Standard Operating Procedures for

Learning Outside the Classroom

Teacher and Provider Trip Policy

Overview of this Policy

● SCHOOL STAFF GUIDELINES

● Part A: Accomodation and Food
● Part B: Student:Teacher Ratios
● Part C: Staff Behavior Expectations
o C1: Room Check Policy, Wake up Calls, and Bathroom Use
o C2: Headcount Practices
● Part D: Student Disciplinary Actions
● Part E: Inter-Teacher Concerns
● Part F: Supervision and Care of Ill Students
o D1: Allergy and Epipen Protocol

● PROVIDER GUIDELINES
● Part A: Request Criteria for Providers
● Part B: Transport
● Part C: Swimming and Water Activities
● Part D: Safety Equipment and Precautions

● APPENDIX
● Part A: Flotation and Swimming Requirements
● Part B: Decision Making process
o b1: Incident/injury process
o b2: General decision making process
● Part C: Version Control
● Part D: Risk Assessment Form
● Part E: First Aider Responsibilities

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SCHOOL STAFF GUIDELINES

A - Food and Accommodation

1. Allocate children to rooms before you go on the trip. Staff on the same floors as the children. Ask for mini
bars to be locked or better still, emptied. Each child is to have their own sleeping surface (bed, bed roll,
etc). Three children per room tent is preferable to two.
2. Inform hotel bar that staff are not to be served alcohol.
3. If a hotel, arrange with reception not to allow students to gain access to outside lines – you can restrict
access from parents to call for emergency use only and then only to reception to leave a message or to
your hand phone.
4. If using a hotel consider whether you allow children to order room service.
5. Ask about space for meetings /briefings if required.
6. Ask about valuables – room safes or safe deposit.
7. No students must swim without appropriate supervision. See later for further guidelines.
8. Ask for hotel to explain the fire evacuation routes to you.
9. Smoke detectors in accommodation corridor and bedrooms or we provide our own.
10. Brief students on conduct at the venue, use of rooms, use of the pool, access to other rooms, use of the
internal telephone, use of the keys, wake-up, lights out, room # of staff rooms, water, arrangements for
meals. Etc.
11. School rules on alcohol consumption by students and staff are to be made clear to the accommodation
manager.
12. If students are staying in rooms which are high from the ground consider asking for the windows to be
locked if they are not part of the fire escape routine especially is the balcony railing/wall is not deemed
appropriate.
13. Plan of rooms with names of students – each member of staff is aware of the student room numbers –
and the students are aware of how to reach a member of staff. Staff cell phones may only be given to
students by permission of the Field Trip Leader.
14. Students to wear footwear around resort, no bare feet.
15. Does the hotel use fogging and if so who does it and how often?

Eating Areas and Food Preparation

1. Meal plan for stay to be reviewed.

2. Information regarding special dietary requirements has been collated and the appropriate food is to be
made available on the trip.

Students

It is the intention to keep all staff including teaching staff or group leaders of the activity group informed of all
information whenever possible. In written communication the student/s will be made aware of the activity
involvement, the site and alternatives for the day.

The following will be made available for all trips:

1. Medical reports including student medical issues this will include Medical Consent
2. The Trip/Activity Timetable

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3. Trip/Activity Descriptions
4. Safety & Discipline (Activity, Accommodation & Transport) Including That of Instructing Staff &
Accompanying Staff
5. First Aid Kit List
6. Breathalyzer as needed

With residential courses this is also to include details of:

7. Student Names and Addresses

8. Dietary Requirements

The School should outline what level of participation we would expect from accompanying adults e.g. teaching
staff or group leaders. This is based upon their reason for attending, the requirements and needs of the
students and the safety implications of having them on site as well. This can greatly affect the efficiency and
therefore the quality of the trip/activity. We must ensure at all times that this matter has been clarified.

B - Student:Staff Ratio
Ratios on School residential, expeditions and field study trips overseas will be based on the student group
and the type of day (travel days/non-adventurous, adventurous). All trips must have a designated First
Responder who holds a current first aid certification.

