World Mental Health Day: Guidance for schools running educational visits

There is a growing need for support for schools around mental health, and when off-site on educational visits in particular. This World Mental Health Day, here’s a reminder of guidance to schools on managing mental health conditions and planning for educational visits.

Include young people, their families and support staff at all stages of your trip planning.

Spotlight on National Guidance: 4.4n Mental Health

OEAP National Guidance published new guidance on mental health in May this year (4.4n-Mental-Health).

The guidance also reinforces what outdoor practitioners and teachers already know, which is the importance of outdoor green spaces and well-managed outdoor activities for the mental health and well-being of children and young people.

What does the guidance say?

Importantly, the guidance covers inclusion of individuals with mental health conditions in outdoor learning, the need for risk management and support strategies, and the identification of triggers that may affect participants' mental health.

There are specific considerations for participants with autism, eating disorders, self-harm tendencies, bullying and abuse, medication, and addiction.

Schools should consider mental health in your planning and preparation, obtaining relevant information and seeking professional advice when necessary.

The guidance signposts to resources for further support and highlights the importance of insurance coverage and incident reporting.

As advisers, we strongly advocate including children and young people, their parents, DSL, SENCO and staff at all stages of the planning process to help make the visit as inclusive as possible.

DOWNLOAD GUIDANCE

You can find more guidance for educational visits at oeapng.info