New service to reduce
the risks of school trips gains support
29 April 2006
 NEW
messaging service, School Trips Plus that will improve both
safety and communication on schools trips, has gained support
from both the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT)
and the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations
(NCPTA).
School
Trips Plus has been developed to provide an invaluable
way to help everyone associated with school trips to communicate
effectively. The service helps teachers to manage incidents,
parents to stay informed and pupils to stay safe; providing
peace of mind and reassurance to both parents and teachers.
Schools are set up with a free* School Trips Plus online
account. Before going on a school trip, the school simply
logs onto their account and enters the school trip venue and
the mobile numbers of the teachers/carers who will be on the
trip.
 Each
child is then provided with a wristband or lanyard and tag
to wear on the trip. On the reverse of each is the School
Trips Plus telephone number and a unique School ID. If a child
is separated from the group, involved in an accident, or caught
misbehaving, one call to this number will simultaneously ring
all the teachers/carers on the trip. Ensuring that help is
immediately available should it be required.
 Teachers
can also use the service to contact other teachers which is
particularly useful to summon help in the event of an incident.
“School trips play a huge part of a child’s life
and with this new service we hope to provide teachers and
parents with the confidence and reassurance that they have
the tools to make school trips safer,” commented Paul
Kent, managing director of School Trips Plus.
Mike Lloyd, Assistant Secretary and School Trips Adviser
for NAHT added, “Outdoor education by its very nature
will involve some element of risk and no matter how much pre-planning
is carried out you cannot foresee every eventuality. School
Trips Plus is therefore a vital tool and safety net to help
teachers and head teachers to communicate effectively in the
event of an incident.”
The service also incorporates an extremely useful voicemail
system that can be used to keep parents informed and up-to-date.
Each parent will be given a School Trips Plus key ring with
their school’s unique ID. This can be used by teachers
to leave messages for parents at any time during the trip,
particularly useful for letting parents know that the group
have arrived safely at their destination or if they are stuck
in traffic and are likely to return late. Instead of worrying,
the parents simply ring the number and listen to the latest
message.
“We are delighted to support School Trips Plus as it
provides direct communication between teachers and parents
and the reassurance parents seek to ensure the safety of their
children on school trips,” said David Butler, chief
executive, NCPTA.
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