Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC)
At Paparoa Street School, our education outside the classroom (EOTC) programme includes all events that occur outside the classroom, both on- and off-site, including all curriculum-based activities (e.g. field trips and camps) and extra-curricular activities (e.g. voluntary sports or cultural events). It also includes overseas trips.
Effective teaching and learning
Our EOTC activities support and enhance the delivery of the curriculum, and 
benefit ākonga in a variety of ways. To make EOTC effective and inclusive, we:
Our EOTC activities and experiences may benefit ākonga in the following ways:
- enhance learning, through a variety of well-designed, first-hand experiences
- develop skills in observation, recording, and organisation
- develop self-confidence and a sense of adventure
- facilitate their social development by placing them with others in unfamiliar situations
- provide opportunities to work together in a group and develop an attitude of responsibility, particularly towards their own safety and that of others
- provide opportunities to embed mātauranga Māori in our localised curriculum, engage with iwi, and use te reo Māori outside the classroom
- increase knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the kura area and community, local district, and other familiar and unfamiliar places
- promote ecological awareness and personal responsibility towards the environment.
- provide equitable access to EOTC events – see EOTC Ākonga Participation and Inclusion
- provide alternative learning situations for ākonga unable to participate
- liaise with local early childhood centres and with receiving kura, where appropriate, so that EOTC programmes are coordinated
- ensure adequate ongoing training for all kaimahi involved in EOTC (e.g. approved workshops, seminars, courses, training, and assessment schemes).
See Curriculum and Ākonga Achievement Policy.
EOTC safe practice
At Paparoa Street School, we acknowledge the health and safety responsibilities of our poari matua and kaiako for everyone participating in EOTC activities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015 and Education and Training Act 2020. As such, safety and risk management is an essential part of our EOTC programme. We follow Ministry of Education EOTC Guidelines for safety, planning, supervision, legal responsibilities, good practice, and emergency preparedness.
- EOTC operates within our wider kura health and safety systems. All kura health and safety policies apply to EOTC activities – see Health, Safety, and Welfare Policy.
- Other kura policies also apply to EOTC (e.g. privacy, safety checking, concerns and complaints, volunteer involvement, kaimahi conduct).
- The poari matua, which includes the tumuaki, is responsible for the safety of all ākonga and others involved in EOTC activities – see EOTC Governance Roles and Responsibilities.
- The tumuaki (or their delegate) is responsible for managing the safe implementation of our EOTC programme – EOTC Management and Support Roles.
- External providers and/or contractors may be used to support the delivery of our EOTC programme. When there is more than one PCBU (person conducting a business or undertaking) involved (e.g. outdoor education provider, another kura poari matua, transport provider), we coordinate to ensure that health and safety responsibilities, including risk management, are met. See EOTC External Providers and Contractors.
- All kaimahi involved in an EOTC activity must have the necessary information and competence (skills, knowledge, experience), or be adequately supervised, so that they can safely perform their role – see EOTC Kaimahi Competence.
- All ākonga are supported to participate in EOTC activities – see EOTC Ākonga Participation and Inclusion.
- All EOTC events are subject to safety planning and approval processes – see EOTC Event Planning and Approval.
- Review of our EOTC processes helps us improve our practices – see EOTC Review, Evaluation, and Reporting.
EOTC safety actions
At Paparoa Street School, we improve our EOTC health and safety systems and practices through regular and ongoing safety actions:
EOTC safety planning and risk assessment documentation
Paparoa Street School uses a range of planning and risk assessment documentation and tools to manage EOTC safely (see EOTC Risk Assessment and Management). We are guided by the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, Ministry of Education EOTC Guidelines, the EONZ Safety Management Plan template and EOTC Toolkit, our kura health and safety policies, and other relevant kura policies.
Our documentation and tools help identify the possible risks and hazards involved in an activity, and the steps taken to minimise them. These processes ensure we use appropriate safety strategies and supervision structures, and that the proposed activity is suitable for the intended participants. We may develop a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) that can be used to provide a consistent approach for recurring events.
We continuously improve our safety planning and risk assessment documentation, which includes regular review. See EOTC Review, Evaluation, and Reporting.
Paparoa Street School may use safety documentation from an external provider/contractor as long as it is reviewed and adjusted to meet ākonga and kura needs, the environmental situation, and any other relevant factors.
Related policies
Legislation
- Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
- Education and Training Act 2020
- Children's Act 2014
- Oranga Tamariki Act 1989
- Accident Compensation Act 2001
Resources
Hei mihi | Acknowledgement
SchoolDocs acknowledges Education Outdoors New Zealand (EONZ) for use of content from its EOTC Safety Management Plan (SMP) template. The SMP template, together with the forms from the EOTC Guidelines Toolkit, provides a comprehensive framework for EOTC policies and procedures. EOTC coordinators are encouraged to register with the EOTC Coordinator Network – see EOTC Coordinator Network  .
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: Term 4 2025, Term 1 2024, Term 3 2019, Term 1 2019
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