● Overall Staff: A minimum of 2 chaperones is necessary for all trips unless otherwise discussed with
School Administration. Third Party Providers are not to lead trips or activities without the presence of
school staff.
● Travel Days: A minimum student:staff ratio is 1:20. Staff can be employees or third party providers, as
long as at least one employee is present.
● Non Adventurous Activities: A minimum student:staff ratio is 1:20. When students are divided into
groups for activities, an employee should always accompany each group. Additional staffing may be
required when the risk assessment is reviewed with the EVC.
● Adventurous Activities: (rock climbing, rafting, swimming, caving, trekking), the minimum
employee/third party provider staff: student ratio is 1:7.

C- Staff Behavior and Expectations

1. Consumption of alcohol is not allowed at any time by staff on Field Trips. There is no such thing
as “free time” for staff on a trip. Being excused to meet with friends or be relieved in order to “go
out” is not an option.

2. Staff are responsible for student behavior at all times, thus, staff are expected to participate in or
closely observe all activities with students. At no time should a group of students be handed over
to a 3rd party provider and the school staff member depart from the group/premises.

3. Staff may NOT leave the trip (exception is for emergencies where no other option is viable).

4. In the event of an injury or illness of a student which requires a chaperone to escort the student to
the hospital, a single staff member can remain with the larger group if they are accompanied by
another adult from a 3PP or another staff member is easily accessible and can join the group for
assistance (i.e., nearby in the same marketplace or region of town).
a. The staff member escorting the sick/injured student to a clinic should be accompanied by
another member of staff or member of the 3PP to ensure the staff member and student

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are not left alone in a 1:1 ratio whenever possible.

5. Students who need to remain “in camp” or at a hotel can do so with a school staff member and
another adult from the 3PP or school to avoid a 1:1 ratio whenever possible. IF avoiding a 1:1
ratio is not possible it should be noted and communicated.

6. Staff will ensure that boys and girls are not allowed in the same hotel room without adult
supervision.

7. Teachers are allowed to make an appropriate search of a student if there is reasonable belief that
the student has in their possession an item that contradicts school rules. Any searches will
always be conducted in the presence of another teacher (as noted in the Drug and Alcohol
Policy).

8. If a medical first responder is necessary on a trip they are to remain supernumerary. Medical first
responders are not to be given responsibility for groups of students, activities at any time during
the field trips this applies to flights and other forms of transport. The medical first responder is
there to provide medical care for all students and staff and therefore for safety reasons this must
be adhered to (see below for further details if a student falls ill).

9. Staff may conduct a breathalyzer on reasonable suspicion that the student is using alcohol.
Breathalyzer results are to be reported to the EVC immediately.

C1: Room Check Policy, Wake Up Calls and Bathroom Use:

Room Checks/Wake Up Call

1. Door open at all times when checking a student’s room

2. Always 2 teachers (when possible at least 1 same sex teacher matching student; example 1 girl =
at least 1 female staff)

3. If door does not stay open = (example: girls’ room – Male teacher holds the door while female
teacher checks the room)

4. Staff to wake up students (if necessary) by knocking until door opens to make sure they stay
awake.

Procedures for students going on their own + public bathrooms

1. Students always need to be in groups of 3 or more (never pairs) This allows 1 student to go and
get help if needed + 2 students still together

2. If a public toilet, an adult (best with same sex) is required to accompany students to the public
toilet and waits outside the door.

3. An exception to this:If in a restaurant all to ourselves, then a group of 3 boys/girls can go to the
bathroom by themselves, without an adult.

C2: Headcount Practices and Curfew

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Headcounts must be done whenever transportation departs from a location.

Additionally, a full headcount of all the students is to be done AT LEAST 3 times a day with either the
whole group or staff divided groups:

1. Breakfast/Morning: The first time the students are all together in the morning; ensures all
students are out of their rooms and ready to begin activities.

2. Lunch/Midday: The second time all students should be together during the day; ensures no one
got lost during the activities.

3. Dinner/Night: The last timed the groups are together during the day. Headcount should be
followed by students going directly to their rooms.

A curfew is to be established on a trip to trip basis depending on wakeup times and activities during the
trip.

D - Student Disciplinary Actions

The following table can be used to determine the best response to student misbehavior given the severity of
the situation; however, the final decision is up to the discretion of the team leader.

Infraction Grade Example Response

General misbehavior, for Temporary suspension of
example: privileges, for example:
1 - Not listening to teacher - Free time lost
instructions.

