Slips in the bottom of a school bag
The Year 8 geography field trip is in two weeks. A letter and consent slip went home. By the deadline, two thirds have come back. Some have missing emergency contact numbers. One says 'see last time' in the dietary box. Several parents have emailed consent instead of returning the slip. For the Year 11 trip to Berlin, the trip leader also needs passport numbers and expiry dates, which are copied from photos parents have sent.
The trip leader spends the week before the trip chasing slips and typing details into a spreadsheet to take on the coach.
Consent is collected from scratch every time
Most of what a consent slip asks for is already known to the school: contact numbers, dietary requirements, relevant medical information that parents have shared. But each trip asks for it again on paper, parents fill it in again, and the answers may differ from the MIS. The consent itself is the only new part.
- Paper slips go home and come back late.
- Details already held are asked for again.
- Answers on slips differ from the MIS record.
- Passport details are collected separately for overseas trips.
- The trip leader types everything into a spreadsheet.
What paper consent costs
Trip leaders' time, when they should be preparing the trip. The risk that the information taken on the trip is out of date or conflicts with the school's main record. Late consents that leave numbers uncertain close to departure. And a spreadsheet with personal details that has to be handled carefully and deleted afterwards.
The school's trip approval, risk assessment and safeguarding arrangements are separate and remain with your trip leader, educational visits coordinator and policies. This is about collecting consent and details reliably.
Online trip consent we build
- The trip leader sets up the trip with its details and what needs to be collected, such as passport information for overseas trips.
- Parents receive a link by email or through your parent app, showing the trip details and the information the school already holds about their child.
- Parents confirm or update contact, dietary and relevant details, and changes are sent to the school office to update the main record.
- Parents give consent for this trip specifically, with the date and the name of the parent recorded.
- For overseas trips, passport details are collected securely.
- The trip leader sees who has consented, who has not, and any changes, and non-responders get reminders.
- A trip sheet with the details needed on the trip is produced for the leader, and trip-specific details are deleted after the trip according to your policy.
| Information | Before | With online consent |
|---|---|---|
| Consent | Paper slip | Recorded online with date and name |
| Contact details | Written again on the slip | Confirmed from the school record |
| Dietary needs | Written again, sometimes differently | Confirmed or updated |
| Passport details | Photos emailed | Collected securely for overseas trips |
| Trip sheet | Typed by the leader | Produced from the responses |
A trip that is ready a week early
The trip leader sees consents arriving within days of the link going out. Reminders deal with most stragglers. Updates to contact details reach the office, so the main record is improved, not contradicted. On the day, the leader has an accurate trip sheet, and the paper chase is over.
On a normal Monday, the leader sets up a Year 9 theatre trip in the morning. By Wednesday, most families have consented, two have updated their mobile numbers, and one has added a new allergy, which the office has already recorded.
Signs your trip consent needs this
- Consent slips go home on paper.
- Parents are asked for details the school already holds.
- Trip leaders type details into spreadsheets.
- Passport details arrive as photos by email.
- Consent is sometimes still missing on the day.