The Department for Education, Children and Young People believes that all children and young people have the right to participate in engaging, enriching and extending learning experiences and to be kept safe from harm.
Staff have a duty of care to protect students against any risk of harm which is foreseeable. Off-campus activities must have the maximum level of supervision and appropriate safety precautions. For students to participate in offsite activities specific guidelines must be complied with.
Who is considered an external service provider?
An external provider is a business or individual engaged by the school or educational site to provide a service, venue and/or expertise appropriate to a particular activity.
What must external service providers provide?
External providers must provide the following in writing:
- Recent experience (including maintained logbooks)
- Current qualifications of staff, accreditation and any relevant training
- Evidence of Registration to Work with Vulnerable People for all individuals
- A Risk Management Plan relevant to the activity
- Appropriate insurance inducing public liability (minimum of $10 million)
External providers must demonstrate compliance with specific requirements for activity. They must also provide options for parents/carers to contact them with any questions about the activity.
What type of activities have specific guidelines?
The Department has a duty of care to protect children and young people against any risk of harm which is foreseeable. Mandatory guidance is provided for school staff about how to mitigate risk associated with some activities. These include:
Recreation Activities:
- Archery
- Boating and sailing
- Cycle touring
- Fishing
- Four Wheel Driving
- Horse Riding
- Orienteering
- Small Wheel Sports
- Surfing
- Swimming
- Walkathons
Adventure Activities:
- Bushwalking
- Camping
- Canoeing and Kayaking
- Caving
- Diving (Scuba) and Snorkelling
- Mountain Biking
- Rafting
- Rock Climbing (and other rope courses)
- Snow Activities
How do I know what the requirements are for each activity?
The Off-Campus Activities Planning Procedures provide mandatory requirements for suitable activities. Some links in this document are staff-only access. Please ensure you are using the most up-to-date version.
What type of activities are not suitable for children and young people?
Some activities have been deemed unsuitable where risk cannot be managed appropriately or for activities not compatible with community expectations and therefore must not be undertaken. These activities currently include:
- bungee jumping
- canyoning
- caving – for primary and secondary students
- hang gliding
- parachuting or skydiving
- shooting and any use of and other weapons-based real life action games
- flying ultra-light aircraft
- quad bike riding including All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and side-by-side vehicles
- flyboarding (air or water)
- water skiing
- jumping castles.
How do I get more information?
Please read the Procedures.
If you have feedback or have a question about Off-Campus Activities you can provide feedback to the department using this link.
Infostream – General Notices for Education Related Events, Programs and Activities
Organisations wishing to advertise student educational opportunities, professional development, and information about upcoming events and teacher and school resources should use Infostream – Education Notices – see Submission details and guidelines (PDF, 400KB)