More severe misbehaviors, for Further suspension of privileges

example: and possible communication
2 - Staying out after home.
curfew.

Misbehaviors that are Student sent home or picked up

potentially harmful to students, by family members.
3 for example:
- Physical altercations.
- Consumption or
possession of
prohibited substances.

E - Inter-Teacher Concerns

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If staff have a concern about another staff’s conduct, the issue is to be reported immediately to
the Field Trip Leader. If the concern is about the Field Trip Leader, the issue is to be reported
immediately to the Educational Visit Coordinator.

The Field Trip Leader / Educational Visit Coordinator are to determine the facts of the situation
and if any Standard Operating Procedures or Code of Conduct expectations were not followed.
The Head of School and EVC are appropriate line managers to help determine appropriate next
steps with the staff in question.

F - Communication

Given the key to ALL control measures, immediate action cards (trip based) and emergency action plans
(school based) is communication, it is vital that all systems are tested and proven. Any failure to do this could
prove critical.

The following should be enquired at Pre-Visit time and re-checked again upon arrival or with any change in
circumstance (e.g. temporary change in location)

1. All trip locations to be surveyed for mobile networks and requirements for mobile coverage. This can be
done simply by staff on pre visits switching their hand phone to Manual Network Choice and recording
what networks work there.

2. All chaperone staff must have each other’s cell phone numbers before the trip departs. All chaperones
must have the EVCs phone number.

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3. Ensuring that land based phones at resorts are reliable and recording if a remote resort sends all its land
based calls out through a satellite dish or cable.

4. Radios to maintain communications in between hand phone coverage areas.

5. Where required, satellite phone to maintain direct links to resorts, Duty Manager, and possibly ISOS.

6. All mobile units to pre-stored with data relevant to Emergency Response Plans and Emergency Action
Plans and be carried with back up batteries and credit (if required) along with a simple laminated
emergency action card.

7. Staff should perform simple test callout and SMS texts from resorts to ensure the network agreements are
working upon arriving. This can be to the school staff member on duty at the school who would
acknowledge with a reply as this establishes a key line of communication.

G - Financial Management

● The Trip Leader keeps official and separate accounts for all costs and payments.

● Records of all payments by individual students are kept by the school’s Finance Manager.

● All payments should be made by cheque, if possible. Cash payments are kept to a minimum.

● Maximum security of money and other valuable documents is essential at all times. Money and
passports are placed in the school safe, or the centre’s safe on a residential visit.

● To safeguard all concerned, the Trip Leader neither banks, nor has access to, the money collected
from students. All payments by cheque are to the school account.

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PROVIDER GUIDELINES

A - Request Criteria for Providers

1) Provision of Standard Operating Procedures containing the following topics

a) List of Current Sites/Locations You Currently Operate From

b) Accommodation & Food Provision Standards

c) Your Acknowledged Duty of Care Over Visiting Young Persons

d) Adventurous Activity and /or Tour Guide Staffing Protocols

e) Safety and Accident Protocols including any Emergency Action Plan

f) Provision For Safe Transport To, From and On Activity Sites (Land, Water, Air)

g) Students Personal Protection Equipment (Safety Equipment) Inspection Logs

h) Communications On Activity Sites

i) Risk Assessments For Activities

j) Incident/Accident/Near Miss Forms From The Last 5 Years

k) Current Staff Qualifications & Or History of Training and Service

l) Comprehensive Timetable include groups, accompanying teaching staff, your provider staff and
transport along with activities as per Pre Visit and/or Proposal

2) Provision of Insurance Provision

a) Copy Of Current Certificate Of Liability Insurance or Statement Of Non Existence

3) Provision of Activity Waiver Forms

a) Copy of any Waiver of Liability forms you might expect the student to sign

b) If none are supplied the student cannot be expected to sign one upon arrival

4) Kitchen & Food preparation areas to be viewed with guidance criteria from School Field Trip
Leader/Nurse This to include all allergy and dietary considerations. As the school has a Nut Minimization
Policy the provider must adhere to the school policy.

