Risk Assessments

When you book with PGL, you can be assured of the safety of our centres, our accommodation and the activities we provide. All aspects of our operation have been extensively risk-assessed.  >

Our commitment to ensuring the safety of our guests is reflected in our accreditations:

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge

 All PGL centres hold the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge. This recognised award is a trusted benchmark for safe, high-quality learning experiences, and for most schools in England and Wales it’s all that’s needed to meet risk assessment requirements.    

The badge isn’t just a certificate on the wall – it means that at PGL we:  

• Support you in planning your visit and learning outcomes
• Share clear, accurate information about what we offer
• Deliver activities that meet the needs of every learner
• Listen to feedback and make improvements where needed
• Put robust safety processes in place to manage risk effectively

We’re proud to be accredited by a wide range of governing bodies, but the LOtC Quality Badge is the one schools tend to rely on most.

In fact, National Guidance, issued by The Association of Advisers for Outdoor Learning and Educational Visits, states:

‘When the provider holds the LOtC Quality Badge there is normally no need to seek further assurances from the provider about the safety of provision.’  

Health and Safety Executive, Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA)

PGL is required to hold licences for certain activities at our Ford Castle, Osmington Bay and Little Canada centres. Details can be found here:  www.hse.gov.uk/aala

Adventure Activity Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC) Adventuremark

Adventuremark is a non-statutory safety scheme devised for providers of adventurous activities that are outside the scope of the Adventure Activity Licensing regulations. Adventuremark confirms that providers have been inspected against nationally agreed and recognised standards. It covers the provision of adventure activities to all age ranges.

British Activity Providers Association (BAPA)

BAPA has over 35 years’ experience of working with providers of school residential outdoor education and is acknowledged, respected and consulted by members of the outdoor industry, relevant Government departments and regulatory bodies.

Through BAPA, PGL has made a major contribution to the establishment of agreed good practice for centre and activity operation, colleague training and customer care.  BAPA members are required to follow the Association Code of Practice and undergo inspection. All PGL centres in UK and France are submitted to BAPA inspection and results are available on request.

PGL are LOTC accredited. LOtC stands for Learning Outside the Classroom. The LOtC Quality Badge is the nationally recognised accreditation awarded to organisations that meet high standards in both educational quality and risk management. It’s recognised by the Department for Education and the Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel, which means schools can trust that providers holding the badge offer safe, high-quality learning experiences.

For you as a teacher or group leader, this simplifies the planning process. Choosing a centre with the LOtC Quality Badge gives you confidence that activities are safe, welldesigned, and support meaningful learning outcomes – and it can also reduce the amount of paperwork and checks required by your school.

Each PGL centre has its own LOtC Quality Badge number. You can find these badge numbers by searching for the specific centre on the official LOTC directory at www.lotcqualitybadge.org.uk.

If you need anything more specific to support your own processes, just let us know – we’re always happy to help. We do recommend checking your exact requirements with your EVC first, as they’ll be able to confirm what’s needed for your school.

The above accreditations mean our risk assessments, centres, colleague recruitment policy, and activities have been independently checked and approved. This independent oversight ensures that all our procedures meet national safety standards.  

These are managed via the formal risk assessment programme carried out by senior management at each centre and are  moderated centrally, ensuring continuity and consistency across all centres.  

All risk assessments are carried out at the start of each season and automatically reviewed after any significant change. These may include:  

• Environmental changes  
• Personnel changes  
• Changes to the client group  
• Any incident that occurs  
• Developments in the centre’s infrastructure  

It is likely that your governing body will require you to complete a risk assessment before approval is granted – even if you’ve run the same trip before. 

That’s because each group is different, and your assessment should reflect the age and needs of the guests involved.  

You only need to focus on risks specific to your group and your planned activities outside the centre. For example:  

• Crowds and navigation at public attractions  
• Minor injuries or sickness  
• Behavioural issues  
• Weather or travel delays  

Many risks are similar across trips, so you may be able use generic risk assessment templates to save time.  

You do not need to risk assess the aspects of the trip for which PGL is responsible; as our accreditations are sufficient for most governing bodies.  

No – the assessment must be done by the Party Leader because only you know your group and their individual needs.  However, our accreditations, Health and Safety Policy and Safeguarding Policy make it much quicker and easier to complete.  

Yes, you can book an inspection visit. Seeing the centre in person can make your assessment even easier.  You can request a visit to a UK centre via this link:  www.pgl.co.uk/CentreVisitForm.   For visits to centres in France, please speak to your Tour Organiser.