legoland school trip risk assessment

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Q&A with LEGOLAND Windsor Resort

2018-04-04T10:14:16+01:00

STO talks to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort’s schools executive, Jamie Lawrence about what’s new and on offer for schools visiting the park this year.

Jamie, it’s clear how passionate you are in your role as schools executive. Can you tell us about what your job entails? 

I’m very lucky to look after the Schools and Education programme that we offer within the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort. My main focus is making sure teachers and students get the most out of their visit by highlighting the great curriculum values the park has to offer.

The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort’s ethos is about allowing students of all ages to engage and explore, but what specifically do you offer Primary schools visiting the park?

The ride and attractions in the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort are aimed at children aged 2 – 12 years so we truly are a bespoke park just for them. Whether it’s discovering amazing sea life at the Atlantis Submarine Adventure or earning your very own Driving License on Driving School, there is something available for all Primary students.

March sees the opening of some very exciting new attractions. What can you tell us about these for school visits? 

Miniland Explore the World will allow guests to discover iconic landmarks from around the globe; join the adventure through Australia, China, India and Russia, full of LEGO creativity and fun. MINILAND USA features amazing scenes from coast to coast, with all the LEGO humour you love in Miniland.

Dive into our LEGO® Reef and help us fill it with LEGO fish! Ride the current down to The Imagination Centre, where you can digitally build your own LEGO fish, watch them swim off to the digital reef to live amongst the coral and fill their bellies with our interactive fish feeding.

Pictured: Schools executive Jamie Lawrence.

How can teachers link them to the National Curriculum?

Both Miniland attractions link perfectly with the Geography curriculum helping students identify iconic landmarks from around the world. Computing is core within the LEGO® Reef as students will get hands-on with technology whilst exploring computer programing, inputs and outputs through LEGO® Brick activities.

Why is LOtC important and how does LEGOLAND® utilise it?

The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is an ideal destination for learning outside of the classroom as it brings students together in a unique learning environment. This not only engages them with curriculum links but also highlights how learning can be fun. All of our workshops utilise LEGO® bricks and cover key curriculum targets including English, Computing and STEM.

How can a trip to LEGOLAND® be transferred and taken back into the classroom?

A school visit is a great way of introducing new ways of learning, and most importantly how to learn through play. Many schools have boxes of LEGO® tucked away in cupboards, and what we strive to do is show teachers and students how LEGO® can also be used to teach core curriculum values through a hands-on and interactive experiences.

A big stress for teachers when arranging school trips is the booking process. How does LEGOLAND® ensure the experience is hassle-free?

Being able to understand and reduce the stress and hassle a teacher might experience planning a school trip is key to my role. Simply being there at the end of the phone or an email to answer questions, no matter how small, is crucial.

Booking a school trip to the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort couldn’t be easier. Simply fill in our Online Booking Form and the team handle the rest. Payment is due no later than 10 days before the visit date then following payment, two free tickets can be organised for teachers to come a carry out their Risk Assessments and plan for the big day.

Pictured: The Taj mahal made out of LEGO in Miniland Explore the World.

What qualities should a great school trip have, in your opinion?

A great school trip should not only be educational and engaging for the students but most importantly it must be fun. We pride ourselves in being a unique location for learning and with fun as the base of everything we do; the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort is the perfect destination for your next school trip.

Finally, from your experience working in the education sector, what would you say is the most rewarding aspect of the job?

Being able to inspire those WOW moments for a student is why I’m in the education field. Seeing students visit our Park for the first time, then learning something as part of the experience, ready to go back into school the next day to apply their new found or built upon knowledge is the perfect outcome. Knowing that you have created something which is helping a student’s development is just wonderful.

Useful information

[email protected] 

www.legoland.co.uk

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Legoland Windsor

School Trips

London & South East Berkshire Science Physics Biology Egyptians Vikings Medieval Design Computing SEN Engineering Early years to KS3

Why book 'Legoland Windsor' for School Trips and Educational Visits?

What activities are available during group visits?

Which curriculum subjects do you cater for, design technology [click to read].

Curriculum topics available: Mechanics and engineering, Materials.

