Bunscoil na Toirbhirte,  Mitchelstown, Co. Cork.

School Tours Policy

(Excursions/Off Campus/Swimming/Fieldtrips)

Bunscoil na Toirbhirte,  Mitchelstown,  Co. Cork.

School Tours/Excursions Policy/Off Campus Activities

Introduction
This policy was drawn up by the staff and circulated to the Board of Management (BoM) and made available to parents for observations and feedback. Taking into account the age and interests of the children and the curriculum being covered, school tours will be arranged by the school to present the children with a new environment in which they can observe, investigate and relate their findings to their own environment. Tours will be arranged at the discretion of the class teacher(s).

Rationale
The need for this policy arises due to children being exposed to a wide variety of different experiences while on school outings, and the necessity to have a framework for good practice in place to cover all eventualities.

Aims
•	To ensure all practical possibilities are covered in reducing the exposure of children to risk on outings
•	To provide an enjoyable educational experience for all children

Policy Content
It has been the policy of the school over the years to organise separate tours and destinations for;
•	Junior Classes  (1st and 2nd)
•	Middle Classes  (3rd and 4th )
•	Senior Classes  (5th and 6th)

The tours are structured in such a way as to provide an educational aspect in addition to an entertainment and recreational value.  Shopping on school tours does not occur due to the unnecessary dangers children can be exposed to and the difficulty in providing adequate supervision. As a result, in general, no spending money will be required.  This also reduces the cost to the parents.  Pupils may be bought a treat e.g. an ice-cream during the day by the teachers.

The age of the pupils will be taken into account when providing adult supervision on a school tour/outing.  No teacher/staff member will be responsible for more than 20 pupils.  It will be school policy to assign individual groups of 10/15 children approximately to individual teachers/adults.  In areas of high risk,  extra supervision/adults will be drafted in. This becomes possible where support and special class teachers and SNAs accompany mainstream classes on school outings.  Parents may accompany their children on their school tour in exceptional circumstances, but in general they will travel separately. 
•	Children must obey their supervisors at all times
•	Children must remain seated while the bus is in motion
•	Children must wear their seat-belts in the bus
•	Children must remain with their allocated grouping and supervisor at all times
•	Children will line up in their individual groups on disembarking from the bus
•	Roll calls/head counts are taken when children return to the bus after each segment of the tour
•	Eating crisps/popcorn/chewing gum is not allowed on school tours.

Success Criteria
•	Positive experiences for all 
•	Children having a safe enjoyable experience
•	Teacher/Parent Satisfaction

Transport
The transport organiser of the tour will ensure that:
•	Each child will have their own seat with an appropriate seat-belt on the bus/mini-bus on the tour.  This will be checked when the buses are being booked.

Conditions of Hiring
All transport supplied, will be suitable and well-maintained.  Teachers have the right to refuse any bus they find unsuitable for their outing.  If the bus proves unsuitable a replacement will be supplied or the money refunded. 

The driver will have a thorough knowledge of and follow the itinerary and timetable for the tour.  The driver is responsible for the safety of the children while they are travelling, but teachers have the right to intervene if it is felt the the safety of the children is compromised:

•	The group will have access to the bus for the duration of the tour.
•	If the weather conditions are unfavourable the group will have the use of the bus for sheltering or for eating lunch.
•	The consumption of food (snacking) and singing on the bus - at an acceptable level - will be at the discretion of the teacher in consultation with the driver
•	Buses will be left as they were found

Tour Kit
Leaders will take a tour kit on all outings.  These will be available from the office.  The kit will contain:
•	The portable First Aid Kit
•	Refuse and illness bags, newspapers, kitchen roll
•	The school mobile phone
•	List of names of all children travelling and contact numbers for parents

Cost
The teachers will ensure that the cost of the tour is reasonable and represents value for money.  All children will be actively encouraged to save towards the cost of the tour.  No child is to be refused participation in any proposed activity because of family inability to pay.  

Venue
Tours will be booked early in the 1st or 2nd term for a date as late as possible in the 3rd term (when assessment tests have been completed and reports have been sent out).  In general not more than two classes will travel together, unless venue and transport arrangements warrant otherwise.  Where more than one class travels, one teacher will accept the role of "leader",  and this teacher will bring the school tour kit with them and be available to liaise with the Principal/Acting Principal on the school mobile during the course of the day.  The teachers will become "au fait" with the venue, with particular reference to educational opportunities afforded, and services available (toilets, emergency facilities).  The Board of Management must sanction all school tours.  School tours that work particularly well with an age group will be recorded  and a list of suitable tours will be compiled and attached as an appendix to this policy, in due course, which will be of special value to teachers who are new to the class groupings they are going on tour with.

Weather Conditions
Rain and head gear will be essential for all children and a change of clothes may be necessary, depending on the venue.  Sunscreen should be applied by parents,  before children embark on the tour.

Tours list
Teachers will ensure that reasonable accommodation is made for children with special needs.   Full research of the tour and factilities will be undertaken prior to the trip by the teachers organising the tour.  Classes will not go on activity tours where the supervision of pupils is delegated to a third party,  even if this person is a qualified teacher.  The teacher will remain with their group of children,  or the children will be sub-divided with a teacher/staff member in charge of each group during any activities.  Two school staff will supervise the toilets during specific breaks.  On other occasions school personnel will accompany groups of two or more and check that the toilets are supervised at all times.  Pupils will have no contact with a third party when asking to use the bathroom;  they will ask a member of their school staff for permission.

