Dear Sir or Madam,

In 2005, the HSE published a report with recommendations following
the Glenridding school trip tragedy.

The HSE investigation of the tragedy said that there were lessons
to be learned both by those who lead educational visits to high
hazard environments and by those involved in their management. The
HSE said it was important that these lessons should be widely
disseminated.

The DfES/DCSF will have brought the HSE recommendations to your
attention and to the attention of Trafford schools.

Please can I see copies of what you and your schools were sent by
the DfES/DCSF?

Can I also see copies of anything that you as an authority sent to
schools on this subject?

Yours faithfully,

Anne Jago

Dear Ms Jago

I refer to your email below. I can give you the following information.

In the immediate aftermath of the Glenridding Tragedy in May 2002 and
with the information available at the time the LA guidance document,
which was already undergoing revision, was checked by Adviser for
Outdoor Education and Educational Visits and senior staff as to whether
it required any changes.

Information in the document was seen to be sufficient to give the advice
needed and to have a robust LA approval system in place to prevent such
an event happening in a Trafford Establishment.

The revised document 'Guidelines for Safety in Outdoor Education and on
Educational Visits' was issued in January 2003 to all Trafford
Establishments.

This document has undergone several revisions between 2003 -2007. This
document was also available on the Trafford Council Website for public
access.

In the same year the DfES produced the document 'Group Safety at Water
Margins' (copy attached). This was subsequently sent to all Trafford
establishments for information.

Between June 2003 and April 2004 104 staff members from Trafford
Establishments (Schools / Youth Service) were trained as 'Education
Visit Coordinators' to act as the liaison between school staff and the
LA in the planning, gaining approval, and undertaking visits. This gave
a point of contact between establishments and the LA through the role of
Outdoor Education Adviser.

At this training tragedies such as Lyme Bay, Stainforth Beck,
Glenridding and Land's End were discussed, again with the information
available in the public domain, and used as examples as to the need for
systems for planning and approving such trips.

In March 2005 the DfES contacted all Chief Officers of LAs to highlight
the HSE report on the Glenridding Tragedy at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/schooltrips, and requested that Establishments be
apprised of the contents.

On 22/3/05 the Adviser for Outdoor Education and Educational Visits sent
a letter to all Trafford Establishments with regard to this report (copy
attached).

He also attached to the letter the document 'Glenridding Beck - Getting
it right' which can be found at
http://www.hse.gov.uk/schooltrips/getitr...

Trafford CYPS has revised its Guidance document in 2008 which is
available at
http://www.trafford.gov.uk/EducationAndL...
lTripsAndVisits
for public viewing.

Trafford CYPS is also changing to an electronic database and approval
system for off site visits from September 2008. Establishment staff will
receive training on this system on 18/9/08. The public page for this
system is at www.traffordvisits.org.

Please let me know if you require any further information.

Yours sincerely

Nick Evans
Corporate Information Officer
Trafford Council
Office address:
Legal Services
Trafford Town Hall
Talbot Road
Stretford
M32 0TH

Office phone number: 0161 912 1324
Office fax number: 0161 912 4294

Trafford Council is a well-performing, low-cost council working with
Trafford Partnership to make Trafford a great place to live, learn, work
and relax.
You can find out more about us by visiting www.trafford.gov.uk

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