Egyptians [click to read]

Vikings [click to read], medieval [click to read], what size groups do you cater for, is there first aid on site, do you offer access for visitors with disabilities, do you cater for visitors with special educational needs (sen).

All of our workshops are fully adaptable for students with Special Educational Needs.

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Home » LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort – Educational Visits & Fun Days Out

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort – Educational Visits & Fun Days Out

LEGOLAND® is the perfect place for teachers, carers and children to experience to experience a fun and engaging school trip.

We understand that organising a school trip can be difficult, which is why we want to make planning your visit to the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort as easy as possible.

Please download the School Information Pack to find out everything you need to know before your visit.

What is included in your Schools visit?

• Full day entry to the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort
• Free teacher tickets 1 for every 5 primary students and 1 for every 10 secondary students
• Free coach and minibus parking in our designated coach car park
• Free teacher planning tickets for 2 teachers to visit us anytime before the trip, once payment has been made
• Pre-completed risk assessment to save that tricky paperwork and meet your student’s needs
• Access to our schools lunch room
• Students with Additional Needs can apply for the Ride Access Pass with the relevant documentation.

LEGO® Education Workshops

Our workshops are perfect for teachers and students to experience a fun, hands-on and engaging session hosted by our trained educational staff.

All of our workshops utilise the world’s finest educational play materials: LEGO® bricks and cover key curriculum targets including English, Computing and STEM.

Here at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort we offer 14 different workshops for a minimum of 10 students which you can enjoy on your school trip, scroll down to find out more.

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School trips offer children a unique learning experience, where they are introduced to a number of different environments, scenarios and situations where they are able to use a combination of skills to gain new knowledge.

Exposure to new learning environments comes with an element of risk and as such, a formal assessment of each situation needs to be completed before a trip takes place.  Children should be able to experience a wide range of activities, and health and safety measures should help them to do this safely, not stop them.

A very useful starting point is the Outdoor Education Advice Panel ‘s National Guidance website, where teachers, EVCs and Heads can access a wide range of information and resources.

The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge is the only nationally recognised indicator of good quality educational provision AND effective risk management.  Schools choosing a provider who holds this badge can be assured of quality and safety across all sectors, from museums to farm visits and adventurous outdoor activities such as coasteering.

Risk Assessment Categories:

Category A:  Activities where the risks are considered the same as in everyday life, eg. Visits to the theatre, sports fixtures, visits to zoo, coastal and countryside walks.

Category B:  Adventure activities in the UK, eg. Rock climbing, walking on moorland more than 30 minutes from a road or habitation, caving or kayaking.

Category C:  The most demanding category. Includes visits abroad and all those activities that, if not school-led, would be in the scope of the Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations 1996 (see below). It also includes activities that fall outside the scope of licensing, or are less commonly pursued by pupil groups, such as motor sports, whose safe supervision requires that the leader should normally complete some prior test of his or her specific competence. Such testing might include a recognised course of training, the recorded accumulation of relevant experience, or an assessment of competence by an appropriate body. Visits and activities overseas where there is concern or uncertainty about the health, safety or welfare of staff or pupils.

External Verification: Some venues (usually those doing ‘adventurous’ type activities will get external verification of their risk assessment from an independent body, eg. the AALA (Adventure Activities Licensing Authority).

Legal requirements

(Taken from  DfE Health and Safety Advice )

The main legislation covering this area is the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and regulations made under that Act.

The employer (the local authority, governing body or proprietor) is responsible for health and safety, though tasks may be delegated to staff. Employees also have a duty to look after their own and others’ health and safety.

It’s very rare for school staff to be prosecuted under criminal law with regard to accidents involving children.

Employers, school staff and others also have a duty under the common law to take care of pupils in the same way that a prudent parent would do so. Most claims for negligence are brought against the employer (who has public liability insurance) and not individual members of staff.

Useful sources of guidance and risk assessment planning

Outdoor Education Adviser’s Panel

A very useful Check List for Educational Visit Coordinators is available via the Outdoor Education Advisor’s Panel website, which details all aspects of the EVC’s trip planning process in an accessible format.

