The School board/ Principal (Governance)

The school board and principal are responsible for ensuring that EOTC activities are carried out safely and that they understand the EOTC Safety Management Plan.  The school board has responsibilities under National Education and Learning Priorities, including to ensure places of learning are safe. They must comply in full with any legislation currently in force, or that may be developed, to ensure the safety of students, staff, and others. 

The school board and the principal will ensure that: 

• All EOTC practices are equitable, inclusive, and culturally appropriate, in line with the school vision/values.

• All EOTC practice is in accordance with the school’s overarching Health and Safety Management System and the EOTC Safety Management Plan. 

• Resources are provided to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve the EOTC Safety Management Plan.

• There are opportunities for adequate ongoing professional learning for all teachers, support staff and volunteers involved in EOTC. 

• Responsibility for coordinating EOTC in the school has been assigned to competent staff (the principal, the EOTC coordinator, a senior staff member, or a committee) and is adequately resourced.

• Valid informed consent from parents/caregivers is obtained appropriate to the level of risk involved with the activity.

• Recommendations from the review of any incidents that either harmed or might have harmed any staff member, volunteer, or student are implemented.

The school board chairperson and the principal ratify this document to acknowledge their support and resourcing of EOTC.

Principal

It is the responsibility of the principal to ensure that planning, process, and procedures are in place across all EOTC activities and that these are current, appropriately delegated and implemented.

• Delegate responsibility for coordinating EOTC to competent staff (the EOTC coordinator, a senior staff member, or a committee) and adequately resource the EOTC system.

• Strong safety leadership is provided to foster and support a strong safety culture within school EOTC.

• The school has a policy in place on health and safety in EOTC (usually incorporated in the EOTC policy and/or the health and safety policy).

• The school’s Health and Safety, Child protection and Privacy policies are incorporated in EOTC policy and procedures.

• EOTC procedures are in place to support the EOTC policy.

EOTC Coordination (Senior leader &/or EOTC coordinator)

The Senior leader with EOTC responsibilities/EOTC coordinator is the person(s) with full overview of EOTC in the school. 

The Senior leader with EOTC responsibilities/EOTC Coordinator ensures that:

• EOTC is aligned with the school’s values, curriculum and integrated into the school programme.

• Staff have an appropriate understanding of EOTC Safety Management Plan, processes, and requirements, and are promptly informed of any changes.

• All staff perform relevant safety tasks and complete safety processes (for example, activity planning, risk identification, incident reporting).

• All incidents are accurately recorded, reported, and properly investigated.

• Emergency response systems and plans are in place and practised regularly so everyone is prepared to respond to potential emergency situations.

• The performance of the EOTC Safety Management Plan is reviewed, evaluated, and reported to the school board and principal.

• Periodic external review is considered.

• They understand the current Ministry of Education EOTC Guidelines.

• Competence (skills, knowledge, and experience) and suitability (to work with young people) of everyone involved in EOTC events is checked and meets good practice.

• Only competent people are approved for EOTC events

• Roles and responsibilities of all persons involved and the procedures to be followed are clarified, understood, and accepted.

• Ensure the Child Protection and Privacy policies are enacted, including any required safety checking and /or police vetting

• A PLD plan is in place, including the induction of everyone involved in EOTC.

• Communication devices are available, and a communications plan is in place for EOTC activities.

• Plans to respond to emergencies or traumatic incidents are in place, and that all staff are familiar with them.

• There is a clear process for dealing with the media.

• Where safety equipment and/or clothing is required, it is provided, and systems are in place for its correct use, safe storage, and maintenance.

• Where there is a deviation from the EOTC policy in the planning and/or approval process, there is clear documentation of the reasons for it, and how it is being managed and reported to the principal/school board.

• All external providers used for EOTC meet good practice criteria. If they are providing an adventure activity (as defined by the Health and Safety at Work (Adventure Activities) Regulations 2016) they are a registered adventure activity provider.

Person in Charge (PIC) of an EOTC Activity

This could be a teacher or in the case of a school contracting an external provider to deliver EOTC, there is likely to be two PICs (one representing the school and one representing the provider).

The PIC is expected to: 

• Ensure clear links are made to Te Marautanga o Aotearoa or NZ Curriculum for curriculum-based activities and are known by all involved.

• Ensure that the EOTC experience is inclusive and equitable for all students.

• Take full responsibility for safety management, and take any action required to ensure the level of risk is kept at an acceptable level. 

• Ensure that all EOTC safety management policies and procedures are adhered to.

• Ensure the Child Protection and Privacy policies are followed.

• Complete all required documentation within the required timeframes.  

• Ensure that all roles and responsibilities have been clarified and agreed to before the activity.

• Ensure that staff and volunteers have the required competence for their agreed roles.

• Ensure that the activity and venue are checked before the activity. 

• Take all practicable steps to identify, assess and manage risks, and communicate risk and hazard information to staff, volunteers and students.

• Identify emergency procedures and convey these to all staff, volunteers, and students. 

• Ensure that appropriate safety equipment and clothing (personal protective equipment) is available, and everyone knows how to use it when needed. 

