Agenda item

Report from the Strategic Director for Children and Young People’s Services.

Recommendations

1.    That RMBC recognise and accept the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel National Guidance for the management of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom, as the basis for its educational visits policy and guidance.    

2.    That the revised educational visits policy titled Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and Educational Visits Policy and Guidance 2021 is accepted as a replacement for Rotherham LEA Circular 146 Educational Visits Policy and Guidance 2009.

3.    That approval for revisions to the appendices (working documents) of the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and Educational Visits Policy and Guidance is delegated to the Strategic Director of Children and Young People's Services, enabling updates to be made in a timely manner as and when required.

Consideration was given to the report which explained that the current Educational Visits Policy was due for revision to reflect current best practice and the change in the education landscape. The Policy had been reviewed and rewritten in line with the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel National Guidance for the management of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom. The revised Policy was to be titled “Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and Educational Visits Policy and Guidance 2021” and would replace the Rotherham LEA Circular 146 Educational Visits Policy and Guidance 2009.

The appendices to the Policy were rationalised and updated as part of the rewrite. The Policy was for schools where RMBC was the employer and was applicable to other areas and activities of RMBC when working with children/young people and offsite visits were planned. The Policy also applied to non-maintained schools and other educational settings who had purchased Educational Visits Advice and Guidance from RMBC via a Service Level Agreement.

Resolved: -

(1)  That RMBC recognise and accept the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel National Guidance for the management of outdoor learning, off-site visits and learning outside the classroom, as the basis for its educational visits policy and guidance.

(2)  That the revised educational visits policy titled “Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and Educational Visits Policy and Guidance 2021” is accepted as a replacement for Rotherham LEA Circular 146 Educational Visits Policy and Guidance 2009.

(3)  That approval for revisions to the appendices (working documents) of the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) and Educational Visits Policy and Guidance is delegated to the Strategic Director of Children and Young People’s Services, enabling updates to be made in a timely manner as and when required.