Downloadable guide to creating your own risk assessment by the HSE

HSE guide to educational visits

Department of Education Health and safety advice for schools

Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge

For curricular activities in areas of potentially higher risk (science, PE) staff should be familiar with and extract relevant information from the generic risk assessments and guidance produced by advisory bodies –

• Consortium of Local Education Authorities for the Provision of Science Services
• Safe Practice in Physical Education and School Sport’ Association of PE – ‘afPE’

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School trips with legoland® windsor resort.

‘Engaging’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘fantastic’: just three of the words teachers have used to describe their school trip experiences at the LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort.

The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort’s ethos is all about allowing pupils of all ages to engage and explore through creative and imaginative play. The Resort’s offer of theme park rides and attractions combined with interactive educational workshops makes it a strong contender for school teachers seeking somewhere engaging to take a school trip. 

The resort is an exciting venue for learning outside the classroom and most suitable for Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 4 pupils – although there are experiences available for pre-school and younger school pupils (particularly in the DUPLO® Valley area where children can enjoy Brickville, where the landscape is designed for exploring and playing).

Schools can use a National Curriculum Map to navigate their way around the resort, making sure they tie in all of their learning objectives whilst they enjoy over 55 rides and attractions.

Educational offerings 

Pupils visiting the park can also partake in one of 12 curriculum focused workshops where hands-on learning is key. 

All of the workshops are led by the LEGO® Education Academy Certified Education Team. This means that all workshops are finely tuned to complement the National Curriculum – with a LEGO® twist. Pupils can learn about STEM, English, Art, Geography and History to name but a few.

The LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort also provides a number of resources on its website to help teachers prepare for their school trip. Teachers can download permission slips to send home to parents and access a Risk Assessment form. There is also information regarding Teacher to Student Ratios and Ride Height & Age Restrictions to assist in pre-planning for the day.  

2019: What’s in store for pupils? 

English, Geography History, Business Studies and the STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) will be covered in the 12 National Curriculum workshops available to school groups next year. 

New will be the LEGO® EcoPower workshop, available to Key Stage 1 and 2 pupils. This workshop ties in to Science and Geography. At 45 minutes long, pupils will explore the benefits and negatives of renewable and non-renewable energy sources. Pupils will then get to build a LEGO® Wind Turbine which when activated will actually create electricity!

Other examples of workshops that are suitable for Primary school pupils include: 

The dragon’s tale: a design & technology workshop for key stage 1 that sees pupils design and construct a lego® brick castle for ollie the legoland® windsor resort dragon.

LEGO® Robotics: Pupils complete a series of challenges with the LEGO Education MINDSTORMS® robots.

LEGO® Forces:This Science workshop investigates how forces such as Gravity and Friction can affect the movement of a Balloon Powered LEGO® model car. 

LEGO® Gears and Pulleys: This session focuses on how gears and pulleys work together to move objects including fairground themed LEGO® models.

LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort: 

Jamie Lawrence – Schools Executive

01753 626236

[email protected]

www.LEGOLAND.co.uk/Schools

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How does mpox spread and what is the risk to the rest of the world?

Africa's top health body has declared a public health emergency after more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths were reported on the continent this year.

Monday 19 August 2024 14:55, UK

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Mpox has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO), with a new strain spreading across Africa at an alarming rate.

Officials announced last Wednesday that an outbreak of the strain in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) was now a "public health emergency of international concern".

It is the second time in three years that the WHO has designated an mpox epidemic as a global emergency.

It comes as the number of mpox cases reported so far this year has already exceeded last year's total, with more than 17,000 cases and 571 deaths according to the WHO.

But what is mpox, what are the symptoms, how is it treated, and what's being done about the outbreak?

The viral disease has occurred mostly in central and western Africa.

The most recent strain, first spotted in the DRC, has spread to neighbouring countries, including some that have never reported mpox cases before.

It was first identified in laboratory monkeys, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

It used to be known as monkeypox, but was renamed in 2022 by the WHO after receiving complaints that the original name was "racist and stigmatising".

Most cases are mild, but it can be deadly.

The disease spreads through close contact with infected people, including via sex and other skin-to-skin contact, with the latest outbreak in the continent beginning with the spread of an endemic strain known as Clade 1.

The new variant that has emerged, known as Clade 1b, appears to spread more easily through close contact, particularly among children.

