

 

Introduction

 

Barnardiston Hall places great value on educational visits for all of its pupils, including the very youngest, recognising that they provide a unique opportunity to enhance the curriculum and to extend and support class based work. They provide opportunities that cannot be provided on site and can extend the knowledge and understanding of our youngest pupils. All of our visits for Nursery are local. Classes 1 and 2 will travel further and the outings will generally be a full day and once yearly the children will 'camp' in classrooms overnight following a day out during the Summer Term.

OUR VISITS

 

Supervision

 

Generous staffing levels, close supervision and proper protective clothing are essential for even the shortest excursions. For all walks within the school grounds, the children are supervised by their teacher and a teaching assistant, if required. When going off-site, the children are always briefed in advance about the visit and the standards of behaviour that are expected. 

Staff Ratios and Responsibility

 

We operate a staffing ratio of 1:3 for our Nursery children and 1:4 for our children in Classes 1 and 2 for all off-site visits. There is always at least one teacher in every group, one of whom will have been designated in charge of the visit. Volunteers are never allowed to supervise children alone and are thoroughly briefed about their roles beforehand. All Class teachers/supervisors have been trained in Paediatric First Aid.

The Nursery

 

We do not take the Nursery children off-site during the first half of the Autumn term. They need time to settle into the routine of coming to school, and there are plenty of opportunities for daily outdoor play in the Nursery's well-equipped, secure outdoor play area. The children are taken by their teachers and teaching assistants on regular nature walks within the school grounds, where they are encouraged to collect conkers and autumn leaves, scramble over fallen logs and watch the wildlife. 

At the end of the Autumn Term, the children along with their teachers and assistants may visit Father Christmas in his grotto in Shelford, Cambridge.

During the Spring Term the Nursery usually visit Boydell’s Dairy Farm to feed the lambs, hold the chicks and have a pony and cart ride.

Class 1

 

By the time the children move to Class 1, they are now ready for more excursions off-site and for a wider range of new experiences. During the year, they will visit:

Autumn Term:

Ocean World (Stowmarket Soft play)

Spring Term:

Pantomime at Bury St Edmunds

Boydell’s Farm

Summer Term: 

Zoo (weather permitting) or Ocean World's 'Inflatable Extravaganza!' followed by a sleepover

Class 2

 

In Class 2 the children visit places further afield and some excursions will be for a longer period of time, with the children being off-site all day. During the year, they will visit:

Autumn Term:

Go Bananas Soft play (Colchester)

Spring Term:

Pantomime (Cambridge)

Boydell’s Farm

Summer Term:

Dinosaur Park (Norfolk) followed be a sleepover at school

  

The weekly walks in the school grounds continue throughout both Class 1 and 2. By the end of Reception (Class Two), the children are confidently conducting work on the topic of mini-beasts and carrying out leaf and bark rubbings. Their climbing and balancing skills will have improved, together with their understanding of the cycle of nature, such as the first signs of Spring.

Swimming

 

Both Classes 1 and 2 attend weekly swimming lessons in Haverhill Sports Centre. Our school coaches provide the transport. The ratio will be 1:8 from school until arrival at the swimming pool. The coach parks outside the Sports Centre and the children are walked in pairs, with a teacher at the front and back of the line and an assistant in the middle. Additional Sports Centre staff will greet the children at the pool and will teach the sessions.

Nursery attend weekly swimming sessions during the Summer Term and the ratio is 1:4.

KEEPING PARENTS INFORMED

 

All parents of children in the Early Years are invited to a 'Social Evening' where both curriculum and other matters are discussed with the Teachers and Headmaster informally. The School Calendar lists the visits that are due to take place during the coming term. Parents/carers will be sent a letter well in advance, explaining the itinerary for the day, its cost and whether it involves an extension to the normal length of the school day.

All visits are optional.

CAROL SERVICE

 

All Early Years children attend the annual Carol Service at Long Melford Church on the final day of the Autumn Term. The children are brought to the church by their parents/carers and are 'handed' over to their Class Teachers with whom they will sit for the duration of the service. At the end of the carol service the children remain in the pews with their Teachers until their parents/carers collect them. Nursery children may attend the service but will remain with their parents/carers throughout.  

CONSENT

 

Written consent is required for each school trip. A consent form will be sent out well in advance and must be returned to school at least two working days before the visit.

    INFORMATION FOR STAFF

 

SAFETY

 

Risk Assessments

 

Safety is our top priority. Even the shortest of visits needs to be thoroughly planned, and require their own risk assessments which must be read and signed by all members of staff involved.

Head Counts

 

The teacher in charge conducts regular head counts of the children:

$1·          Before leaving school

$1·        On sitting down in the coach

$1·        On arrival at the destination

$1·        At regular intervals throughout the day

$1·        On leaving the destination

$1·        On arrival back at School

 A second member of staff will also check the numbers of children.

Where we walk, the children walk in pairs, with one adult at the front, one in the middle and one at the back. Children are reminded about basic road safety and expected standards of behaviour. When travelling by coach, a member of staff will ensure that all pupils are sitting correctly and are wearing their seat belts.

Missing Child Policy

 

Our procedures are structured to ensure that this does not happen; but in the event that a child is missing – either from school, or on a visit, we follow the procedures set out in our Missing Child Policy, which can be viewed on our web site.

First Aid Kit

 

A First Aid kit will be taken on all excursions by the senior member of staff.