Resources
Local school policy
A downloadable excursions policy template for Victorian government schools is available on the Department’s School Policy Templates Portal — Camps and Excursions (including local (login required). Schools can modify the template to suit their local circumstances.
Forms
The forms below have been developed by the Department to ensure that schools’ legal obligations with regard to the duty of care towards students are met.
Schools are not required to use these exact forms if they have other communication methods for seeking consent and collecting information for excursions. However, schools should ensure that they do not make substantive modifications to the key information, or remove questions contained in these forms, without seeking advice from the Department’s Legal Division.
- Template Local Excursion Annual Consent (login required)
- Sample Local Excursions (login required)
- Template Parent Consent (login required)
- Confidential Medical Information for non-local
- Confidential Medical History Form for Introductory Scuba
Schools are also reminded that privacy legislation covers the collection of personal information by schools. Further information about the collection of personal information may be found at Privacy and Information Sharing.
Planning Documentation
These documents have been developed to assist in the planning of excursions
- Summary of Excursion — when planning your excursion, use this summary to make sure you have met the minimum documentation requirements
- Excursion – Principal Approval — this must be completed and submitted to the principal for all overnight, adventure activities, interstate, overseas excursions or travel by air or water.
- Excursions and Camps Planning — checklist in line with Department policy to assist staff and principals in planning excursions.
- Pre-Activity — suggested template for completion of the Pre-Activity Check, a compulsory on the day check before embarking on any adventure activity.
- Documentation of participant preparation, prerequisite — when conducting adventure activities, students’ experience, skills and preparation pertaining to the activity must be documented in this form.
- Documentation of Staff Qualifications and — when conducting adventure activities, staff qualifications and experience (including external providers) pertaining to the activity must be documented in this form.
- Clothing and equipment list — sample clothing/equipment list to be adapted by the school relevant to the activity undertaken.
- Sample Emergency Response — a tool to support schools in developing their Emergency Management Plan.
- Communications Plan — suggested template for communications plans for overnight, overseas, interstate excursions or adventure activities.
- Attendance form for (login required) — to assist schools with providing excursion venues student details for contact-tracing purposes. An electronic or hard copy of the form should be provided to the venue at the time of the excursion. Schools can opt to use their own prepared list, but excursion organisers must refer to this proforma to ensure they capture all required information. Please see the School Operations (page 18) (login required) for more information.
Risk Management Tools
- Template Risk Assessment for Local and Day — template for compulsory risk assessment for local or day excursions.
- Risk register and Emergency Management Plan — blank risk register template for all overnight, adventure activities, interstate, overseas excursions or travel by air or water. This also includes a template for the Emergency Management Plan.
- Sample Excursion or Camp Risk — sample risk register template for all overnight, adventure activities, interstate, or travel by air or water.
- Sample Overseas Travel Risk — sample risk register for overseas excursions.
- Risk analysis — understand how the Department’s risk rating matrix works.
- Department Risk Management Framework — this document outlines the Department’s approach to risk management. It defines our risk management process, model, appetite, training, reporting and establishes the responsibilities for implementation.
- Department Risk Management Framework — accessible version.
- Risk Management in Schools — the Department’s risk management policy and guidance for schools.
Activity Specific Risk Registers
Schools may use the below risk registers, developed for specific activities. School must tailor these risk registers to the individual circumstances of their activity and participating group. For guidance on specific activities, see the Guidance tab.
- artificial climbing and abseiling
- bush
- canoeing and
- challenge ropes
- horse
- rock
- SCUBA
- sea
- snow
- surfing and paddle
- swimming
- water
External information resources
- Ambulance
- Asthma
- Australian Adventure Activity
- Bureau of Meteorology Telephone Weather Services Directory
- Bus Association of
- Council of Professional Teaching Associations of
- Country Fire
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and
- Equip Wilderness First Aid
- Marine and for coastal waters forecast and observations
- Metropolitan Fire
- Outdoors
- Parks
- Red
- St Johns Ambulance
- State Emergency
- Transport Safety Victoria — Maritime
- Victoria
- Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
- Victorian Institute of
- WorkSafe
School Update articles relevant to this topic (login required)
School camps, excursions and playground — dated 15 July 2020
Reviewed 29 April 2021