When you plan educational visits and school trips, there is a lot to consider and get right. We recommend you follow the guidance from the Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP).
In addition, this new guidance from EVOLVE in pdf format, outlines the service and support available (new as of 13 November 2023).
EVOLVE
EVOLVE is an online tool for planning and managing educational visits and school trips. It is currently used by over 28,000 schools across the UK. It helps schools, academies, colleges, trusts and Local Authorities improve and simplify the process of planning, approving, monitoring, evaluating and reporting all learning which takes place outside of the classroom.
See the EVOLVE Service Specification for more information. If you have further questions about signing up to the service please email [email protected].
If your school is already signed up the the EVOLVE service and you have an account, you can log on to the EVOLVE portal by choosing Suffolk County Council from the drop-down list.
Registered schools can get help and support to use the EVOLVE portal by emailing [email protected]; and [email protected] for advice from our contracted Educational Visits Advisors.
EVC Training
For schools that purchase the EVOLVE service through Suffolk County Council we offer three per year EVC courses at a reduced price. Please see the EVC Training poster for dates, costs and booking details.
The EVC course is now delivered as a virtual classroom course on Zoom. We want to encourage all EVC’s to complete the new EVC course. Existing EVC’s can complete it instead of the previous EVC Update course.
The EVC course run from 09:30-12:30 and you are required to complete an e-learning module before attending. Details of the e-learning module will be sent to you within a reasonable time before you are due to attend the virtual class room course.
If your school does not purchase the EVOLVE service through Suffolk County Council, or you need to get your EVC trained before there a places available on one of our courses, you can book on an EVC course directly with EVOLVE Advice. They also offer Visit Leader Training and EVOLVE Training on how to use the EVOLVE portal.
Guidance for schools
EVOLVE Advice: Hot weather guidance for Duke of Edinburgh Award visits, which can also be applied for other trips.
Keeping children safe in out-of-school settings: code of practice Safeguarding guidance for providers of activities, after-school clubs, tuition and other out-of-school settings from the Department of Education.
How to prepare for outdoor education visits that may involve large crowds (OEAP) – UPDATE
The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) has updated its National Guidance to address the challenges of educational visits involving large crowds. The revised document, 7.2k Group Safety in Crowded Places, offers practical advice for planning visits to events or locations where crowds may gather, such as festivals, sporting events, or busy urban areas.
Key points from the guidance include:
- The need for robust planning and supervision strategies.
- Importance of clear communication before and during the visit.
- Thorough risk assessments tailored to the specific crowd context.
- Contingency plans for emergencies, including lost pupils.
- Recognition of the heightened vulnerability of young people in crowds.
- Encouragement to liaise with event organisers and local authorities where appropriate.
You can find the guidance at Update: how to prepare for outdoor education visits that may involve large crowds – OEAP.
Privacy Notice
Please see the Safety, Health and Wellbeing Privacy Notice for information about what personal data we capture as part of the EVOLVE service, as well as how we manage and store that data.