Harryhausen: What is the acceptable standard of how school trips are managed in a school? Is administrative paperwork too demanding of your time?

Dominie: We have a pack of colour-coded A4 sheets. The first is an application form, which is submitted to the SMT. But I am working to contract! No trips for the foreseeable future.

Flyonthewall75: I don’t think anyone would argue with the need to ensure safety of pupils and staff. Risk assessments, and specialist training, have been a requirement in outdoor education for years. The reason risk assessments were extended to cover all educational excursions is interesting. Perhaps it was a realisation that accidents can happen anywhere. I suspect employers were concerned about their liability if they did not put in place rigorous, bureaucratic arrangements.

garycother: It is good to see common sense approaches making their way back into the system and that children have to experience some risk and learn ways to assess this for themselves. If you think your procedures are too much, it may be fruitful to suggest ways to streamline the process, eg, risk assessment banks.

carol75: Someone in my school set up a basic form for lots of different things (one for going on a bus, one for swimming.). Now people just change date and add in children with inhalers, etc. They went a bit OTT and we have forms that say we will check the bus driver’s licence and remind them it is illegal to use a mobile before we allow them to carry pupils.

www.tes.co.ukscotland.