The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (now known as AAOLEV) has published updated guidance to help schools select suitable external providers and facilities for educational visits. The guidance is particularly relevant for Educational Visits Coordinators (EVCs), visit leaders and school leaders involved in planning learning outside the classroom.
External providers can play an important role in enhancing educational visits by providing specialist expertise, instruction, equipment or facilities. However, the guidance reminds schools that providers should be thoroughly researched and judged suitable for both the group’s needs and relevant safety standards before any booking is made.
Provider or facility: what’s the difference?
One of the key messages from the updated guidance is the distinction between a “provider” and a “facility”. A provider is an organisation or individual contracted to organise and/or lead all or part of a visit or activity. Examples include:
- Outdoor activity centres
- Tour operators
- Activity instructors or guides
- DofE expedition providers
- Museums or venues that deliver educational sessions to the group
A facility is simply a venue or resource used by the school, where the venue does not organise or lead the activity. Examples include:
- Museums and galleries
- Theatres
- Swimming pools
Understanding the distinction is important because the checks required by schools may differ depending on whether an organisation is providing instruction and leadership or simply access to a venue.
What should schools check?
The guidance states that providers must demonstrate acceptable standards of quality and safety. Visit leaders should consider how school staff and provider staff will work together during the visit, ensuring that leadership, supervision and responsibilities are clearly understood. Areas that may need consideration include:
- Health and safety arrangements
- Emergency procedures
- Staff competence
- Safeguarding arrangements
- Insurance
- Accommodation arrangements (where relevant)
- Data protection
The value of the LOtC Quality Badge
The guidance highlights the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge as the simplest way of confirming that a provider has been independently assessed against nationally recognised quality and safety standards. Where a provider holds the LOtC Quality Badge, schools can have confidence that both learning quality and safety management arrangements have undergone external scrutiny.
Where providers do not hold recognised external quality assurance, schools may need to undertake additional enquiries and obtain further assurance about the provider’s suitability.
Somerset EVCs
Somerset schools are reminded that Somerset Council’s Outdoor Education and Off-Site Visit Guidance, includes advice on the use of external providers and tour operators. Useful forms and further guidance can be found on Somerset Council Outdoor Education Advice Homepage.
EVCs should ensure that appropriate checks are completed before committing to any external provider and that visit planning reflects both OEAP National Guidance and local procedures.
