Educational Visits /School Trips Advice from Evolve

The Local Authority engages EVOLVE Advice to provide its educational visits advisory service to schools. Under this contract, schools have access to expert advice, guidance, training and support on all educational visits matters.   

If you are already using this service, please use the EVOLVE approvals system to contact your Educational Visits Advisers. Schools can contract for this service using the contact details below. 

Advisory Service 

The Advisory Service ensures schools have access to competent advice for all matters related to educational visits. This service is provided by EVOLVE Advice. It includes direct access to advisers, signposting to relevant guidance, support with planning visits and approval of all overseas, residential and adventurous visits.  

National Guidance

The Local Authority and EVOLVE Advice adopt the OEAP's 'National Guidance' (NG) as the definitive source of educational visits guidance. Access this guidance at www.oeapng.info. National Guidance and The Department for Education recommend that schools use providers who hold the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge as this shows that they meet nationally recognised standards. 

EVOLVE 

In line with current good practice in over 28,000 educational establishments, the Local Authority uses the robust web-based system 'EVOLVE' for the efficient planning, management, approval, and evaluation of educational visits.  

Emergencies

In the event of an emergency, visit staff should contact their school emergency numbers, alerting their senior management team. Schools and establishments should ensure that emergencies are included in their critical incident plans. 
 

Staff Training 

All Educational Visits Co-ordinators (EVCs) in maintained schools are required to undertake an approved EVC training course; other schools are recommended to undertake this training in line with current best practice.  Training is organised annually for schools and details can be found below.

The Local Authority's Educational Visits Advisers offer other  training courses suitable for all school staff responsible for leading, planning or co-ordinating educational visits and other learning outside the classroom activities. 

Other training providers are available. Visit the OEAP website to find out more. 

EVC Register 

The council use The EVC Register as a way of confirming valid EVC training has been completed. EVCs who have been trained by an OEAP course director can be listed on the EVC Register. Those who train with EVOLVE Advice are automatically listed. 

Contact the Advisers 

To contact the advisers, please use the details below: 

Advice and Guidance for existing users: Visit EVOLVE to access advice 

EVOLVE System technical support: support@evolveadvice.co.uk