What a permission slip is
A permission slip is the form a school sends home for a parent or guardian to sign before their child takes part in a trip or off-site activity. It does two things at once. First, it informs: it tells parents exactly where their child is going, when, how they will travel, what it will cost, and what to bring. Second, it consents: by signing and returning it, the parent confirms they have read those details and give permission for their child to attend, while supplying the emergency contact and medical information the school needs to keep the child safe.
The signed slip is, in essence, a documented record of informed consent. “Informed” is the operative word: a parent can only meaningfully consent to something they have been properly told about, which is why a good permission slip is specific about the activity rather than vague. A slip that says only “Year 6 are going on a trip” does not let a parent make an informed decision; one that names the destination, the date, the transport, the supervision, and any risks does.
It is important to be clear about what a permission slip is not. It is not a liability waiver, and it does not remove the school’s legal duty of care. A signature documents that the parent was informed and agreed; it does not release the school from responsibility for assessing and managing the risks of the activity. The risk assessment — the school’s own analysis of the hazards and how they will be controlled — is a separate, essential document that no permission slip replaces. Treating a signed slip as a substitute for proper risk management is one of the most serious mistakes a school can make.
The document is used in both the US and the UK with the same essential fields, though the legal backdrop differs — covered in the variants section below.
When you need one
School trips and educational visits. The classic case: a class going to a museum, a historical site, a theatre, a farm, or a residential outdoor-education centre. The slip informs parents and records consent for the specific visit.
Sporting fixtures and competitions. When children travel to play against another school or compete in an event, a permission slip covers the travel, the activity, and the emergency arrangements.
Higher-risk and adventurous activities. Climbing, watersports, skiing, and similar activities carry greater risk and warrant a trip-specific permission slip with clear detail about the activity and explicit consent, alongside a thorough risk assessment.
Out-of-hours and overnight trips. Anything outside normal school hours, or involving an overnight stay, generally needs specific written consent rather than relying on a blanket form, because parents need the particular details of that activity.
Any activity where you need medical and emergency information. Even a low-risk local visit benefits from a slip that collects an up-to-date emergency contact and any relevant medical details, so supervising staff can respond if a child is unwell or injured.
What it must include
A clear description of the activity. Destination, date, departure and return times, transport, supervision, and purpose. Specific enough that consent is genuinely informed.
Costs and practical requirements. Any cost and how to pay (including voluntary-contribution wording where used), what the child needs to bring, and the clothing or kit required.
Emergency and medical information. An emergency contact name and phone number, and fields for relevant medical conditions, allergies, current medication, and dietary needs. This is collected so staff can keep the child safe and respond appropriately.
The consent statement and any specific authorisations. A clear statement that the parent gives permission for the child to attend, plus any specific consents the trip requires — to administer first aid or emergency treatment, to travel by the stated transport, or to photograph the child — as separate, clearly worded items.
Signature, printed name, relationship, and date. The fields that make the slip a valid, dated record of who gave consent and in what capacity.
Variants you will encounter
Trip-specific permission slip. Signed for one particular visit, with full details of that activity. The standard choice for residential, out-of-hours, or higher-risk trips where parents need the specifics. This is the form the builder produces.
Blanket / one-off consent (UK). Common in England, signed once — often at enrolment — to cover routine activities and trips that take place during school hours for the rest of the child’s time at the school. It reduces paperwork for ordinary local visits, while trip-specific slips are still used for anything beyond the ordinary.
US field-trip permission form. Functionally identical, called a “field trip” form, with requirements set at district and state level and the student information protected under FERPA. Written permission is near-universal for US off-site trips.
UK educational visit consent. Governed by DfE guidance and HSE health-and-safety expectations, and referred to as an “educational visit.” The medical, emergency, and consent fields match the US version; the legal framework and terminology differ.
Digital consent. Increasingly collected through online forms or school apps, with a typed name or secure tick accepted as consent. Faster to track and harder to lose than paper, but it must still produce a clear, dated record.
Step-by-step
Step 1 — Describe the trip clearly. Destination, date, times, transport, supervision, purpose. Be specific so consent is informed.
Step 2 — List costs and requirements. Any cost and how to pay, what to bring, what to wear, and any voluntary-contribution wording.
Step 3 — Collect emergency and medical information. Emergency contact and phone, plus relevant medical conditions, allergies, medication, and dietary needs.
