Government simplifies health and safety guidance for school trips

The government has simplified health and safety legislation in order to encourage teachers to take children on more school trips.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consolidated more than 150 pages of complex guidance to just eight pages, in a bid to ease misplaced health and safety concerns.

Education secretary Michael Gove is supporting the HSE's new documentation, which has been published for schools and local authorities to highlight what teachers should think about when arranging schools trips.

It aims to dispel many of the common misconceptions that put some teachers off arranging trips.

Mr Gove said: "Children should be able to go on exciting school trips that broaden their horizons. That is why we are cutting unnecessary red tape in schools and putting teachers back in charge.

"This new, slimmer advice means a more common sense approach to health and safety. It will make it easier for schools to make lessons more inspiring and fun."

The Department for Education has also published new guidance, highlighting how safety laws affect schools and staff in relation to school trips.

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