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EOTC Event Planning and Approval

At St Joseph's School, our proposal and planning procedures are designed to create successful and safe EOTC events. Our approval processes, risk assessments, safety planning, and communication and consent procedures ensure we take all reasonable measures to minimise risk to our students, staff, and volunteers.

We may develop a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) that can be used to provide a consistent approach for recurring events.

Initial proposal

At St Joseph's School, our EOTC proposal and approval processes take into account the risk and complexity of the proposed event and activities.

Initial proposals considers:

• the purpose of the event

  The initial proposal considers the purpose of the event by:

  • stating clear learning intentions and desired learning outcomes, including links to the curriculum (for curriculum events)
  • locating the best place (with the lowest level of risk) to achieve these outcomes
  • identifying additional benefits for students (e.g. connecting with the local community, developing independence, etc.).

  Safety Management Plan – Proposal and Initial Approval (EONZ)

• the risk category for the event and level of risk involved – see EOTC Risk Assessment and Management

  	Low risk	Medium to high risk	Overnight
  Activity type	Routine and expected activities and environments (e.g activities on school grounds, supervised local visits).	Where risk exposure is greater than what would typically be the case at school (e.g. adventurous activities, water-based activities, hazardous/unpredictable environments including speed, height, extreme weather).	Overnight stays, both domestic and overseas.
  Examples	Trip to supermarket Science trip in botanical gardens	Agricultural days (medium) Field trip to the beach (medium) Day ski trip (high) Swimming at the beach (high) Rock climbing (high)	Sports trip Tramping Overseas language trip

  Adapted from the EONZ Safety Management Plan template ("Event Category Table")

• requirements for students, including those with additional support needs – see EOTC Student Participation and Inclusion
• proposed supervision structure – see EOTC Supervision
• logistics
• budget and costs.

Initial approval

Initial proposals are submitted for approval according to the level of risk:

• For low-risk events, the organiser seeks approval from the principal.
• For medium- to high-risk events, the organiser seeks approval from the principal and board.
• For overnight events, the organiser seeks approval from the principal and board.

If approval is given, detailed planning can begin.

Planning

To assist with logistics and safety planning, we may:

• use an event preparation checklist
• use standard operating procedures (SOPs) (e.g. recurring events run by different staff)
• use safety planning and risk assessment documentation, which includes risk management, staff competency, communication, and supervision structure information.

Before final approval we ensure that we have the appropriate consent for all student participants where possible, including current health information. See EOTC Consent.

Final approval

Once planning is completed, the organiser seeks final approval from the appropriate person depending on the level of risk (see "Initial approval" above).

Before the event

Before the EOTC event, we check that arrangements for the event are in order (e.g. equipment, finances, weather forecast, road conditions, transport, first aid and emergency supplies).

We also ensure that all communication and consent processes have been followed, which may include:

• checking that we have communicated all logistics information (e.g. meeting times, transport arrangements) to adults involved with the event
• ensuring relief cover has been arranged if necessary and school staff are aware of student absences
• briefing students about behaviour expectations and safety – see EOTC Student Participation and Inclusion.

Pre-departure and during the event

Immediately before and throughout the EOTC event, we monitor risk and decide whether to continue, modify, postpone, or cancel if the level of risk has changed. See EOTC Contingency and Emergency Planning.

We carry out the following safety actions before and during the event:

• monitoring the weather and road conditions
• following any operational limits that may have been set for a planned activity

  Operational limits are parameters that can be set to decide whether or not an EOTC event will go ahead as planned. Operational limits can be particularly useful for events that are weather dependent or held in a dynamic environment (e.g. temperature, rain, sea conditions, driving conditions, etc.). Limits could also apply regarding adequate supervision (e.g. if an adult falls ill or is unavailable to attend).

  A traffic light approach can be applied to operational limits, for example:

  Operational limits for a surfing trip (example)
  RED	No go zone	2 metre swells, 25+ km winds, red weather warnings in place
  ORANGE	Are the conditions suitable for the activity and group capability (students and staff)? Are modifications needed to keep the risk at acceptable level?	Swells 1–2 metres, winds 15–25 km
  GREEN	Go ahead	<1 metre swells, <15 km winds

  Adapted from the EONZ Safety Management Plan template ("Operational limits")

• checking equipment (including communication devices)
• communicating with participants, including about emergency procedures and potential hazards
• monitoring students with support plans modifying supports as needed
• reporting incidents – see EOTC Incident Reporting.

The person in charge (in consultation with the principal and/or EOTC coordinator, if relevant) is responsible for making the decision about whether to continue with an EOTC event. The board is informed as necessary.

Related policies

• Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) (see "EOTC safety planning and risk assessment documentation")
• EOTC Governance Roles and Responsibilities
• EOTC Management and Support Roles
• EOTC External Providers and Contractors
• EOTC Staff Competence
• EOTC Student Participation and Inclusion
• EOTC Review, Evaluation, and Reporting

Resources

• Te Ratonga Tirorangi | Metservice
• Waka Kotahi | NZTA
• Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa: education Learning Management System (search EOTC for training modules – "Planning")
• EONZ: EOTC Safety Management Plan and Toolkit (see EOTC Safety Management Plan template – "Proposal and Initial Approval")
• EONZ: EOTC Safety Management Plan and Toolkit
  • Event Proposal, Approval, and Intentions Form
  • Parent/Caregiver Blanket Consent Form
  • Parent/Caregiver Consent Form
  • Event Checklist Form
  • Incident Report
  • Emergency Response Guide

Release history: Term 4 2024, Term 1 2024, Term 1 2021, Term 1 2019

Topic Number: 51191	Last Modified Date: 16/07/2025 16:47:55
Topic Version: 1	Published Date: 30/01/2026

In This Section EOTC Risk Assessment and Management EOTC Contingency and Emergency Planning EOTC Consent EOTC Supervision EOTC Transport EOTC Health and First Aid