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B - Transport

Bus Transport Overseas

When practical, all bus transport overseas should have:
● Seatbelts for each student/passenger
● A clear means of communication
● Procedures for use when transporting children including max speeds, emergency plans in the event
of breakdown, road traffic accident, child illness, etc.
● Have full insurance and be fully licensed
● Have sufficient space for baggage

Transport in Schools Own Country

● Use of a regular School contractor. Use the Bus Booking Form to make these arrangements. Please
note that NO child may travel in the front seat of a vehicle whether seat belts are fitted or not.
● All day trips must start and finish at school unless agreed by the EVC (Educational Visits Coordinator)
or Divisional Principal.
● Pickups or flatbeds must not be used to transport students at any location.

Transport Vehicles Best Practice

Please ensure you examine insurance and abide by the Local Road Traffic Law. Further to this:

1. Fully check any vehicle before and after use

2. Report any queries, defects or problems to the Educational Visits Coordinator or the Course Director
3. Drive with sidelights on at all times
4. Keep your distance
5. Use headlights and rear fog lamps as well as hazard lights when parking or stopped on a highway
6. Check to ensure the use of seat belts is correct
7. Ensure all baggage is stored away safely for travel and in case of accident
8. Check and ensure the working order of all exits
9. Explain which exit to use and why (disclose danger) to passengers when stopped
10. Ensure appropriate signs are displayed in windows of vehicles

Alternate On Site Transport Vehicles Where Applicab le

1. If pickups or flatbeds are being used they must only be used on site, not highways.
2. Avoid use of local modes of transportation (tuk tuks, flatbed trucks) whenever possible
3. Staff to sit at tailgate of pickup or flatbed.
4. Children to put daypacks in between themselves for comfort / safety.
5. Pickups or flatbeds must travel at a maximum of 20km/h
6. Fully check vehicle before and after use
7. Report any queries, defects or problems to the Educational Visits Coordinator or the Course Director
8. Keep your distance
9. Use headlights and rear fog lamps as well as hazard lights when parking or stopped on a highway
10. Ensure all baggage is stored away safely for travel and in case of accident
11. Explain which exit to use and why (disclose danger) to passengers when stopped.

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C - Swimming and Water Activities

Parents are asked to indicate the swimming ability of their children when giving consent for students to
participate in Field Trips involving water activities. If parents indicate that students are poor or non-swimmers
and no flotation devices are available for use by students, organizers will need to assess whether such
students should participate in the swimming or water activities of the Field trip. This assessment must take
place irrespective of parental permission for the students to participate.

Swimming Pool Guidelines

● 2 program adults present at all times (1 member of which must be a teaching staff to be present at all
times)
● Any fountains to be switched off to allow clear view into pool
● Provider staff to be trained in annual CPR from local hospital

Refer to Appendix a1 for further information on floatation and spacing in a pool.

D - Safety Equipment
All necessary safety equipment for specific activities is to be provided by the provider. This includes,
but is not limited to: gloves, helmets, floatation devices, etc.

If safety equipment can’t be provided or is defective, the team leader must assess the situation and
decide on what to do based on the risk level of the activity while keeping student safety the top
priority.

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Appendix

A - Flotation and Swimming Requirements

a1)

Wearers Buoyancy Test Weight

Size
Weight (Newton’s of) (Iron / Steel)

XS 30-40kg 35 n 4kg
S 40-50kg 40 n 4kg
M 50-60kg 50 n 5kg
L 60-70kg 60 n 6kg
XL >70kg 60 n 6kg

a2)

Number of people allowed to swim given the size of the pool and it’s depth:

● Shallow Water (under 1m deep) 1 bather per 2.2 square metres

● Standing Water (1 - 1.5 m deep) 1 bather per 2.7 square metres
● Deep Water (over 1.5 m deep) 1 bather per 4.0 square metres

B - Decision Making Process

b1)

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b2)

D - Risk Assessment Form

The Risk Assessment (RA) below should be used for Teacher-Lead Field Trips where providers are not
being used (i.e., a one day local SG-based field Trip) or if the provider has not provided an RA for a
specific aspect of the program.

Date of trip……………………….Location of trip………………………….

Person(s) responsible for trip…………………………………………………………………….

