Determine ratios based on your risk assessment
Staff ratios for school trips aren't prescribed in law.
Instead, you need to carry out an appropriate risk assessment for an educational trip or visit, and determine your staffing needs based on that. See our examples of school trip risk assessments.
Decide the number of adults you need depending on:
- The nature of the outing and the activities
- The age and maturity of your pupils
This includes trips abroad. See the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) FAQs on school trips.
The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel (OEAP) outlines factors to consider and a framework to assess the staffing requirements of your trip – you can use this to help guide you if you're unsure.
There are separate rules for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), as outlined in section 3 of this article.
Instead, make sure that you take individual pupils' needs into account when carrying