Holidays and School Trips

Where there is a proposal for a child to go on holiday or a school trip in the UK, the relevant social worker should give approval.

If the home is permitted to arrange holidays and trips without seeking approval, the social worker should still be informed, preferably in advance or as soon as possible afterwards.

In the section Granting Leaves of Absence in Working Together to Improve School Attendance statutory guidance; it states that generally, the Department for Education does not consider a need or desire for a holiday or other absence for the purpose of leisure and recreation to be an exceptional circumstance. 

The School Attendance (Pupil Registration) (England) Regulations 2024 regulation 11 Leave of Absence sets out the circumstances under which an authorised person may grant a pupil leave of absence. Schools maintained by a local authority and special schools not maintained by a local authority can only grant leave of absence in the circumstances laid out in regulation 11.

In the exceptional circumstance that a holiday had been agreed by the authorised person at a school not maintained by a local authority and which is not a special school, the Social Worker’s Manager must also give their approval.

See Types of School (GOV.UK).

• Seek authorisation from Head of Service Delivery (Responsible Individual);
• Form a planning team for the visit and assign roles;
• Develop a budget early on to set realistic expectation on costs;
• Involve young people in the planning of the visit where appropriate and possible, especially in the planning of programme and development of risk assessments;
• Get advice for vaccinations at least 8 weeks in advance of the trip;
• Allocate an 'At Home Emergency Contact';
• Ensure your 'At Home Emergency Contact' understands the visit and has all the necessary information. (Copies of passports, risk assessment for the visit, copies of consent forms, final itinerary, travel details, health forms, insurance summary, emergency contact list for all participants).

Where there is a proposal for child to go on holiday or school trip abroad, the child's social worker must always give approval, having consulted the child's parents.

Where the parents should consent, their consent must be obtained in writing. Where parental consent is not given, the social worker may need to seek legal advice as to whether the holiday can go ahead.

If the child requires a passport, the social worker should be consulted on the procedures within the Local Authority for obtaining a passport.

Sharing your experience when you return allows other groups to learn from your trip.

Where the holiday or school trip will interrupt normal contact arrangements between the child and his/her family and significant others, alternative suitable arrangements should be given consideration. This should be in consultation with the social worker and relevant others and consistent with the child's Care Plan.

See Contact with Parents/Carers, Siblings and Others Procedure.

Residential holiday schemes for disabled children are treated separately from holiday arrangements for children looked after in residential homes and are regulated by means of the Residential Holiday Schemes for Disabled Children Regulations 2013 referenced above.