St Ivo Academy has a great reputation for providing a wide range of educational visits for students across Years 7 to 13. Indeed, past and present students, parents/ carers and staff often reminisce about the impact of visits on their educational experience and the way they have positively shaped the mindset and indeed subject and career choices, of our young people over the years.
The visits are a mixture of local, national and international experiences and include both day visits and residential. We believe visits form an important part of every student’s education, enabling them to experience something new, and hence we would encourage them all to undertake at least two trips during their learning journey. Through experience we have found that students benefit from these activities in a number of ways, particularly on residential visits and involving outdoor activities. These benefits include helping to build self esteem, confidence and independence, as well as learning to co-operate and work well in a group.
Examples of educational visits
Year 7: Sutton Hoo (History), local fieldwork (Geography)
Year 8: Switzerland outdoor experience
Year 9: Skiing, Bletchley Park (Maths, Paris (French), London (Geography)
Year 10: Skiing, London (Textiles), Theatre Opportunities (English, Drama), Fieldwork (Geography)
Year 11: London (Textiles), skiing, Theatre Opportunities (English, Drama)
Sixth Form: Snowdonia (Geography)
Students may also be offered additional opportunities that arise, for example theatre and dance productions where we are able to secure tickets.
Sometimes sporting events are offered (for example Wimbledon tennis tickets, golf, and cycling), with priority given to students involved in extra-curricular sports clubs.
Consent for school trips and other off-site activities
St Ivo Academy offers a wide variety of opportunities to students to further enhance the core curriculum. Examples of these include clubs, sports fixtures, concerts, school productions, educational visits etc.
We do not as a matter of routine seek parent/ carer consent for activities and visits which take place on a school day in Cambridgeshire if we have not asked for voluntary contributions.
Active consent will be sought from parents and carers for any activity or visit taking place on a non-school day, travelling outside the local area or for which we ask for voluntary contributions.
Staff will always inform students and/ or parents/ carers of specific arrangements including finish/ return times. In the case of clubs, a timetable of these is available on the school website, and students who live in Needingworth, Holywell, Earith, Somersham, Wyton, Fenstanton, Hemingford Grey, Pidley, Colne and Bluntisham can access the ‘late bus’ that leaves school at 4.15pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and will drop off at a central point in each village on request.
Parents and carers are also reminded to check the medical and contact information the school holds; this can be done through MCAS. In all cases, consent for emergency medical treatment is assumed.
All out-of-school activities are subject to carefully planning, risk assessment and monitoring by school staff.
If you do not wish for your child to participate in activities and visits outside of school time and/ or away from the school site, or for them to receive emergency medical treatment, then please email educational.visits@astreastivo.org.
Behaviour
Although St Ivo Academy wishes to ensure that outdoor learning activities and educational visits are available and accessible to all, the school will always take into account the safeguarding and safety of students. Hence, St Ivo Academy may withdraw the opportunity for a student to take part in educational visits and outdoor learning if their behaviour falls below expectations in school or on previous educational visits and outdoor learning activities. Should this arise, you need to be aware that cancellation charges will apply.
Contact details for questions
As parents/ carers will appreciate, the organisation and administration of educational visits is a major challenge for teachers and support staff. We endeavour at all times to ensure a smooth and safe process, and seek to make improvements at every opportunity. If you have any questions, please email educational.visits@astreastivo.org.
