Outings are a fundamental part of our daily curriculum and are vital for a child's development and learning. We ensure every trip is planned with safety, education, and engagement at its core. Typical activities include visits to the local parks, river, and library. A sample weekly plan and separate list of local outings including walks will be made available to parents/carers, including all options available. Each visit will be suitably risk-assessed in advance and these risk assessments will be available for parents/carers to view in full.

Ethos and preparation

We obtain written parental permission at registration for all routine local trips. Currently, all outings are conducted on foot; we will provide prior notification and require specific written consent if vehicle transport is used in the future. All risk assessments are available for parents to review at any time.

As a sole provider, we stay within registered ratios and maintain a current paediatric first aid certificate to ensure a qualified first aider is present on every outing.

Safety on the move

We use a range of age-appropriate physical safety measures to ensure children remain secure and supervised while in transit:

• Walking protocols: Younger children are expected to hold our hand or the buggy. Older children may walk ahead within an agreed distance, provided they remain within sight and follow instructions.
• Harnesses and reins: Safety reins or backpacks are used only as a last resort or where a child's safety requires extra support, and are always agreed upon with parents in advance.
• Wristbands: All children wear a wristband containing our contact details. For safeguarding purposes, the child's name is never displayed.
• Vehicle suitability: If a vehicle is used in the future, we will ensure it has appropriate business insurance, a valid MOT, and tax. Car seats will meet current UK safety standards and may be provided by parents to ensure a correct fit.

Outing logistics and equipment

We carry a dedicated emergency kit on every outing, which includes a mobile phone, portable first aid kit, daily attendance register, spare clothing, emergency drinking water, and emergency funds.

To ensure safety and organization, we also implement the following:

• Identification: We take a daily photo of each child every morning or before an outing to record their exact appearance and clothing; these are deleted at the end of the working day.
• Emergency information: We carry emergency contact cards for every child for professional use only.
• Labelling: Parents are responsible for clearly labelling all personal items with the child's name and a contact number. This allows us to focus on supervision rather than searching for unlabelled belongings.

Arrival and site safety

Upon arriving at a destination, we establish clear boundaries and identify a safe spot or meeting point. We maintain a detailed outing record for every trip, including the destination, names of those present, and arrival and return times.

To manage safety on-site, we discuss potential risks like road safety with the children and avoid excessively busy or overcrowded locations to maintain high visual supervision. In the event of an accident or a child being separated from the group, we follow our standard Accident and First Aid or Missing Child policies immediately.

Communication and contingencies

We maintain clear lines of communication and have backup plans in place for emergencies:

• Contacting us: Parents can reach us via mobile, though we ask that calls are kept brief to prioritise the supervision of the children.
• Phone contingency: We carry a power bank, and if a mobile phone fails, we will use the nearest public landline to contact parents or emergency services.
• Emergency backup: A designated emergency contact is always informed of our destination. They have secure access to the children's emergency contact details and our location should we be unable to use our own phone.