CalmComplianceRisk Assessment template
Higher-Risk Educational Visit Risk Assessment
- Version
- v1
- Updated
- 1 October 2026
- Audience
- Primary and secondary schools in England, including maintained schools and academies, excluding independent schools.
- Jurisdiction
- england
Activity assessed
Educational visits outside current school policies or requiring additional planning, including visits involving greater distance, particular locations, unusual activities, specialist staff competence, participant needs or additional approval requirements.
Assess each hazard and its controls against your site before use. Template ratings require local review.
Hazards and controls
The visit may not be covered by current school policies or previous arrangements, resulting in hazards or planning requirements not being identified.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm which current school policies, procedures and previous arrangements apply to this visit.
- Proposed controls
- Define the visit scope and identify any aspects outside current school policies or arrangements. Review relevant existing plans where they are applicable, identify genuine visit-specific hazards, and record proportionate controls. Do not assume that a previous successful visit has the same risk profile.
Local assessment and additional controls
The distance, duration or travel arrangements may introduce hazards or additional planning requirements that are not addressed by routine visit arrangements.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm existing school travel, supervision, attendance, communication and contingency arrangements relevant to this visit.
- Proposed controls
- Record the proposed route, travel arrangements, duration, supervision arrangements, meeting or regrouping arrangements and foreseeable contingencies. Obtain and review visit-specific information before finalising the plan. Add controls proportionate to the distance, duration and travel arrangements.
Local assessment and additional controls
The location may present hazards or access, supervision, safeguarding, environmental or emergency-planning requirements that are not covered by routine school arrangements.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm available information about the location and any existing school or provider arrangements that apply.
- Proposed controls
- Obtain sufficient location-specific information for the planned activities and participants. Identify relevant access, supervision, boundaries, environmental conditions, facilities and emergency arrangements. Record only controls supported by visit-specific information, and identify any information still required.
Local assessment and additional controls
An unusual or non-routine activity may introduce hazards that are not addressed by existing school policies or staff experience.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm current school policies, provider arrangements and any established controls relevant to the activity.
- Proposed controls
- Describe the activity and its foreseeable hazards. Confirm the suitability of the activity for the participants and planned setting. Obtain activity-specific information where needed, define supervision and operating arrangements, and record proportionate controls before the activity takes place.
Local assessment and additional controls
The visit may require staff, volunteers or providers with specialist skills, status, competence or familiarity with the activity, and those requirements may not be met or verified.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm the relevant competence, experience, roles and responsibilities of proposed staff, volunteers and providers.
- Proposed controls
- Identify the competence and experience needed to manage the visit and each unusual or specialist activity. Confirm who will manage the visit, who will supervise participants and who will provide specialist input. Record any competence, briefing, provider or supervision requirements that remain outstanding.
Local assessment and additional controls
Participant needs may not be sufficiently understood or accommodated, creating additional risks to participation, supervision, welfare or emergency response.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm relevant participant information, existing individual arrangements and applicable school procedures without including unnecessary personal details in this register.
- Proposed controls
- Identify participant needs relevant to the visit, including needs affecting access, communication, supervision, health, behaviour, mobility or emergency response. Consult appropriate people and record proportionate adjustments, support, supervision and contingency arrangements. Confirm that arrangements remain appropriate for the specific location and activities.
Local assessment and additional controls
Roles, responsibilities, supervision arrangements or decision-making arrangements may be unclear during the visit.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm the proposed visit leader, supervising adults, participant groups and communication arrangements.
- Proposed controls
- Document the visit leader, supervising adults, participant groupings, responsibilities, supervision arrangements and escalation routes. Ensure that arrangements reflect the activity, location, participants and foreseeable changes. Identify any gaps requiring resolution before approval or departure.
Local assessment and additional controls
An incident, change in conditions, delay, illness, separation or other foreseeable contingency may not be managed effectively.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm existing school emergency, incident reporting, communication and contingency procedures relevant to the visit.
- Proposed controls
- Identify foreseeable emergencies and changes in circumstances relevant to the visit. Record proportionate arrangements for communication, first response, supervision, regrouping, cancellation, postponement or early return as applicable. Ensure that staff and other relevant people know the arrangements before the visit.
Local assessment and additional controls
The visit may require informed approval from the headteacher or governing board, but the required approval route, information or decision record may be unclear.
- Existing controls
- Not pre-populated. Confirm the school's approval requirements and the person or body responsible for approving this visit.
- Proposed controls
- Identify whether the visit requires additional approval under the school's arrangements. Provide the decision-maker with proportionate information about the visit, genuine risks, existing controls, proposed controls, competence requirements and outstanding actions. Record the approval decision and any conditions before treating the visit as authorised.
Local assessment and additional controls