DEPARTMENT FOR
CHILDREN, SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES News Release (2008/0025) issued by
The Government News Network on 5 February 2008
Teachers will find
it easier to take pupils on school trips with more help and
advice, less bureaucracy and quality badges for popular
destinations, thanks to new guidance from the Department of
Children, Schools and Families. The measure is included in the
'Staying Safe' Action Plan, launched today.
Evidence shows that learning outside of the classroom brings
benefits to pupils such as deeper subject learning, increased self
confidence and raised achievement. It can also help young people
to understand and manage risk.
Research shows that Heads and teachers are aware of these
benefits, and they have said they will take pupils on visits if
they feel confident and have had training.
The new guidance makes it much easier for teachers to take their
pupils out of the classroom.
Organisations that host school or other youth group visits such
as museums, historic houses, field study centres and farms will be
encouraged to qualify for quality 'badges', which will
help teachers identify places that provide high quality learning
outside of the classroom, and are managing safety effectively.
This will help reduce the bureaucratic burden of risk assessment
on teachers.
The measure was included in the 'Staying Safe' Action
Plan, launched today by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
Ed Balls said:
"Learning outside the classroom helps pupils understand
their subjects better and increases their self-confidence. School
trips also help young people explore and learn about risk and how
to manage it. I hope that by making it easier for teachers to take
their students outside the classroom we will help a generation of
pupils develop their independence and raise their attainment.
"We should not let a fear of a compensation culture prevent
pupils from learning outside the classroom. On school trips - as
in other areas covered in our staying safe action plan - we need
to help parents and teachers strike the right balance between
protecting our children and allowing them the freedom to develop
and enjoy childhood."
Other new measures outlined in the report include:
* A new Child Safety Education coalition
* New guidance for
professionals on bullying in non school settings like
children's homes and FE colleges
* New guidance on
safeguarding and on protecting children with disabilities or
special educational needs from bullying
* A new safeguarding
unit for the Third Sector
* New guidance on child
employment
* New guidance on cross-border issues
* Publish
research on joint working between children's and housing
services (with the Department for Communities and Local
Government)
* Publish a review of safety education materials
for Personal, Social and Health Education
* Carry out a
Priority Review of local area accident prevention
* Put
forward safeguarding theme for the local authority beacon award scheme
Children's Minister Kevin Brennan said:
"If children are not safe, they cannot be happy, healthy, or
reach their full potential. But we can't wrap them up - they
need to learn about taking risks so they can protect themselves."
Tom Mullarkey, Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), said:
"This is a major step in the right direction towards
simplifying regulation and reducing bureaucracy. The important
thing is that children have a safe and excellent learning
experience and any impediment to that objective needs to be
revisited. Teachers need support and guidance, not endless,
unnecessary form-filling and this initiative will be widely
welcomed in staff rooms throughout the country."
The Out and About guidance on school visits will be available
from May 2008 and the quality badge in September 2008.
The new 'Staying Safe' action plan sets out how
government will deliver the new Public Service Agreement on
improving children and young people's safety. The
Departmental commitment to this was confirmed in the
Children's Plan, which was launched in December 2007.
The plan reflects the cross government nature of the Public
Service Agreement and includes plans and actions for a number of
departments including: Home Office, Department for Culture, Media
and Sport, Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills,
Department of Health, Department for Transport, Department for
Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Justice.
NOTES TO EDITORS
The Staying Safe Action Plan is available at http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/stayingsafe/
The Children's Plan is available from http://www.dcsf.gov.uk
The Out and About guidance will build on the widely-used,
long-standing Health and Safety Of Pupils on Educational Visits;
it will emphasise the enabling effect of sensible risk management
as advocated by the Health and Safety Executive and others. No
more than three A4 forms should be necessary for most off-site visits.
The badge scheme is voluntary.
Ministerial quotes
Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith said:
"We are committed to protecting children and keeping them
safe from harm. This new Action Plan demonstrates how Government
is working together to balance this aim whilst giving young people
the freedom to learn and develop.
"I particularly welcome the emphasis on supporting young
people as they are often the victims of crime. Improving the life
chances of children and young people is a key part of the
cross-Government Youth Crime Action Plan which will be published
later this year."
Bill Rammell, Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher
Education, said:
"All young learners have a right to a safe learning
environment, one which supports them as they study. Freedom from
all forms of bullying is a prerequisite for safe learning and I
believed all further education colleges will welcome new guidance
for professionals that the 'Staying Safe' strategy will deliver."
Gerry Sutcliffe, Minister for Sport, said:
"Visits bring to life the things children read about in
books, and there isn't a better way to learn. Of course
children need to be protected, but that doesn't mean wrapping
them up in cotton wool and not exposing them to experiences that
will shape them as they grow up
Road Safety Minister, Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"The number of children killed or seriously injured on
Britain's roads each year has fallen by more than 50% since
the mid-1990s. However, too many children are still dying
needlessly and so we are determined to continue to improve the
safety of our roads.
"To further reduce casualties we are targeting children and
parents through our award-winning THINK! road safety campaigns as
well as helping to introduce more local safety schemes. We also
recently announced a record £140m investment in cycling including
funding for Safe Routes to School and more Bikeability training to
prepare youngsters for cycling safely on our roads."
Health Minister, Ann Keen said:
"Children's safety is everybody's business and we
must continue to work together to ensure our children and young
people feel safer than previous generations. This action plan
demonstrates this Government's commitment to promoting the
wellbeing of children and families right across the range of our
responsibilities and I look forward to working with ministerial
colleagues on taking this work forward."
David Hanson, Justice Minister said:
"The launch of this Action Plan is an important step forward
in the government's drive to make sure that our children are
given the freedom to live their lives to the full. We can achieve
this by freeing both children and their parents from the fear of
their coming to harm. It is important to both children and parents
alike that they not only are safe but that they also feel safe.
"A joint arrangement is also vital if we are to really
tackle the issues facing more vulnerable children, such as those
at risk of offending, by seeing that the right support and
services are available to help them realise their potential."
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