Possible Item Who Identified Risk L S O Mitigations and

(delete or add (1-5) (1-5) (LxS) Actions
to list below as

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necessary)

Faculty
Supervision

Field trip
transport

Travel itinerary

Location and
events

Field trip
schedule

Emergencies

Food
preparation
and
distribution

Weather

Play areas

Other?
L = Likelihood Scale: 1-5 (1 = very unlikely - 5 = Highly likely)
S = Severity Scale: 1-5 (1 = low severity - 5 = very high
severity)
0 = Overall risk factor = Likelihood x Severity (min 1 – Max 25)

Severity

Likelihood 1 2 3 4 5

1 1 2 3 4 5

2 1 4 6 8 10

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3 3 6 9 12 15

4 4 8 12 16 20

5 5 10 15 20 25

Date: _____________________________________

Signature:__________________________________

Share the above results with the EVC in order to confirm risks are managed and approval to participate.

E - First Aider Responsibilities

Communication

All staff must have the First Aider’s cell phone, which remains on at all times during the trip.

A log must be kept of medications administered or any injuries. The log is kept in the medical bag.

Supervision of Ill Students

Student safeguarding is priority and under all circumstances we should collaboratively work to avoid a 1:1
scenario whenever possible:

1. If a student is ill and needs to remain in camp the medical first responder/Staff would remain with the
student in camp with another adult present to avoid creating a 1:1 scenario. The 2nd staff member
must be one of the following: School Staff, Provider Staff (if background checked as a condition of
employment).

2. If the student is mobile and it would create a 1:1 scenario to remain in camp, the medical first
responder/staff could consider taking the student to the most stationary activity for the day to supervise
and monitor the student with others present.

3. The medical first responder center can be created as an “infirmary” with multiple students.

4. Efforts should be made to avoid mixed gender infirmary rooms.

5. If mixed genders are in one room, supervision must be present at all times.

6. When the medical first responder/Staff checks on students if the student is alone in the room, another

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staff member should accompany the carer. If it is not possible to be accompanied for a 1:1 scenario,
this should be documented.

7. When possible, a spare room should be booked/provided adjacent to the medical first responder's
room for creation of an “infirmary”.

8. For sleeping/evening, students should not sleep 1:1 in a medical first responder/staff room. Students
should be grouped by gender.

9. Evening monitoring should be done by the medical first responder as necessary (i.e., prior to
sleeping/at wake-up). Students needing further monitoring (i.e., hourly in the evening) should be
considered for evacuation to clinic.

10. Variations from the above conditions must be documented and communicated.

11. Upon arrival of students home, a formal hand-over to the parents should take place providing the
following background and next steps:
a. The incident
b. Response
c. Recommendation of the school for next steps
d. Recommendations of any clinic/physician visited during the trip
e. An assigned staff member to follow up with the family/student post-trip (i.e., medical first
responder, advisor, trip leader, Deputy Principal/Principal, Superintendent)

Medication Administration:
1. Students cannot self-medicate on field trips
2. Medical first responder/staff can administer meds without another adult present.

Allergy and Epipen Protocol`

● All students with who have a known systemic anaphylactic history are required to provide a
minimum of 2 epi-pens to the medical first responders prior to the trip. The epipens will be carried
by the chaperone assigned to the student on the program.

● If at any point the chaperone is to become separated the epipens should be transferred to the
supervising chaperone with the student.

● All allergy related medical information will be shared to all members of the chaperone staff as well
as the local provider/facilitators on the program to ensure comprehensive communication of the
the the students allergies.

● Staff will monitor food provided to students and take special note to supervise students with
allergies if in open environment around food available for purchase.

● All Chaperones will have epi-pen training.

● All first aid kits will carry antihistamine.

● Food will be prepared with the knowledge of allergy considerations, if this is not possible,
arrangements will be made for individual student meals which are allergy free.

● Any incidents (medical or otherwise) will be recorded for quality assurance and review to ensure

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incidents will not recur.

● Student’s parents will be contacted immediately if a severe allergic reaction occurs and decision
to remain on the program will be in consultation with parents, school administration, and medical
direction.

● When possible trip leaders will have training beyond basic first aid which will include Wilderness
first aid training and epipen training.

● Kitchen & Food preparation areas to be viewed with guidance criteria from School Field Trip
Leader/Nurse This to include all allergy and dietary considerations as the school has a Nut
Minimization Policy the provider must adhere to the school policy.

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