Educational Visits
The school works hard to provide a full range of social, cultural, recreational and educational visits. These can occur during the school day, after school hours, at weekends and in school holidays. Examples include:
- Skiing during the Spring half term;
- EFC Trips to both the Isle of Wight (Year 7) and the WW1 Battefield in Ypres, Belgium (Year 8)
- Theatre Visits
- Reward Trips such as Chessington World of Adventures and Thorpe Park during the Summer Term.
- Subject-based Field Work Trips also take place throughout the year
The school may ask for parental contributions towards educational visits on a voluntary basis. However, it must be noted that if sufficient funds are not raised in this way, there is a chance that such visits will be cancelled and an alternative way of meeting the curriculum requirements will have to be used.
In line with guidance issued by the Department for Education earlier this year, we have reviewed our procedures for the organisation of school visits and other off-site activities.
We ask parents/carers to complete an annual consent form to gain permission for students to take part in school trips/other off-site activities and be given first aid or urgent medical treatment during the school trip or activity as considered necessary by the first aider or medical authorities present. This consent covers the student’s participation in school visits and other offsite activities which may include adventure activities, residential visits and offsite sporting fixtures during and outside the school day.
Additional written parental consent will not be requested for the majority of off-site activities offered by the school. For example, a visit within the local area, as such visits are part of the school’s curriculum and will usually take part during the normal school day. For visits or activities during the school day within the local area parents will be advised in advance via a note in the student planner. For visits or activities that are held not within the school day, are residential, involve hazardous activities or are not within the local area, parents will be informed in advance in writing and written consent will be requested.
In the event that parents wish to withdraw their child from a specific visit or activity offered by the school, confirmation in writing is required via either the student planner or by letter.