Jean Claude Udahemuka, from the University of Rwanda, said last month that Clade 1b is "undoubtedly the most dangerous so far of all the known strains of mpox".

What are the symptoms?

Common symptoms of mpox are a skin rash or pus-filled lesions which can last two to four weeks.

The rashes can be located anywhere on the body and some people may only have one, while others can have hundreds or more.

These are other symptoms listed by the CDC:

• Swollen lymph nodes
• Muscle aches and backache
• Respiratory symptoms (e.g., sore throat, nasal congestion, or cough)

The WHO says people may start to feel unwell before they get a rash or skin lesions, while for others the skin symptoms can be the first or only sign.

People with more severe mpox can suffer with the following symptoms, according to the WHO:

• More widespread lesions - especially in the mouth, eyes, and genitals
• Severe bacterial infections
• Lung infections
• Mpox affecting the brain (encephalitis)
• Heart (myocarditis)
• Lungs (pneumonia)
• Eye problems

New-born babies, children, people who are pregnant and people with underlying immune deficiencies may be at higher risk of more serious mpox disease and death, the WHO adds.

How is it treated?

Currently, there is no treatment approved specifically for mpox infections, according to the CDC.

It says that for most patients with mpox who have intact immune systems and don't have a skin disease, supportive care and pain control will help them recover without medical treatment.

People with severe mpox may require hospital treatment, supportive care and antiviral medicines to reduce the severity of lesions and shorten the time to recovery, the WHO says.

Many years of research on treatments for smallpox have led to the development of products that may also be useful for treating mpox, it adds.

It says an antiviral developed to treat smallpox called tecovirimat was approved by the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of mpox under exceptional circumstances in 2022. It also said its use for mpox has been limited so far.

However, a two-dose vaccine has been developed to protect against the virus, which is widely available in Western countries but not in Africa.

Scientists from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) say they need more than 10 million vaccine doses but only 200,000 are available.

How did things get worse in Africa?

Mpox has been endemic in parts of Africa for decades after it was first detected in humans in DR Congo in 1970.

But the Clade 1b strain first emerged in September among sex workers in the DRC mining town of Kamituga, about 170 miles (273km) from the border with Rwanda .

Africa CDC has said 96% of all cases and deaths were in the DRC, but it has also spread to neighbouring countries, with 18 nations reporting cases of mpox.

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

'It's an emergency for the entire globe'

The WHO declared an emergency as it thinks the strain is "potentially the outbreak that can become a pandemic," according to Dr Jean Kaseya, the director general of Africa Centres for Diseases Control and Prevention.

When making the announcement, the WHO's director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: "The emergence of a new clade of mpox, its rapid spread in eastern DRC, and the reporting of cases in several neighbouring countries are very worrying.

"On top of outbreaks of other mpox clades in DRC and other countries in Africa, it's clear that a coordinated international response is needed to stop these outbreaks and save lives."

The WHO's committee chair, Professor Dimie Ogoina, added: "The current upsurge of mpox in parts of Africa, along with the spread of a new sexually transmissible strain of the monkeypox virus, is an emergency, not only for Africa, but for the entire globe.

"Mpox, originating in Africa, was neglected there, and later caused a global outbreak in 2022. It is time to act decisively to prevent history from repeating itself."

The WHO says it is focusing on making the vaccines more widely available, particularly for lower-income countries.

A day after the global emergency was declared, Swedish officials confirmed the country had recorded its first case of the new mpox variant .

Are there cases in the UK - and have there been before?

There are currently no cases of the virus in the UK, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said, and its deputy director Dr Meera Chand claims the risk "is currently considered low".

"However, planning is under way to prepare for any cases that we might see in the UK," she added.

"This includes ensuring that clinicians are aware and able to recognise cases promptly, that rapid testing is available, and that protocols are developed for the safe clinical care of people who have the infection and the prevention of onward transmission."

Government officials have now met to "ensure sufficient plans are in place to deal with any potential cases," Downing Street said.

Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious diseases expert, told Sky News it was "very likely" someone in the UK already has the new variant of the viral disease.

However, he said it probably wouldn't be confirmed for a few weeks until people with symptoms visit a doctor and their samples are tested.

