Early Childhood Education and Care Excursions

1. Purpose

The City of Greater Geelong Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services endeavour to provide a variety of excursions to enhance the children’s learning and experiences.

2. Scope

All services:

Excursions are an important part of the educational program and assist to broaden the interests and knowledge of the children.  It is a model of best practice that excursions outside the service occur as part of a high-quality educational experience. 

Excursions within the community assist each service to meet the VEYLDF’s Outcome 2: Children are connected with and contribute to their world; and the National Quality Standard: Quality Area 6, Element 6.2.3: Community Engagement. 

The Service collaborates with other organisations and service providers to enhance children’s learning and wellbeing.  Excursions can occur outside of the ECEC Service or by the community coming to the Service – special event inhouse.

3. References

• Education and Care National Regulations 2011
• Amendments 2017
• Education and Care National Law Act 2010
• Amendments 2017
• Education and Care National Quality Standard

4. ECEC Policy

In all services, management will:

• Support the planning of both non-regular and regular outings / excursions throughout the year to introduce children to a variety of experiences within the wider community.
• Ensure a completed Excursion Risk Assessment Form is undertaken prior to any excursion and checked over by the Centre Leadership.
• Ensure any completed Excursion Risk Assessment Form includes the following details:
• Excursion proposal, learning outcomes for children, benefits of venue, experiences planned and timeframes.
• Number of children and adults attending.
• Level of supervision required.
• Additional considerations for children with additional needs.
• Number of adults required (volunteers, parent helpers etc.).
• Proposed routes and destination for the excursion.
• Any water hazards or risks associated with water-based activities.
• Modes of transport **See Safe Transportation of children Risk Assessment as part of an excursion.
• Equipment required (mobile phone, first aid, medications, water, food etc.).
• A new formal risk assessment is not required where the excursion is a Regular Outing and a risk assessment has been completed previously (this must be updated annually). However, any changes to the regular outing / excursion should be considered and, in this instance, a new risk assessment must be completed.
• Parents / guardians or authorised nominees must give written signed authority to allow their child to leave the Service.
• Parents / guardians or authorised nominees must give written signed authority to provide transportation of a child (as part of any excursion / regular outing).
  
  Parents must be given complete information about the excursion including:
• Excursion venue & purpose of outing.
• Date of excursion & proposed period child will be away from service.
• Mode of transport to be used for excursion. ** See Safe Transportation of children Risk Assessment as part of an excursion.
• Number of children attending and number of supervising adults, inclusive of educators and additional adults.
• The Risk Assessment undertaken for regular outings / excursions - parents / guardians or authorised nominee are only required to give written signed authority to allow their child to leave the service once in a 12-month period.
• Verify that all requirements are in place (with the Room Leader who is leading the regular outing / excursion) prior to the exit from the Centre premises.
• Any special events inhouse – will also require the same level of organisation, planning and risk assessment.

In all services, Educators will:

• Plan for the regular outings / excursions and consult on the plans with the Centre Leadership.
• Ensure the preparation for the regular outing / excursion is carried out in line with this Excursions Policy.
• Ensure a completed Excursion Risk Assessment Form includes the following details:
• Excursion proposal, learning outcomes for children, benefits of venue, experiences planned and timeframes.
• Number of children and adults attending.
• Level of supervision required.
• Additional considerations for children with additional needs.
• Number of adults required (volunteers, parent helpers etc.).
• Proposed routes and destination for the excursion.
• Any water hazards or risks associated with water-based activities.
• Modes of transport **See Safe Transportation of children Risk Assessment as part of an excursion.
• Equipment required (mobile phone, first aid, medications, water, food etc.).
• A new formal risk assessment is not required where the excursion is a Regular Outing and a risk assessment has been completed previously (this must be updated annually). However, any changes to the regular outing / excursion should be considered and, in this instance, a new risk assessment must be completed.
• Parents / guardians or authorised nominees must give written signed authority to allow their child to leave the Service.
• Parents / guardians or authorised nominees must give written signed authority to provide transportation of a child (as part of any excursion / regular outing).
  
  Parents must be given complete information about the excursion including:
• Excursion venue & purpose of outing.
• Date of excursion & proposed period child will be away from service.
• Mode of transport to be used for excursion. ** See Safe Transportation of children Risk Assessment as part of an excursion.
• Number of children attending and number of supervising adults, inclusive of educators and additional adults.
• Ensure the Risk Assessment is in place and reflects the nature of the regular outings or excursion. (regular outings – the risk assessment will be the same and only required to give written signed authority to allow their child to leave the service once in a 12-month period.)
• Communicate with the Centre Leadership prior to leaving the Centre premises on all occasions.
• Ensure family helpers and / or volunteers attending the excursion understand your expectations and are not left alone with any children or group of children.
• Undertake regular attendance checks to account for all children.
• Ensure the required educator to child ratios are in place and children are supervised at all times.

5. Quality Records

• ACECQA Policy Guidelines: Excursions.
• See:
• Guidelines - Supervision for Excursions
• Guidelines – Road Safety Education
• Safe Transportation of Children in Family Day Care Policy
• Safe Transportation of Children in ECEC Services Policy

6. Attachments

• Regular Outings / Excursion Consent Form Template
• Excursion Risk Assessment Template
• Transportation of Children Risk Assessment Template
• ACECQA Excursion Risk Assessment Template