Educational Visits Risk Assessments – Do Schools Still Need Them?

Educational visits provide valuable learning opportunities, but they also introduce additional risks that schools must manage effectively. Suitable planning helps ensure trips are safe, enjoyable and legally compliant.

Does every educational visit need a risk assessment?

Not necessarily.

Schools should assess the level of risk associated with each visit.

Routine visits that follow well-established procedures may only require a generic assessment, whereas higher-risk visits or overseas trips are likely to require more detailed planning.

The emphasis should always be on identifying significant foreseeable risks rather than producing unnecessary paperwork.

What should an educational visit risk assessment include?

Typical considerations include:

• Travel arrangements
• Supervision ratios
• Medical needs
• Emergency contacts
• Safeguarding
• Weather
• Activity providers
• First aid arrangements
• Behaviour expectations
• Communication procedures

What is EVOLVE?

Many local authorities and academy trusts use EVOLVE to help schools plan, approve and record educational visits.

The software supports approval processes but does not replace the school's responsibility to assess risks and ensure suitable control measures are in place.

Schools using alternative systems should still ensure visits are appropriately authorised, documented and monitored.

Who approves educational visits?

DfE guidance says schools should appoint an Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC) and ensure they have the training they need. If there is no EVC, the headteacher assumes that coordination duty. The employer retains its underlying health and safety duties, while approval and operational responsibilities should follow the school's or employer's policy and delegated arrangements.

Good Educational Visits Management

Well-managed educational visits rely on good planning, competent staff and proportionate risk management rather than excessive documentation.

How SchoolSafe Systems Helps

SchoolSafe Systems supports schools through educational visit policy reviews, school risk assessment guidance and practical advice to strengthen educational visit management.