Appendix A (Legislation, regulation & guidance)

Legislation and regulations

The following key acts of parliament and regulations are relevant to educational visits and apply in both England and Wales unless otherwise stated.

• Activity Centres (Young Persons' Safety) Act (1995)
• Adventure Activities Licensing Regulations (2004)
• Care Standards Act (2000)
• Child Abduction Act (1984)
• Childcare (Disqualification) Regulations (2018)
• Childcare Act (2006) (England only)
• Children Act (2004)
• Children and Families Act (2014)
• Children and Social Work Act (2017) (England only)
• Children’s Act (1989)
• Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2025 (Introducing Benedict's Law)
• Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act (2007)
• Data (Use and Access) Act 2025
• Data Protection Act (2018)
• Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations (2003)
• Education Act (1996)
• Education Act (2002)
• Education Workforce Council (Main Functions) (Wales) Regulations (2015)
• Equality Act (2010)
• Food Information (Amendment) (England) regulations (2019) (‘Natasha’s Law’)
• Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations (1981)
• Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974)
• Limitation Act (1980)
• Local Transport Act (2008)
• Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (1999)
• Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations (2006)
• Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations (2018)
• Protection of Freedoms Act (2012)
• Public Passenger Vehicles Act 1981
• Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (2013)
• School Standards and Framework Act (1998)
• Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025 (Known as Martyn's Law)
• Transport Act (1985)
• UK General Data Protection Regulation (2016)
• Unfair Contract Terms Act (1977)
• Vulnerable Groups Act (2006)

Statutory and Non Statutory Guidance

The Department for Education publishes guidance for schools and local authorities in England that is relevant to educational visits, including:

• Health and Safety on Educational Visits
• Supervision of Activity with Children
• Roles and Responsibilities of Directors of Children’s Services
• Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions
• Disqualification under the Childcare Act 2006
• SEND Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years
• Keeping Children Safe in Education
• Early Years Foundation Stage Statutory Framework
• Allergy Safety in Schools
• Mobile Phones in Schools
• Working together to Safeguard Children
• Charging for School Activities

In addition, the following international and British Standards support educational visits, including:

• BS 8848:2014 - Specification for the provision of visits, fieldwork, expeditions and adventurous activities outside the United Kingdom
• BS ISO 31031:2024 - Managing risk for youth and school trips

Additional Guidance

Guidance is published by the Association of Advisers for Outdoor Learning and Educational Visits (AAOLEV) for schools in England and Wales, known as OEAP National Guidance. https://oeapng.info

The Scottish Advisory Panel for Outdoor Education (SAPOE) publishes and maintains a guidance framework for safe practice in off-site visits, Going Out There, for schools in Scotland. https://sapoe.org.uk/going-out-there/