School trips are a brilliant way for pupils to learn outside of the classroom, and, at the beginning of this new academic year, they’re also a fantastic opportunity for students who may not know each other yet to get to know one another, build connections and form friendships in a different environment.
Most school trips go smoothly without a hitch, memories are made for the year ahead, and everyone heads home safe and sound. But trips also take pupils and staff outside of the familiar, controlled environment of school, where the usual frameworks may not be directly available, so being prepared for a medical emergency before you leave can make all the difference should something unexpected happen.
In this week’s issue of The First-Aid Room, we look at what to prepare before you go, what staff can do during a medical emergency during a school trip, communicating with pupils when an emergency does happen, and record-keeping after the event:
Being prepared long before the coach departs makes all the difference should something go wrong during the trip. Below are some recommendations of what school staff should check and put in place in the weeks before the big day.
While Individual Care Plans may have been renewed at the end of the summer or beginning of September, it’s always worth checking that the IHCP for every pupil with a known medical condition is up to date – and that each plan has been reviewed with the specific trip in mind before departure.
School staff should consider whether the planned activities, the environment, or the change in routine may affect the pupil's condition and whether additional measures and care are required, as a plan written for a typical school day may not cover everything relevant to a museum or castle visit, a wildlife adventure, or a day of physical activity.
Where needed, schools should get in touch with parents and seek advice from healthcare professionals to ensure the trip is adapted to meet each pupil’s needs, taking their health conditions into account.
💡 Good to know: The DfE’s statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions makes clear that pupils should not be prevented from taking part in school trips because of their medical needs. With the right planning and support in place, most pupils with medical conditions can take part fully and enjoy the experience alongside their classmates.
Updated guidance is expected following a public consultation that closed in May 2026, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for any changes when the new guidance is published.
Consent forms should be signed and returned before the trip, and relevant accompanying staff, carers, parents and other helpers or chaperones should have them on hand on the day.
Crucially, emergency contact details should be checked and confirmed as current. Outdated contact numbers could cause significant delays should an emergency happen. Ideally, staff accompanying the trip should have a named parent or carer contact and at least one backup number for every pupil.
💡 Good to know: Schools should consider their data protection obligations when sharing parent contact details with trip helpers – your Data Protection Officer can advise.
The relevant members of staff accompanying the trip should have a clear understanding of which pupils in their group have medical conditions, what those conditions are, and what to do if they need support.
This doesn’t mean sharing sensitive information with everyone; just making sure the right people have the information they need. Taking a few moments to brief all relevant staff, including anyone joining the trip at short notice, can help everyone feel prepared and ensure pupils have the right support throughout the day.
🎯 With Medical Tracker, you can control user permissions and what information is visible, so details and contact information are shared with the right users, helping you stay GDPR compliant.
Adrenaline auto-injectors, inhalers, diabetes medication and any other prescribed emergency medication should travel with the pupil, rather than being left in the school office or the coach luggage hold. Staff should know where each pupil’s medication is and feel confident about how and when to use it. Taking a few moments before the trip to check that everyone is familiar with the relevant medication and procedures can help staff feel prepared.
It’s also worth checking that the first-aid training of staff accompanying the trip is up to date. This can help ensure the team is prepared to respond to common injuries or illnesses and knows what to do should a pupil need first aid during the trip.
🎯 We partner with St John Ambulance, England's leading first aid charity, to help schools combine strong digital record-keeping with high-quality staff training. They offer a full range of courses for school settings, including EFAW, FAW, Paediatric First Aid, and more.
Having a designated first aider among the accompanying staff can help everyone feel prepared for the trip. Ideally, this person should have a current paediatric first aid qualification.
It can also be helpful to agree on roles and responsibilities in advance, so everyone knows what they should do if a pupil needs support, from calling 999 and staying with the pupil, to looking after the rest of the group and contacting the school and families. Having this in place before leaving means staff can focus on supporting pupils should something unexpected happens.
Before the trip departs, it’s helpful for the trip leader to know the location of the nearest hospital with an A&E department and the location of the nearest urgent treatment centre. Having these details on hand and easily accessible means accompanying staff can quickly find the right support if it’s needed during the trip.
