Planning a Trip

Field Trip Form – Trip Approval

With the exception of some single lesson trips (see below), no trip can take place without a completed field trip form signed by the Director, including an approved budget, and an approved risk assessment.

To ensure that field trips can be planned properly, do not unnecessarily disrupt learning, and can be clearly communicated to the community, the school will need good notice of planning. The following minimum notice times are designed to support appropriate planning:


Overnight, outside the UK, and longer than two nights: 20 weeks

Overnight, and longer than three nights: 16 weeks

Overnight: 6 weeks

Whole day: 4 weeks

Half-day: 3 weeks


Field trip form submissions are reviewed once a week, for approval by the School Leadership Team. If a request is not submitted by these deadlines, there is no guarantee that the School Leadership Team will approve the trip.

Single-lesson trips – those taking place during a single class time, without the need for teacher cover, incurring no costs, and not impacted on learning elsewhere – do not require a field trip form. They do require an approved risk assessment and notice must be sent to parents.

All approved field trips will be added to the school calendar, accessible to staff and parents. At the beginning of the school year, all major trips, and especially those including an overnight stay and/or incurring any significant additional cost for parents, will be published on the school calendar.

Trip Bookings

The Field Trip Leader should discuss all necessary bookings – travel tickets, transport, accommodation, meals – with the Administration Officer. Payment can only be made once a Purchase Order has been raised, and usually

  • the Administration Officer will complete a Purchase Order for travel, accommodation, and tickets (museum, theatre, etc); however
  • the Field Trip Leader should raise the Purchase Order for tickets if s/he has specific educational expectations that require his/her involvement.

Teachers should not purchase items on their own account, unless they have prior approval from the Director. Without prior approval, the school cannot guarantee to reimburse staff.