Uniforms
Teachers travelling together will decide whether uniforms should be worn.  In general the children will wear the school tracksuit.

Reports
Where problems arise either with the venue or transport teachers will report back to the Principal/Acting Principal.

Conduct on Tours
Prior to each tour,  teachers will plan and prepare children in advance of the Stay Safe programme and parents will be asked to do so also, e.g. how to act if approached by strangers,  and speaking to strangers.  Pupils’ behaviour on tours will comply with the standard set down in the School's Code of Discipline.  In certain circumstances parents may be asked to agree to a contract on behaviour.  Where it is felt that a child's conduct would pose a safety risk or inhibit the educational benefit for self or others, the teacher may refuse the child permission to travel.  Parents will be advised of this in advance.

Safety and Supervision
Teachers will be extra vigilant when taking children out of the school.  Special attention will be paid to - Road Safety, Behaviour on bus, Risks posed by particular venues (e.g. adventure playgrounds etc.).  No teacher/staff member will be responsible for more than 20 pupils.  

Informing Parents
Teachers will ensure that Parents are given sufficient notice of:
•	Itinerary & Timetable
•	Cost
•	Special clothing necessary and packed lunch (no glassware).
	
Fieldtrips
Fieldtrips which relate to a particular curricular area are encouraged. These trips can range from simple walks around the school to organised trips to relevant places of interest, e.g. library,  playground,  St. Fanahan’s Well, the church  etc.  

The principal must be informed in advance if it is proposed that a class leave the school grounds.   Little trips,  e.g. the playground,  the church, etc. are often decided with short notice,  relating to a  religious event, e.g. confession,  a trip to playground for P.E. on a rare sunny day,  so individual consent forms or advance notice to parents for these short trips will not be given.  If a parent does not wish their child to leave the school premises during the school day, they may inform the school in writing,  and their child will be accommodated and supervised in a different class.  

Teachers are encouraged to plan and prepare children in advance of the trip. Teachers should ensure adequate supervision at all times. Where necessary, an SNA or resource teacher should accompany the class on the trip.

Children should be appropriately dressed for the fieldtrip e.g. raingear, suitable footwear etc.  

Swimming
Classes from 1st-6th are offered the opportunity to go swimming for a session of 6-8 lessons each year.  Three staff will accompany the girls if there is one bus;  four staff will accompany the girls if there is more than one bus.  

The girls are accompanied onto the bus by the teacher who ensures that each girl has their own seat and is wearing a suitable seatbelt.  Children remain seated while the bus is travelling.

The girls are accompanied to the dressing room in Fermoy pool where at least two female staff will stay in the dressing room while the girls are changing for swimming.  When the girls go into the pool,  the staff go to the benches in the spectator area,  where they can have a full view of what is happening.

Children will ask permission of the school staff when they need to use the bathroom,  and the staff member will take note,  and record when they return.  The school staff will remain seated where they have a view of the entrance into the pool changing  room during the swimming lesson.  When the whistle is blown,  and the girls return to the changing room,  all female staff will go into the changing room again.  As the girls are ready to leave the room,  one  staff member will remain in the foyer with the girls as they line up,  while the remaining staff members will stay in the changing room until the last few children are ready to leave together with them.

Children will be accompanied back to the bus.  Staff will ensure the children alight the bus safely.  Children will be returned to school at the end swimming. Children  may not be collected by parents before this time,  unless by prior arrangement.  

Notification
All parents will be provided with an itinerary for the school tour at least two weeks in advance.  Parents will sign consent forms which will be held by the class teacher on the day.

Review
Further reviews will be conducted at the beginning of each school year,  the next being September 2014.

This policy was first ratified by the Board of Management at a meeting in April 2014.

Signed:  Canon Timothy O’Leary, C.C.   (Chairperson B.O.M.)

The school tour policy is examined and reviewed every year when the school tour policies are ratified by the Board of Management.  
School tours for the school year were ratified at the meeting on 8th February 2018.

Signed: Fr. Gabriel Burke, C.C. (Chairperson B.O.M.)
TOURS CHECKLIST

Before the tour
•	There will be a school tour book in the office where arrangements relating to the tour will be recorded,  e.g. the date the bus was booked and the cost;  the date excursions/visits to museums etc. are booked and the cost.  If any of these services are paid in advance,  this will be recorded in this book also.  
•	Individual parents informed of travelling embargo on disruptive pupils
•	Timetable organised
•	Parents informed by standard letter		
o	itinerary
o	timetable
o	cost
o	lunch arrangements
o	clothing necessary	

Agreement on
•	Leader  
•	Acceptable behaviour on bus
•	No teacher/staff member will be responsible for more than 20 pupils  

Day of Tour
Tour leader will bring	
•	The tour kit  
•	Cheques for venues
•	Cheques for bus
•	The school mobile phone
•	List of names of pupils and their parents’ contact details

After Tour
•	The teachers who go on the tour will report back to office on the day after the tour

Tour book
•	A short account of the the school tour will be written into the school tour book and will be kept for future reference. This could include any incidents which may have occurred and can provide a useful guide for staff in years to come.