Banyule Primary School : Excursions Policy

Rationale:

The school's excursion program enables students to further their learning and social skills development in a non-school setting.

Excursions complement, and are an important aspect of the educational programs offered at our school.

Aims:

• To reinforce, complement and extend learning opportunities beyond the classroom.
• To develop an understanding that learning is not limited to school, and that valuable and powerful learning takes place in the real world.

Implementation:

• An excursion is defined as any activity beyond the school grounds.
• All endeavours will be made not to exclude students simply for financial reasons. Parents experiencing financial difficulty, who wish for their children to attend an excursion, will be required to discuss their individual situation with the Principal or Business Manager. Decisions relating to alternative payment arrangements will be made by the Principal on a case-by-case basis.
• All families will be given sufficient time to make payments for excursions. Most payments will be made through the term planner. Children whose payments have not been finalised at least 24 hours before the departure date will not be allowed to attend unless alternative payment arrangements had been previously organised with the Principal or Business Manager.
• A summary of information about each planned activity will accompany the term planner.
• Office staff will be responsible for managing and monitoring the payments made by parents and will provide classroom teachers with detailed records on a regular basis.
• A designated 'Teacher in Charge' will coordinate each excursion.
• Prior to any child attending an excursion, parents/guardians must have provided to the school a signed permission form, and must have paid the costs involved.
• The Teacher in Charge will ensure that all excursions, transport arrangements and excursion activities comply with DEECD guidelines.
• The online DEECD 'Notification of School Activity' information will be completed three weeks in advance of the event if required at :
  www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/forms/school/sal/enteractivity.asp
• The school will provide a mobile phone and a first-aid kit for all excursions.
• All children who require asthma or anaphylaxis medication must take it with them. For junior students, the supervising teacher must have the epipen or have one packed in the first aid kit.
• Copies of completed Permission forms must be carried by excursion staff at all times.
• Parents selected to assist with an excursion may be required to pay costs associated with the excursion.
• Only children who have displayed sensible, reliable behaviour at school will be invited to participate in school excursions. Parents will be notified if a child is in danger of losing their invitation to participate in an excursion due to poor behaviour at school. The decision to exclude a student will be made by the Principal, in consultation with the classroom teacher and the Teacher in Charge.

Evaluation:

This policy will be reviewed as part of the school's review cycle.

This policy was last ratified by School Council in December 2008