By participating in school trips, parents and pupils agree to the terms outlined, including payment details, cancellation policies, behaviour expectations and safety protocols to ensure a positive and secure experience.
Our programme of educational visits fulfils several of our stated aims. It augments our students’ academic and cultural education, offering new experiences and challenges, which not only foster intellectual curiosity and assist in the achievement of outstanding examination results but also foster an understanding of the wider community at local, national, and global levels. We realise the importance of visits as opportunities to develop and enhance pupils’ skills, including social skills, leadership, building team spirit and relationships between staff and students, amongst peer groups and also between students of different ages. Our trips often help students to realise more effectively their own potential in circumstances different to their usual surroundings.
We offer around 100 educational visits over an academic year (excluding sports fixtures). We encourage all academic departments to organise educational visits, and these are offered to all students throughout the school. The visits are either a compulsory part of the curriculum, part of enhancing pupil wellbeing or an optional extra.
All curriculum linked visits are already accounted for in the fees. To help with planning, parents are notified about residential trips which involve a cost prior to the start of the academic year. However, do note that occasionally other trip opportunities do arise throughout the year.
Applying for a place
All pupils are expected to attend the curriculum linked day visits for which there is no charge, and we have already obtained consent for these trips at the start of your child’s academic career at KEHS. We do send information about these visits prior to the date of the visit.
For trips that require payment, you will log in at: www.schoolgateway.com where you will pay and consent for the trip. In the unlikely event that payment cannot be made on the website we can provide details for sending a bank transfer. We are unable to accept cash or cheques for trips.
The allocation of places depends on the nature of the trip. For all trips we operate a first-come, first-served principle, so an early application is advisable. For popular trips we do provide at least 2 days’ notice before the Gateway opens.
Once a trip is full; it will no longer show on the Gateway. At this stage, a waiting list will show, and you can add your child’s name to that list.
Instalments
For more costly trips we normally split the cost into a number of instalments to spread out the amount parents have to pay. Once you have paid the deposit, you are liable for the full cost of your daughter’s place on the trip (unless there is an amount which is not yet committed).
We reserve the right to withdraw a child from a trip, when an instalment deadline has been missed. Refunds of amounts paid to date will depend on whether it is possible for the place to be filled by another child. Please contact the Finance Office if you are finding it difficult to meet payment deadlines, as they may be able to help.
Financial assistance
If your daughter is on an assisted place, we may be able to offer financial assistance for compulsory school visits, namely the year group residentials. An assisted place does not guarantee financial support so please enquire with the finance office to see if your daughter is eligible.
Cancellation of a place
Should you need to cancel your child’s place on a school trip, please let us know as soon as possible. Where possible we will refund monies you have paid for a trip, particularly if we are able to find another child to take your daughter’s place, but please bear in mind that this is not always possible. If we cannot fill the place you will be liable for the costs of the trip already committed to by the School.
Change of plans
Occasionally we will have to change plans in response to events at the time: perhaps due to weather, flight delays beyond our control or possibly due to a travel advisory note from the Foreign Office reflecting a situation abroad. In this event we will make any amendments to the itinerary we consider necessary for the safety of pupils and staff.
Very occasionally we may have to curtail or cancel a trip, for example due to extreme weather making travel impossible. If we cancel a trip before it has started, you will receive a full refund.
Refunds can only be made if a trip is cancelled before starting. If we have to change plans once a trip has commenced, our insurance will cover the cost of the changes but not any refund to parents.
Risk management
As you would expect, the school conducts a detailed risk assessment for all trips.
Supervision
As pupils gain more experience, and as they get older, they are expected to behave more responsibly. They may be included in taking a role in planning part of a visit, and for all pupils having an awareness of safety. As part of this philosophy pupils may not necessarily be under the direct control of a teacher throughout a trip. Indeed, as pupils get older there will be elements of a trip where they are under ‘remote supervision’ – in other words, travelling in a group of youngsters, in contact with staff but not directly accompanied. Parents are notified in advance if remote supervision is planned for a visit.
Behaviour
A high standard of behaviour is expected of pupils on school visits. School rules and discipline continue to apply as set out in the Behaviour Policy during school trips and in addition pupils must observe UK law and the law of the country they are visiting. If a pupil misbehaves very seriously, it may be necessary for the school to require the pupil to return home, with any supervision and additional transport costs being met by the parent. The school will also reserve the right to decide whether the pupil is allowed on future trips.
Passports, visas and GHIC cards
Parents are always advised about any entry requirements for the destination country in the initial letter regarding the trip.
Passports must be:
- issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
- valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)
Please note that if your daughter is travelling on a non-UK passport which requires a visa to travel to the destination country, then you will need to apply for a visa. We recommend that parents in this situation start the application process early as possible as it can take many weeks.
Parents are strongly advised to obtain a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) for visits to European Union countries for their child to ensure that appropriate medical treatment can be obtained in case of need. Alternatively, they may use the old European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which continues to be valid in the EU until it expires.
School cannot be held responsible if passports, visas and other travel documentation have not arrived in time.