🎯 If your school uses Medical Tracker, Individual Healthcare Plans, medication records, and emergency contacts can all be accessed securely from any device. Staff accompanying a trip can pull up a pupil's full health information from their phone if they need it, without having to call the school or search through paper files.
Even with the best preparation, unexpected situations can happen. Responding to a medical emergency on a school trip is much the same as responding to one at school.
The following framework can help staff respond calmly and confidently.
✅ Stay calm: A calm response can help pupils and other staff feel reassured and give everyone a clearer sense of what to do next.
✅ Assess the situation: Check whether the pupil is conscious and breathing, whether they appear to be in immediate danger, and what symptoms they are experiencing. A few moments spent understanding what is happening can help determine the most appropriate response.
✅ Call 999 if needed: If the pupil needs emergency medical attention, accompanying staff should call 999 as soon as possible. The location should be given clearly, along with information about what has happened.
✅ Stay with the pupil: Where possible, at least one member of the accompanying staff should stay with the pupil while others look after the rest of the group. Moving other pupils to a safe, quiet area can help keep the situation calm and ensure the pupil receives the care and support they need.
✅ Follow the pupil’s Individual Healthcare Plan: If the pupil has a known medical condition and an IHCP in place, this can be used to guide their care. Medication should be given in line with the plan and agreed procedures.
✅ Keep school and parents or carers informed: Once the situation is under control, the trip leader or nominated member of staff should contact school, who can then update parents or carers as appropriate. Sharing clear information about what has happened, where the group is and what action has been taken can help everyone stay informed, reassure families, and ensure the pupil receives the right support.
School staff are not expected to be medical professionals. In an emergency, the focus should be on keeping the affected pupil safe, calling for help promptly and following agreed plans.
How staff communicate with pupils during and after a medical emergency can help the wider group feel safe and reassured. Pupils may notice that something is happening and may have questions or concerns, so a calm and considered response can help them understand the situation without adding to their worries.
While the emergency is ongoing, the group can be moved away calmly and given something to focus on while the affected pupil receives support. There is no need to share more detail than is appropriate, but a simple, age-appropriate explanation can help pupils understand what is happening and avoid unnecessary worry.
Once the situation has been resolved, it can be helpful to acknowledge what happened in a calm and age-appropriate way. Pupils may be concerned about their classmate or unsettled by what they have seen. A simple reassurance that the pupil received help and is being looked after can help the rest of the group feel informed, supported and reassured.
Once the immediate situation has been dealt with and everyone is safe, recording what happened helps create a clear picture of the incident. An accurate record can support safeguarding, conversations with parents and any review of the pupil’s Healthcare Plan or the arrangements for future trips.
For every medical incident on a trip, attending staff should record:
➡️ The pupil's name, the date, time and location of the incident
➡️ The names of staff present
➡️ A description of what happened
➡️ Any symptoms observed and how they developed
➡️ Any medication administered, by whom and at what time
➡️ Whether 111 or 999 were called and what the response was
➡️ Whether parents were contacted and what was communicated
➡️ Any follow-up actions agreed or required
🎯 If your school uses Medical Tracker, staff can log a first-aid incident from anywhere using a phone or tablet, helping to capture the details while they're still fresh. Records are stored securely and can be accessed by the relevant team members back at school, helping maintain a clear record of any incident that happened on the trip.
It can also be helpful to take some time after a significant incident to reflect as a team. What worked well? Is there anything that could make future trips easier, such as updating a plan or a policy, briefing staff differently, or reviewing how the incident was communicated to families? Were families kept informed and satisfied with the level of communication? A debrief can help staff feel better prepared for future trips.
It’s all about making sure that, if something does happen – or happens again, accompanying staff, helpers, carers and parents feel confident, pupils feel safe, and the right help can be accessed as quickly as possible.
While most trips are likely to go smoothly, taking the time to put plans and support in place before the class leaves to make memories can give everyone greater confidence and help the day run swimmingly.
School Trip Medical Readiness Checklist (PDF)
Although a great deal of care has been put into writing, researching, and reviewing this issue, The First-Aid Room is designed to inform and support school staff, not to replace professional medical advice or your school's own policies. Every pupil is different, and the guidance in this issue should always be read alongside individual healthcare plans and relevant statutory guidance. When in doubt, seek medical advice. In an emergency, call 999.