Step 4 — State the consent and specific authorisations. A clear permission statement, plus separate items for first aid, transport, and photography consent as the trip requires.
Step 5 — Add signature, name, relationship, and date. The fields that make the slip a valid record. Set a clear return deadline.
Common mistakes
Mistake 1: Treating the slip as a liability waiver. A signature does not remove the school’s duty of care or release it from liability for negligence. The permission slip records consent; the risk assessment manages risk. Never confuse the two.
Mistake 2: Being too vague for consent to be informed. “We’re going on a trip” is not enough for a parent to consent meaningfully. Name the destination, date, transport, and activity so the consent is genuinely informed.
Mistake 3: Skipping the risk assessment. The most serious error. The permission slip is not a substitute for the school’s own analysis of the activity’s hazards and how they will be controlled. Both documents are required.
Mistake 4: Collecting medical information but not getting it to staff. Allergy and medication details on a form left in a filing cabinet do not protect a child on a trip. The supervising staff must have the relevant medical and emergency information with them during the activity.
Mistake 5: Bundling separate consents into one tick. Consent to attend, consent to emergency treatment, and consent to photography are distinct. Bundling them forces an all-or-nothing choice and is poor practice; keep them as separate items the parent can agree to individually.
Worked example
Oakfield Primary is taking Year 5 to a science museum. The trip leader first completes a risk assessment covering the coach travel, the venue, the staffing ratio, and the emergency plan. Only then is the permission slip prepared.
The slip describes the activity specifically: “Year 5 visit to the National Science Museum on Thursday 18 June. Depart school 9:00am by coach, return 3:30pm. Children to bring a packed lunch and wear school uniform with a warm coat.” It states there is no charge, as the trip is funded by the school.
It collects the child’s name and class, an emergency contact name and number, and a medical field — where one parent notes a severe nut allergy and that their child carries an auto-injector. It includes three separate consent items: permission for the child to attend, consent to administer emergency first aid if needed, and consent to photograph the child for the school newsletter. The nut-allergy detail is flagged to the supervising staff, who carry the information and the child’s medication on the day.
Finally, the parent signs, prints their name, records their relationship as “Mother,” and dates the form, returning it by the stated deadline. The school now has a documented record of informed consent and the medical information it needs — and, separately, a completed risk assessment that actually keeps the activity safe.
Data protection and keeping the information safe
A permission slip collects sensitive personal data — a child’s name, medical conditions, allergies, medication, and emergency contacts — and how a school handles that information is not an afterthought; it is a legal responsibility in its own right. In the UK, this data is covered by the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act, which means a school should collect only the information it actually needs for the trip, use it only for that purpose, keep it secure, and not retain it longer than necessary. In the US, student records on the form are protected under FERPA, which governs how schools handle and disclose education records. The practical implications are straightforward but frequently overlooked.
Collect only what is necessary. A permission slip for a low-risk local museum visit does not need a child’s full medical history; it needs the conditions relevant to that activity and an emergency contact. Asking for more than you need creates risk without benefit. Keep it secure: completed slips containing medical details should not be left lying in an open tray or pinned to a public noticeboard, and digital consent collected through an app or online form should be stored on a secure school system, not in an individual teacher’s personal email. Crucially, get the relevant information to the people who need it on the day — the supervising staff must carry the medical and emergency details with them, because information locked safely in the office does nothing to help a child who has an allergic reaction on a coach. And dispose of it appropriately once the trip is over and the information is no longer needed, rather than accumulating sensitive records indefinitely.
The photography question sits inside this same framework. A child’s image is personal data, and consent to use it — in a newsletter, on a website, on social media — should be obtained explicitly and separately from consent to attend, so a parent can permit the trip while declining the use of their child’s image. Bundling the two together, or assuming photography consent, is both poor practice and a data-protection weakness. Treating the permission slip as a piece of data to be handled responsibly, rather than just a form to be collected and filed, is part of doing it properly.
Sources and related categories
This template reflects DfE guidance on health and safety on educational visits, HSE guidance on school trips, and US FERPA guidance on protecting student information (linked in Sources below). It is a consent and information record, not legal advice; schools should follow their own safeguarding and educational-visits policies.
For classroom assessment and recognition documents, see the rubric and certificate of achievement templates. For the teacher’s planning document behind the activity, see the lesson plan template, and for study tools see cornell notes and venn diagram.