17 January 2025

In this week’s Digest, we look at:

• National Guidance updates

• News: Kingswood centres closing

• Risk managing local and routine visits - webinar recording

• Risk and changing environments - 22 Jan

• CPD for EVCs

Advice and guidance

A reminder of recent changes to National Guidance document 3.2c Charging for school activities.

This guidance has undergone a major revision. Updates include calculating whether a visit is considered to be in school time (and the implications for charging for visits), and information about Tax-Free Childcare (and when this may be used to contribute to the cost of a visit).

Information on paying for visits was also added to 3.4n Guidance for parents.

For a full list of new and updated guidance, and details of the changes, click the button below.

News

Kingswood centres closing – what it means for schools

Kingswood has today announced the closure of its residential activity centres as a result of the Inspiring Learning Group going into administration.

PGL Beyond has acquired three Kingswood centres, which will remain open as PGL centres: Dearne Valley in Doncaster; Grosvenor Hall in Ashford, Kent; and Overstrand Hall in Cromer. All visits at these centres will go ahead as planned. PGL has also committed to accept new bookings (at the price previously agreed with Kingswood) from groups with bookings at seven closing Kingswood centres - read PGL’s statement here.

Inspiring Learning Group also included Camp Beaumont and Britannia Coach Services.

EVOLVE Advice has already contacted our clients with planned visits at Kingswood Centres in their EVOLVE approvals system, however, there may be others who are planning visits at the affected centres who haven’t yet submitted them for approval or who have travel arrangements or other bookings with the affected companies.

If your visits are affected, we’d advise you to contact the Kingswood support team as soon as possible, to confirm details of your booking and ask any questions. You can reach Kingswood on 0800 655 6564 or via email at sales@kingswood.co.uk.

Training and CPD

Sign up for the next in our STAGED* series of webinars

22 January Preventing incidents and managing emergencies: assessing risk in changing environments

Register to join the live webinar and receive a recording after the event.

Watch previous webinars on demand.

*STAGED = Staffing; Travel; Activity; Group; Environment; Distance

Featured Training

Educational visits training and development

EVOLVE Advice provides EVC Training; Visit Leader Training and e-learning; Snowsport Visits Training and Risk Assessment for Educational Visits.

www.evolveadvice.co.uk