Visits/activities within the ‘School Local Learning Area’ that are part of the normal curriculum and take place during the normal school day follow the Operating Procedure below.

These visits/activities:

• do not require parental consent (state if there are any situations where you would like parents to be informed in advance, e.g. via a slip sent home).
• do not normally need additional risk assessments / notes (other than following the Operating Procedure below).
• you choose to record on EVOLVE e.g. Forest School (amend as necessary).
• do not need to be recorded on EVOLVE if these are ad-hoc activities (amend if you require certain activities to be approved via EVOLVE – you may want to differentiate between planned and ad-hoc activities).

Boundaries

The boundaries of the School Local Learning Area are shown on the attached map (optional). This area includes, but is not limited to, the following frequently used venues: e.g.

• the Park
• the Library
• the Pool and Leisure Centre
• The Shopping Mall
• The Woodland, up to the boundary with main Road

Operating Procedure

(The below is simply a generic risk assessment for routine activities).

The following are potentially significant issues/hazards within our School Local Learning Area:

• Road traffic.
• Other people / members of the public / animals.
• Losing a pupil.
• Uneven surfaces and slips, trips, and falls.
• Weather conditions.
• Activity specific issues when doing environmental fieldwork (nettles, brambles, rubbish, etc.).
• - add anything else specifically relating to your School Learning Area.

These are managed by a combination of the following:

• The Head /  Deputy / EVC (delete as necessary according to your circumstances) must give verbal approval before a group leaves. Not strictly necessary if you have clearly identified competent staff, and are confident in your operating procedure, and the fact that staff will follow it.
• A current list of staff approved to lead in this setting is maintained by the EVC and office.
• The concept and Operating Procedure of the ‘School Local Learning Area’ is explained to all new parents when their child joins the school, and a synopsis is in the School Prospectus.
• There will normally be a minimum of two adults. This statement is probably appropriate for all primary schools, although in benign locations it may be appropriate to relax it for year 6s. Decisions should be based on the area and the age / maturity of the pupils - the key determinant will always be ‘what would the pupils do if the only adult collapsed?’
• Staff are familiar with the area, including any ‘no go areas’, and have practiced appropriate group management techniques.
• Pupils have been trained and have practiced standard techniques for road crossings in a group. For primary schools this is easy to do with some simple road markings in the playground – with a little practice this can become drilled and slick, as everyone knows what is going to happen.
• Where appropriate, pupils are fully briefed on what to do if they become separated from the group. This needs a decision and will depend on the area you are in – return to school, wait where they are, go to x and ask for help, etc.
• All remotely supervised work in the School Learning Area is done in ‘buddy’ pairs as a minimum.
• Pupils’ clothing and footwear is checked for appropriateness prior to leaving school.
• Staff are aware of any relevant pupil medical information and ensure that any required medication is available.
• Staff will deposit in the office a list of all pupils and staff, a proposed route, and an estimated time of return. Consider adopting (or adapting) the ‘Signing-out sheet’ in EVOLVE Resources/Forms.
• A school mobile is taken with each group and the office have a note of the number.
• Appropriate personal protective equipment is taken when needed (e.g. gloves, goggles) If you have a local issue, e.g. with drug needles, etc., in any area, then you can mark that bit as no-go, or add here how you will educate the pupils to deal with it.

• PLUS

– Add any specifics relating to your local area – e.g. ‘When crossing Main Street everyone must use the toucan crossing by Baguette the Bakers’.