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Arrival and Departure (Collection) Policy

The Shades of the Life Oxford Digital Design and Visual Art Studio
Bright Future Innovators Camp & Mystery Missions Camp
Last Reviewed: 10. 05. 2025.
 

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1. Purpose
This policy ensures that all children arrive and leave our camp safely, and that clear, secure procedures are followed for drop-off and collection by authorised individuals only.

 

2. Arrival Procedure

  • Arrival time: Children can be dropped off between 8:45am and 9:15am.

  • Parents/carers must sign their child in at the designated camp entrance.

  • A staff member will greet each child and check them in using the daily register.

  • If you arrive earlier than 8:45am or later than 9:15am, please wait or notify the camp manager in advance.

 

3. Late Arrival
If a child arrives after 9:15am, parents must:

  • Report to the camp office or designated staff member.

  • Sign the child in and explain the reason for the delay.
    Late arrivals may miss key parts of the day, including safety briefings or activity introductions.

 

4. Departure Procedure

  • Collection time is between 3:45pm and 4:15pm (standard day) or up to 5:30pm for extended hours, if applicable.

  • Parents/carers must sign their child out with a staff member.

  • Children will only be released to authorised adults (those named on the registration form or in written communication).

  • Staff may request to see photo identification if they do not recognise the adult collecting.

 

5. Late Collection

  • If a child is not collected by 4:15pm (or 5:30pm for extended care), staff will:

    • Try to contact parents/carers and all emergency contacts.

    • Keep the child safe and supervised.

    • If no one can be reached by 6:00pm, and no instructions have been received, we may contact the Local Authority Safeguarding Team.

 

6. Authorised Collectors

  • Parents/carers must list all authorised collectors on the registration form.

  • Any changes must be submitted in writing (email/text to the camp manager).

  • Children will not be released to anyone under 16 years of age or those not on the authorised list.

 

7. Self-Collection for Older Children (optional)

  • Children aged 11+ may be allowed to walk home alone with written parental consent.

  • A form is available during registration to give this consent.

  • The camp reserves the right to decline this option if there are safety concerns.

 

8. Unauthorised Collection Attempts

  • Staff will not release a child to anyone who is not authorised.

  • If an unauthorised person attempts to collect a child, the Camp Manager will contact the parent/carer immediately.

  • If necessary, safeguarding procedures will be followed.

 

9. Absences

  • Parents/carers should inform the camp by 9:00am if a child is going to be absent.

  • Persistent unexplained absences may be followed up as part of our safeguarding duty.

 

10. Policy Review

This policy will be reviewed annually or after any significant incident related to arrival/departure procedures.

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For further information, please contact:
Gyongyi Domokos
CEO & Health and Safety Lead
gyongyidomokos@theshadesofthelife.com I +44/(0)7380410465

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