Teacher and leader responsibilities
Teachers/Leaders and any supporting adults are responsible for the behaviour of the children towards the animals, staff, and other
visitors. All children up to Year 9 (14 years old) must be directly supervised at all times. Responsible students in Year 10 and older
must have supporting leaders in the zoo, but are allowed to traverse the zoo in small independent groups without direct
supervision. All unsupervised children must be in uniform and/or otherwise identifiable.
When in close contact with animals or anything associated with an animal, students should be supervised and teachers/leaders
must ensure appropriate hygiene afterwards. Teachers/leaders are also responsible to ensure all groups follow posted or verbal
instructions and rules before entering a situation with animals.
Play areas are not supervised by Call of the Wild Zoo staff and are open to general visitors. If children are eligible to use the play
area it is the teachers’ responsibility to ensure adequate supervision.
● School groups in EYFS – Year 6 (children 10 and younger) can use the zoo’s outdoor play area at any time
● Secondary school students in years 7 and above are not allowed on any play area at any time.
If children are not eligible to use the play area it is the teachers’ responsibility to ensure the students do not use the play area. In
the event of any emergency, follow zoo staff instruction and ensure all students and adults with your group also follow said
instructions.
Zoo responsibilities
Call of the Wild Zoo strives to provide a safe and enjoyable day out for schools and children’s groups. To ensure these groups’
health and safety the zoo follows a variety of procedures, and has many existing control measures in place. Stated below is a
general risk assessment identifying potential risks and the controls Call of the Wild Zoo has in place to mitigate these potential
risks. Please note that these are guidelines only and teachers are recommended to complete their own risk assessment prior to a
school visit.
Risk assessment
General zoo visits and educational sessions with live animals
Most of our education sessions involve live animals which are brought out to illustrate specific points the students have learned
about. Before any live animal is brought out the education staff will discuss behaviour, rules, and any other safety concerns;
however, there are still some specific identified risks associated with these live animals:
| Risk Identification |
Risk Level |
Existing Controls |
| Animals – Bites, scratches, etc |
Low |
- No visitor contact with species that are likely to cause harm.
- Trained first aiders on site and first aid equipment stored at various areas in the park
- Majority of staff in radio contact in case of emergencies
- Staff will handle animals in such a way as to limit contact with visitors and prevent risk as scratches, etc. (e.g. children can stroke the animal on its back but not hold it, thus avoiding the claws)
- Only students who are willing will be allowed to handle animals
- Education staff will remove animals if they show signs of agitation or stress
- Signs placed on visitor side of enclosures warning of potential animal bite
|
| Animals - Disease |
Low |
- No contact with animals likely to transmit disease
- Where animals are used for handling sessions hand washing facilities are available
- All animals used for handling are regularly health screened
|
| Animals – Knocked over by goats |
Low |
- Students to be advised on appropriate behaviour prior to entering the goat enclosure with relevant signage placed at entrance to enclosure
- Where animals are used for handling sessions hand washing facilities are available
|
| Animals - Insect Bites |
Low |
- Bee and wasp sting emergency procedure in place
- Teachers are advised that any students that are known to have a severe allergic reaction to stings must have appropriate medication with them and understand its administration
- Regular inspections for and removal of wasp nests
- Trained first aiders on site and first aid equipment stored at various areas in the park
|
| Animal allergies |
Low |
- Prior to handling/stroking animals, education staff will check with the teacher and the group if there are any allergies/suspected allergies
- Pupils are advised to wash hands thoroughly after the activity is finished
|
| Animals – Escapes |
Low |
- Established animal escape procedure
- Established animal security policy in place
- Majority of staff in radio contact in case of emergencies
|
| Panic attack/phobia to specific animals and/or photos of animals |
Low |
- Teacher must inform education staff with advanced notice of any severe phobias
- If informed with enough notice education staff can modify some sessions where applicable to avoid photos/etc. of specific animals
- If the phobia is not severe pupils can close their eyes during certain segments – education staff can verbally warn them when the photos are about to appear
- If the phobia is more severe, pupils can leave the room during certain segments
- In the event of extreme phobias, it may not be possible to modify some specific sessions – the teacher and education staff can discuss possible solutions or modifications before hand – but it may not be feasible for the pupil to attend
|
| Enclosures – Electric Fencing |
Low |
- Stand-off barriers to prevent contact
- Warning signs in place where appropriate
|
| Nettles/Brambles |
Low |
- Regular cutting back and control measures in place
|
| Trips/Falls |
Low |
- Visitors asked to keep to marked paths and areas of uneven paths have been marked with yellow warning paint
- Daily inspection of all paths undertaken with reporting system in place to deal with defects
|
| Trees |
Low |
- Tree Risk Assessment and Inspection carried out annually
- Regular tree maintenance undertaken
- Grounds and gardens staff alert to any potential hazards
|
| Lost children |
Low |
- Staff are visible around the zoo and can be contacted if a child is lost
- Staff equipped with radios to alert other departments to a lost child
- Lost Child policy in place
|
| Weather – Sunburn/Sunstroke |
Low |
- Undercover and shaded areas available
- Small children advised to wear sunhats
- Sun cream or sun block advised in conditions of strong sunlight
|
| Weather – Getting Wet |
Medium |
- There are undercover areas which include animal viewing areas and a large heated Tropical House
- Everyone advised to bring wet weather clothing if rain is forecast
|
| Play areas |
Low |
- Safety checks are carried out every day
- Signs detailing rules and code of conduct at the play areas
- Soft flooring around the play equipment
- Older groups of school children are not permitted on play equipment, to prevent potential injury to smaller, younger children
|
| Transmissible Disease – Human (Covid-19, etc.) |
Low |
- Hand washing facilities are located around the zoo
- The zoo thoroughly cleans toilets, food outlets, and other public areas
- Staff who are sick are requested not to come to work
- In the event of emergent diseases, Call of the Wild Zoo will follow government guidelines
|
| Safeguarding |
Low |
- Staff trained in awareness of safeguarding issues
- Teachers and other adult supervisors are required to stay with their group at all times during educational sessions – children will never be left alone with Call of the Wild Zoo staff
|
| Fire |
Low |
- Fire Procedure in place for each building
- Evacuation Procedure for the whole park in place
- Regular risk assessments undertaken
|
| Evacuation (bomb threat, terrorism, etc.) |
Low |
- Evacuation Procedure for the whole park in place
- Procedure in place for evacuation of each department/section of the zoo
- Regular risk assessments undertaken
- Staff trained in how to respond to a variety of threats which would result in evacuation
|
