School excursions allow students to participate in off-site activities that can enhance their learning and development. Excursions vary in terms of the number of students involved, duration of the planned activity, and venue/s where they are to occur. They may include both regular activities and one-off activities that occur during school hours, overnight (e.g. camps), on weekends and/or in school holidays.
To ensure the health, safety and wellbeing of students, staff and others (e.g. volunteers), schools are required to proactively manage all aspects of excursions. The school’s duty of care to students extends to school excursions (including camps) that are part of students’ educational programs.
Activities conducted off the school site are likely to pose different risks to activities conducted on the school site. Schools must be able to demonstrate that excursions have been thoroughly planned to ensure that students, staff and others will be safe while undertaking the activity. Any reasonably foreseeable risks must be identified and managed. Planning should include reasonable adjustments, training for staff and supervision required, to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, all students can access and participate.