• Ensure that all equipment is returned to storage clean and in good repair and that the equipment log has been completed for all safety related equipment. 

• Ensure that each student participating in an EOTC activity has access to a currently qualified first aider.

• Ensure there are readily accessible lists of all the participating students, activity leaders, and assistants. The lists should include emergency contact details, health profiles, and any other pertinent information.

• Ensure means of communication that will work at the event location are taken to the event.

• Obtain informed consent from parents, where required, by providing sufficient information about an EOTC event, in writing and/or in briefing sessions. Make arrangements for parents whose first language is not English.

• Oversee, manage, and respond to any situations, for the whole group of students rather than be allocated direct responsibility for a group of students (where multiple groups and staff are involved).

• Ensure that individual student needs and any risks associated with these are identified and managed, for example, educational, cultural, gender, health, medical, nutritional, and behavioural needs. 

• Ensure that activity leaders are provided with weatherproof copies of emergency procedures and contact details to take into the field.Ensure that any variation to the approved plan is communicated and permission sought from the original approver prior to making any changes during the activity.

In the case of multiple PICs there needs to be very clear lines of communication to ensure all the responsibilities are covered.

Activity leaders

Activity leaders work under the leadership of a person in charge (PIC) and can be teachers, coaches, other staff, external providers (for example, instructors), adult volunteers, senior school students, or tertiary students. 

Activity leaders are expected to:

• Meet the core competencies of an activity leader in the EOTC Guidelines.

• Foster an inclusive and equitable environment.

• Only accept responsibility for leading activities that they have competence for. Saying “no” to leading an activity is an accepted and respected response.

• Brief assistants on their specific role and responsibilities, the activity outcomes, their allocated students and the relevant school or external provider safety management procedures and/or policies that apply.

• Instruct students in appropriate safety procedures and have practised them for themselves.

• Ensure that students are encouraged, not forced or pressured, to participate in activities in a supportive group environment (‘challenge by choice’ principle).

• Assess the needs and capabilities of the students against the demands and goals of the activity and make any necessary adjustments to the programme.

• Take all steps (as far as is reasonably practicable) to ensure their own safety and the safety of other staff, contractors, volunteers, and students during EOTC activities and ensure that no action or inaction on their part causes harm to any other person (as required by Health and Safety at Work Act).

• Comply (so far as they are reasonably able) with any reasonable instruction, policy or procedure that is given by the school or external provider to allow the school or external provider to ensure health and safety of their workers and others (as required by Health and Safety at Work Act).

• Manage risk during the event.

• Cancel an  EOTC activity if an identified risk or hazard cannot be adequately controlled.

• Understand and know how to implement any applicable contingency plans and report all incidents.

• Use appropriate safety equipment and/or clothing when required.

• Understand and know how to implement safety procedures for specific activities and use of equipment.

• Refer to equipment logs before any equipment is used.

• Take first aid kits, emergency equipment, and a means of communication that will work in the location of the event.

• Ensure all equipment is returned to storage cleaned and in good repair, and that usage and repair logs are completed.

• Ensure that food and drink are taken regularly by participants, during an EOTC event, to maintain energy levels.

• Ensure that any variation to the approved plan is discussed with the PIC, then communicated and permission sought from the original approver prior to making any changes during the activity.

Assistants 

Assistants can be teachers, support staff, adult volunteers, and tertiary or senior students.  They differ from an activity leader in that they do not necessarily have the required competence for the activity leader role. Such people should be assigned to an activity leader as an assistant.  

They should be provided with and discuss with the activity leader any relevant information about the students in their group (including medical details) that will allow them to effectively supervise the group and support safe student learning.

They must be briefed on the risk management and emergency procedures for the activity.  The level for supervision of an assistant should be in proportion to the level of risk in the activity. Supervision of an assistant may, therefore, be direct or indirect. 

Assistants are expected to:

• Follow the instructions of the activity leader and person in charge.

• Be well briefed on their role and ask questions if they are unclear.

• Keep confidently all student information that is shared with them, in accordance with the school’s Privacy policy.

• Stop the activity and notify the activity leader if they think the risk to the health or safety of the participants in their charge is unacceptable.  

• Help with behavioural management or individual student needs in accordance with their agreed role.

• Only accept a role that they are competent and confident to carry out.

• Not allow themselves to be left in sole charge of participants, except where it has been previously agreed.

• Do not let themselves be alone with a student or placed in vulnerable situations.

• Speak to the person in charge or the activity leader if they are concerned about their own health or safety or that of participants at any time during the EOTC experience.

Students (and other people in the workplace)

Are expected to:

• Take reasonable care for their own health and safety.

• Take reasonable care that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons.

• Comply, so far as reasonably able, with instructions given to them by the person in charge, activity leader or activity assistants.

• Inform the activity leader if they feel unsafe and/or if they identify any unsafe equipment or actions. 

• Actively participate in line with the school’s values, Kaupapa, in an inclusive and supportive manner.

Further information on these roles and responsibilities can be found in chapter 2 of the Ministry of Education EOTC Guidelines, 2018.