Interview Story - Accomplishment

After running a successful school trip overseas, I was asked to lead a committee to create a school trips policy. Unlike my experience, some overseas trips had been fraught with problems. There were major errors where children were injured and there was no consistency between trips or members of staff who ran trips up until that point.

Before I could begin, I was sent on a risk assessment course so I could include a risk assessment process as part of the overall policy. I used this course as part of the framework to create the new policy.

As a committee, we identified areas that needed to be included in the policy including a timeline, guidance for what makes a good school trip, how to write a risk assessment, how to choose a viable tour operator, etc. Once these were identified I assigned Trips Policy sections to committee members to create the document. It was designed to instruct staff on what they needed to do in order to offer a school trip to students overseas.

I realized though that whilst the legal aspects of risk assessments, transport, trip destination, student/teacher ratios, waiver forms, emergency contacts, etc were all covered, there was not a “how-to” manual for someone who has never organized a trip. The policy document didn’t offer any guidance on where to start.

To correct this error, I put together a clear guide on how to organize a school trip, from beginning to end. I based it on my own experience, and the faculty I consulted prior to my trip. The guide was easy to follow. Anyone could pick it up and be able to organize a school trip, even down to ID tags for students.

After many months, this was presented to the School Board of Governors. My team was happy with the policy presented and we waited for the policy and manual to be implemented.

And we waited…..and waited… so what happened to the implementation? It soon became evident it was just going to sit on the shelf, after having ticked a box. Disappointed, I went back to my regular role.

Some months later, a colleague came to me to ask for help in organizing her trip. I gave her a copy of the policy and manual and offered to help if needed. And it happened again, and again.

All of a sudden, I became the unofficial Trips Coordinator. When the leadership team realized this, the policy on the shelf was brought back out to be put into practice - I took on the role formally. I was very happy to affect the change that led to the improvement of their policies. I was able to see first-hand how that policy has allowed for more efficient and safe school trips, which now include many more destinations.