So you’ve rigorously filled in all of the risk assessment forms, successfully collected the consent forms and money from parents and carers, held pre-trip meetings, handed out the hoodies and have first-aid kit and spending money at the ready. You’re all prepared. What could possibly go wrong?
All manner of unforeseen events can, despite the meticulous planning, come along and blindside you during your trip. No matter how well prepared you are on paper, issues can, and do, arise.
Thankfully the big headline disasters are very rare, but all manner of potential mini disasters could strike a blow at the heart of the most organised of trips.
The severity of each disaster is magnified if the educational visit involves a residential stay, or is overseas, or both.
Here are a few of the most common issues that could arise along with my tips on preventing these random acts occurring in the first place - and how to deal with them when they do.
A child gets sick
There could be a host of causes; travel sickness, dehydration, a bug, heatstroke and so on.
Early warning signs: Be on the lookout for anyone who is normally bubbly, chatty and gregarious being more solemn, subdued or pale-faced.
What to do if this happens: The worst aspect of a child being sick is the unwanted attention it brings from the other children on the trip. Try to get the patient to a quiet area, ensure they drink plenty of water and start normal first-aid procedures.
Prevention strategies: Water. Ensure there are lots of bottles to go round: dehydration and heatstroke can easily be prevented. If a child is known to get travel sick, sit them near the front of the bus and make sure they have taken any preventative medication.
Things to bring (just in case): Sick bags, bottles of water.
Risk: 4/5 Worry factor: 2/5
A child has an accident (possibly toilet-related)
One of the children in your care has an accident. This could present itself in a variety of ways, from toilet-related accidents, to falling over, to more serious sprains, strains and breaks.
Early warning signs: This is something that there may be no early signs of - children sometimes just fall over and hurt themselves. Primary colleagues can expect the odd toilet-related incident, so be on the lookout for those.
What to do if this happens: Assess the situation and, if serious, seek professional assistance. If minor, get out your first-aid kit, move the child to a quiet space and deal with the accident as best you can.
Prevention strategies: For primary, build in plenty of toilet stops, ensuring all students have had the time to go. To prevent injury, keep a constant lookout for potential dangers (you will need eyes in the back of your head). If the group is a large one, consider breaking it up into smaller sub-groups and giving more responsibility to other adults on the trip.
Things to bring (just in case): Age-appropriate change of clothes (male and female) plus the standard first-aid kit. The emergency numbers and procedures will be covered in your risk assessment anyway.
Risk: 3/5 Worry factor: 3/5
A child loses something
You’re happily enjoying your trip when you hear, “Oh no, I’ve lost my X, Y, Z”.
Early warning signs: There will be no early warning signal here. This is another risk that can just hit you out of the blue.
What to do if this happens: Stay calm. Retrace your steps and ask the other children and staff in the group if anything has been found. Try to determine how serious the loss is. Is it something that can easily be replaced or is it expensive? Does it have sentimental value? It may be that you have the time and energy to form a mini search party to find the missing item. As a rule of thumb, check the child’s bag as it normally turns up there but, if not, do your best detective impression and hunt that missing item down.
Prevention strategies: Ask children to bring only the things that they’ll need for the trip. Is a mobile phone really necessary, for example? If children are bringing spending money, consider making a staff member responsible for the cash. On a longer residential trip, or a trip abroad, having a staff member be responsible for the “bank” is crucial. Check the school insurance policy, too. Losses or theft from a staff member may well be covered, whereas student losses probably won’t.
Things to bring (just in case): If you’re going down the prevention route for looking after cash and valuables, have plenty of small bags, a large secure bag, a way of keeping track of who has given you what (I use the Notes app on my phone) and always find a safe location for handing out money. On residential trips, I have set times when the “bank” is open and money is handed over in particular locations only: back of the coach, hotel reception areas, corner of a dining room, and so on.
Risk: 4/5 Worry factor: 2/5
A child or group of children gets lost
You have been constantly counting children’s heads, and checking with sub-leaders that all are present and correct all day. But after the children have been given some freedom to play and explore, not all of them return to the designated meeting point at the specified time.
Early warning signs: Watch out for a small group who may be overly confident about their surroundings. Look out for a single day dreamer or one who is quiet and lags behind everyone else.
What to do if this happens: Ask around first. Quite often, students will know where others are. If someone is genuinely lost, send one member of staff to find them (ensuring that you have each other’s mobile phone numbers) and try to keep the remaining children together and entertained.
Prevention strategies: You will know who your best time-keepers and most responsible children are on your trip. Consider mixing these children up, so that their skills are present in each little group of children. Ask children to stay in their pairs/mini groups when exploring.
Things to bring (just in case): If viable, a set of walkie-talkies could be invaluable when giving children a little more freedom than you may do normally. After all, a school trip is meant to broaden their horizons, not confine them by being shackled to a teacher all day.
Risk: 4/5 Worry factor: 5/5
Of course, there are also the much more serious incidents that might happen to students, too - infrequently, thankfully, but with more serious repercussions. I have always consulted our safeguarding team prior to departure for further information on children of a more sensitive nature, just in case. You need to be aware of children with mental health issues, those who may self-harm, have eating disorders, those with a history of drug abuse, those who are known to be sexually active and those who are potential runaways. Being forewarned is being forearmed in these circumstances.
Even if the risk assessment forms don’t ask for this level of detail, it’s worth asking anyway so you can be extra vigilant and look out for the more vulnerable students on your trip. Watch for signs of being “homesick”, allow students to call home from the school mobile if necessary, keep in very close conversation with vulnerable students’ friends and pay extra attention to friendship groups and anything out of the ordinary. Pressures can soon escalate when away from home and school.
I hope this doesn’t put anyone off running trips: they are brilliant experiences for children and staff alike. But by reflecting upon what might happen and what we can do to prevent potential disasters from occurring, ultimately, school trips run will more smoothly for all involved.
Graham Walton is head of maths at Tupton Hall School in Chesterfield
