Excursions

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 excursions) (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 Form (login required)
• Sample Local Excursions Notification (login required)
• Template Parent Consent Form
• Confidential Medical Information for non-local Excursions
• Confidential Medical History Form for Introductory Scuba Experience

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 Documentation — when planning your excursion, use this summary to make sure you have met the minimum documentation requirements
• Excursion – Principal Approval Form ​— 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 — checklist in line with Department policy to assist staff and principals in planning excursions.
• Pre-Activity Check — 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 skills/knowledge — when conducting adventure activities, students’ experience, skills and preparation pertaining to the activity must be documented in this form.
• Documentation of Staff Qualifications and Experience — 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 (general) — sample clothing/equipment list to be adapted by the school relevant to the activity undertaken.
• Sample Emergency Response Procedures — a tool to support schools in developing their Emergency Management Plan.
• Communications Plan Template — suggested template for communications plans for overnight, overseas, interstate excursions or adventure activities.

Risk Management Tools

• Template Risk Assessment for Local and Day Excursions — template for compulsory risk assessment for local or day excursions.
• Risk register and Emergency Management Plan template — 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 Register — sample risk register template for all overnight, adventure activities, interstate, or travel by air or water.
• Sample Overseas Travel Risk Register — sample risk register for overseas excursions.
• Risk analysis tools — 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.
• 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.

• abseiling
• artificial climbing and abseiling walls
• bush walking
• camping
• canoeing and kayaking
• challenge ropes courses
• cycling
• horse riding
• orienteering
• rafting
• rock climbing
• sailing
• SCUBA diving
• sea kayaking
• snorkelling
• snow activities
• surfing and paddle boarding
• swimming activities
• water skiing
• windsurfing

External information resources

• Ambulance Victoria
• Asthma Australia
• Australian Adventure Activity Standards
• Bureau of Meteorology Telephone Weather Services Directory
• Bus Association of Victoria
• Council of Professional Teaching Associations of Victoria
• Country Fire Authority
• Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning
• Equip Wilderness First Aid Institute​
• Marine and Ocean for coastal waters forecast and observations
• MetEye
• Metropolitan Fire Brigade
• Outdoors Victoria
• Parks Victoria
• Red Cross
• St Johns Ambulance (Victoria)
• State Emergency Service
• SunSmart
• Transport Safety Victoria — Maritime Safety
• VicEmergency
• VicRoads
• Victoria Police
• Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
• Victorian Institute of Teaching
• WorkSafe (Victoria)

School Update articles relevant to this topic (login required)

• School camps, excursions and playground use — dated 15 July 2020