Educational visits: do we need parental consent?

Find out which trips require parental consent and who can give this consent, along with advice on separated parents and parents who withhold permission.

Last reviewed on 14 October 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 3695
Contents
  1. Most trips don't need consent
  2. Who can give consent?
  3. Dealing with parents who withhold permission 

Most trips don't need consent

Pupils are expected to take part in trips that are:

  • Held during school hours
  • Part of the curriculum 

However, you should still inform parents about the trip. 

You do need written consent for trips that: 

  • Need a higher level of risk assessment
  • Are outside normal school hours

You must always get written consent for nursery-age children. 

You should inform parents of pupils aged 18+ about trips too. It's not required, but parents will still want to know about their child's whereabouts, and they may want to object to the trip. 

This guidance is from section 2 of the DfE's guidance on educational visits and advice from a DfE representative. 

Download the DfE's model consent form

The DfE has a consent form you can download that covers: 

Parents only need to complete this form once to give consent for all trips that their