Ruth Kelly has said she wants to increase the "quality and quantity" of school trips to make them an essential part of every child's education.

The education secretary unveiled plans for new guidance in a bid to ease concerns that teachers could be held responsible for any accidents that happen during visits outside their school.

While the guidance won't be published in full until this summer at the earliest, Kelly said it would make clear that staff who take reasonable care, and follow employer guidelines, are protected by law in the event of any unfortunate accident.

She added that by carrying out straightforward safety checks, teachers can protect both pupils and staff on a school visit and minimise the risk of litigation.

"The majority of schools already offer a range of outdoor learning including school trips that enrich the curriculum, build confidence and increase skills," said Kelly.

"However, we know that some schools and staff would like re-assurance about their responsibility for pupil safety.

"We want to make sure that all teachers have the confidence to continue offering these experiences and that everyone involved in a school trip, including parents, are aware of their rights and responsibilities."

The government's drawing up of plans to counter the decline of school visits are believed to have involved months of talks in a bid to win NASUWT's backing.

The union's general secretary, Chris Keates, said she believed the government had done enough to allay their fears.

"We are very hopeful about this announcement. I would be very surprised in the light of our constructive discussions over the past year if she [Kelly] did not address some of the issues we are concerned about," she said.

The union wants a cut in paperwork associated with arranging school trips, more support from local authorities and more protection for teachers in the event of an accident.

"If these concerns are addressed then we would be in a position to consider a change of policy in regard to school outings," Keates said.

An Ofsted report last year found too many schools were avoiding trips for fear of being sued, while earlier this month chief inspector David Bell lamented an obsession with avoiding risk that he said was emerging in Britain's schools.

Shadow education secretary Tim Collins said it was "a shame so many children will have had their trips cancelled or curtailed by this absurd row".

"If only the government had taken on our suggestion of a teacher protection bill then this nonsense could have been avoided," he said.

"Under a Conservative government a simple signed note from parents acknowledging their acceptance of any risk would suffice to ensure that our children continue to both enjoy and learn from school trips."