There have been cases in the UK before, with most seen in 2022 when there was a global outbreak of a milder strain which spread to more than 100 countries, prompting the WHO to declare a public health emergency of international concern on 23 July 2022.

A total of 2,137 cases had been confirmed in the UK at that stage, but by 31 December 2022 that number had soared to 3,732 cases - 3,553 were in England, 34 in Northern Ireland, 97 in Scotland and 48 in Wales.

Before the spring of 2022, UK cases were usually associated with travel to or from countries where mpox is endemic, particularly in western or central Africa.

But in May that year, there was a large outbreak in the UK, mostly in men who are gay, bisexual, or have sex with other men.

A vaccination programme was launched in the UK in the summer of 2022 and closed the following July.

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There have been no reported deaths due to mpox in the UK.

Related Topics

WHO declares mpox virus a public health emergency of international concern

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The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the rise in mpox cases constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) , following advice from members at Wednesday’s International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee meeting.      

A PHEIC is the highest level of alarm under international health law. 

The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called for the meeting last Wednesday to seek advice on whether the mpox – previously monkeypox – outbreaks are cause for international concern. 

On Tuesday, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declared the situation a public health emergency.

“The Emergency Committee’s advice to me, and that of the [Africa CDC], which yesterday declared a public health emergency of regional security, are aligned,” Tedros said in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. 

Clades and cases 

Mpox cases have been spreading throughout many countries in Africa, particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and neighbouring Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. The potential for further spread in Africa is worrying, said the WHO chief. 

“In addition to other outbreaks of other clades of mpox in other parts of Africa, it’s clear that a coordinated international response is essential to stop these outbreaks and save lives,” Tedros said. 

This year already saw over 14,000 reported cases of the virus with 524 deaths, a significant increase in reported cases from 2023. 

Tedros previously mentioned that the mpox outbreaks have occurred due to different viruses called clades.

At Wednesday’s meeting , he said there was transmission of the so-called clade 1b virus in the DRC last year which was caused “mainly through sexual networks”. This clade is reportedly deadlier and more easily transmitted from person to person.

Clade 1 has been circulating in the DRC for years while clade 2 was responsible for the global outbreak of 2022 which was declared an international public health emergency.  

Tedros said in the past month that around 90 cases of successor clade 1b were reported in countries neighbouring the DRC which had not reported mpox cases before. 

“Stopping these outbreaks will require a tailored and comprehensive response, with communities at the centre, as always,” Tedros said. 

Addressing outbreak drivers

The WHO chief said the UN agency is working with governments of the affected countries, the Africa CDC and other partners to “understand and address the drivers of these outbreaks”.

“For example, we are providing machines to analyse blood samples and confirm cases of mpo [and] supporting laboratories to sequence viral samples,” he said.

He further mentioned “supporting case investigation and contact tracing” on the ground, training for health care workers and much more . 

WHO regional response

“WHO has developed a regional response plan, requiring an initial $15 million to support surveillance, preparedness and response activities,” Tedros said.

This response was funded by $1.45 million from the WHO Contingency Fund for Emergencies.

More funds will be released in the coming days and the WHO chief is also appealing for more donor support. 

Emergency vaccines 

Currently, two WHO-recommended and approved vaccines are being used to combat the mpox virus outbreak.

Under an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) call last week , Tedros also invited manufacturers of mpox vaccines to express interest in producing them to “accelerate vaccine access for lower-income countries which have not yet issued their own national regulatory approval”.

EUL will allow partners like the UN Children’s Fund ( UNICEF ) to gather vaccines for distribution.

 “We are working with all partners to facilitate equitable access to diagnostics, vaccines, supplies for clinical care and other tools," Tedros said.

WHO recommendations

Last August, the WHO chief released standing recommendations under the IHR to monitor mpox cases. 

These recommendations were set to expire in five days, on 20 August 2024, but will be extended for another year to “support countries to respond to the chronic risk of mpox".

Some of the recommendations include enhancing community protection through adapting public health and social measures to local contexts, providing guidance and resources for delivering clinical mpox care and more. 

Tedros said WHO is “committed in the days and weeks ahead to coordinate the global response, working closely with each of the affected countries and leveraging our on-the-ground presence t o prevent transmission, treat those infected and save lives ”.