A school trip approval workflow identifies who reviews an educational visit, what information they need and how decisions are recorded. It should distinguish approval, rejection and requested changes, and explain when a changed plan needs another review. The school sets the approval requirements for its visits.
Does every visit need the same approval route?
No. HSE supports simpler authorisation for visits involving everyday risks. DfE guidance for England says some visits need detailed planning and informed headteacher or governing-board approval. Agree the route with your school's EVC and employer policy; a software workflow records that process.
The DfE guidance cited here applies to England. Schools in other UK nations should check their national guidance and employer arrangements before configuring approval stages.
Read next: DfE guidance on visit types and planning (England)
Who should own each approval stage?
Each stage should have a named role and a clear decision to make. An Educational Visits Coordinator, senior leader and visit organiser may all use the same trip record, but they do not necessarily have the same responsibility.
Map the school's existing process before configuring software. Include routine visits, residentials and overseas trips, then identify which differences actually change the review route. Agree what happens when the usual reviewer is unavailable rather than relying on an informal forwarded email.
What should an approver see in the trip record?
An approver needs the current proposal and its supporting information, not just a notification that a trip exists. Keep dates, destination, pupil group, staff roles, costs and the documents required by the school together.
- A recognisable visit title and responsible leader
- The dates, destination and type of visit being reviewed
- Pupil and staff selections relevant to the plan
- Current supporting documents and unresolved questions
- Previous decisions and the reasons for requested changes
Approval software can organise this evidence and record a decision. It cannot decide whether a school's educational, safeguarding or risk-management requirements have been met.
How are requests for changes different from rejection?
A request for changes returns the proposal for specific work before it can progress. Rejection records a different decision. Clear wording helps the organiser understand whether to revise the plan, supply evidence or discuss another approach.
| Decision | What the record should make clear |
|---|---|
| Approve | Who approved, which stage and the plan reviewed |
| Request changes | The changes needed and who will respond |
| Reject | The decision and recorded reason |
| Supersede an approval | Why an earlier approval no longer covers the current plan |
What happens if an approved trip changes?
A material change can alter what was originally approved. The school should define which changes require review and make sure the earlier decision is not mistaken for approval of the revised visit.
Trip Manager supports school-configured approval stages and named approver groups, including EVC and senior-leader review where required. Named routes can be reused across visit types and can return to a group later in the chain, and each trip shows its current stage and who it is waiting on. Material edits to an approved trip, such as dates, destination or cost, supersede earlier approvals and reopen the approval chain. The history remains part of the trip record.
Can internal activities use a lighter approval workflow?
Trip Manager supports school-defined visit types and a lighter internal workflow. Approval remains required unless the school explicitly exempts the selected internal visit type; choosing an internal parent mode alone does not remove approval.
Schools can configure optional cover and staffing steps and departure or return confirmations. Each visit keeps its saved policy settings when school defaults change, so check the actual visit requirements rather than assuming a new default has changed an existing record.
How should you test an approval workflow before rollout?
Test a change as well as a straightforward approval. Use a routine visit and a residential, inspect the reviewer queues, request a revision and verify that the organiser can identify the next action.
Then change a material field on an approved test visit and follow the renewed review. Keep parent invitation and consent checks separate: a completed internal approval chain does not mean families have responded. In a Trip Manager demo, these steps provide a more useful assessment than an approval badge on its own.
Sources and further reading
Primary sources supporting the guidance in this article.
- Department for Education: health and safety on educational visits
England-specific guidance on visit planning, parental consent, emergency arrangements and educational visits co-ordinators.
- Health and Safety Executive: school trips
Proportionate planning and authorisation, with attention to real risks rather than unnecessary paperwork.