School Travel Insurance

Insurance Statement

At Barrow Hedges Primary School we ensure that we do everything reasonably practicable to ensure the safety of our pupils and staff. Unfortunately sometimes incidents do occur; if you feel that we have failed in our duty, then you have a legal remedy of raising a liability claim against us.

The London Borough of Sutton Insurance Office handle all Public Liability and Employee Liability claims on behalf of Barrow Hedges Primary School.

If you are a Third Party Solicitor and wish to make a claim on behalf of your client, against Stanley Park Infants’ School, please would you register your client’s claim on the Portal against the London Borough of Sutton.

If your clients claim does not fall into the portal guidelines please send your letter of claim directly to: Claims Manager | LB Sutton Insurance Team, London Borough of Sutton, Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1EA or email insuranceoffice@sutton.gov.uk

If you are a claimant in person please write directly to: Claims Manager | LB Sutton Insurance Team, London Borough of Sutton, Civic Offices, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1EA or email insuranceoffice@sutton.gov.uk including sufficient information to enable us to start an investigation into the incident including:

• Date and Time of accident
• Exact location of accident
• Cause i.e. paving slab etc
• Details of the injury
• Details of accident circumstances

In order for your claim to succeed, it will be necessary for you to prove negligence or breach of statutory duty. Please note there is no automatic right to compensation.

A claims handler will be appointed from this department to investigate your claim on behalf of Stanley Park Infants’ School. This will involve liaising with the appropriate department to obtain the necessary information to determine whether Stanley Park Infants’ School, another organisation or third party has been negligent.

We may require further information from you and if this is necessary you will be given a clear indication of the information needed.

There are three possible outcomes to the claim process:

1. The claim will be accepted and subject to appropriate documentary evidence a settlement will be negotiated with you.

2. The claim will be rejected/repudiated if we can demonstrate that the council acted responsibly.

3. Our investigations may indicate that another party was responsible and we will advise you that your claim will need to be redirected. We will try to provide their contact details to assist you in pursing your claim against them.

You may wish to consider obtaining advice from your Solicitors or local Citizens Advice Bureau.

The Council participates in a number of National and Local schemes to reduce the cost of fraudulent claims to Council Tax Payers. Information may be shared between Council Services, insurers, claim handlers, loss adjusters and other agencies. The London Borough of Sutton’s Insurance office would be grateful for this reason if you could supply your Date of Birth and National Insurance number.

We provide insurance when your child takes part in school visits and off-site activities. You will, of course, be sent full details of every school visit or off-site activity planned for your child before it occurs.

These insurance arrangements have been made on condition that the guidelines set out in our Educational Visits Policy are followed. This policy is available for inspection at the school and has been drawn up with a view to ensuring the safety and well being of all those taking part in school visits.

School visits and off-site activities are planned with great care, but you should understand that occasionally it may be necessary to alter the arrangements made to take account of particular circumstances. Staff in charge will take all reasonable care of your child and you can help by explaining to your son/daughter that he/she will be required to obey the instructions and advice of the teacher-in-charge and other accompanying adults and will be subject to the school’s general Behaviour Policy.

You should also understand that the school cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage to property suffered by your son/daughter during or arising out of a visit other than that due to negligence of the school or any of its employees.

You will also be asked to pay for any damage which may be caused by the misconduct or carelessness of your child to the person or property of any party or parties.

Each child taking part in a school visit should be in good health and you will be asked to ensure that your child is fit to go on any proposed visit. In the event of an accident or illness while your child is taking part in a school visit or off-site activity, every effort will be made to contact you, but failing that, you are asked to authorise the teacher-in-charge to consent to any medical treatment – (including inoculations, surgery or blood transfusions) which in the opinion of a qualified medical practitioner may be necessary for your child in the course of the visit.

You will be asked to indemnify the Leader of a visit in respect of any expenses reasonably incurred in consequence of any accident or illness of your child.

You may take out additional insurance cover by contacting the party leader of a school visit or by making your own arrangement.