This shouldn't need to be said, but here we are. I've lost count of the times I've shared a camp venue with another school and watched teachers slip away after dinner for a drink. The poorly veiled code language. The casual assumption that "just one" won't matter.
It matters.
Every time.
The Zero-Tolerance Standard for Staff Alcohol on Camp
After 20 years in operational and risk management including 15 in boarding schools I've seen what happens when the unexpected becomes urgent. And on camp, the unexpected is constant.
A student falls from a top bunk at 2 a.m. A severe allergic reaction. A midnight hospital run. A bushfire alert. A student in crisis.
The question isn't whether something will happen. It's whether you'll be ready when it does.
That's why the alcohol policy for school camps should always be the same: zero. Not "one with dinner." Not "after lights out." Not "I'm off duty tomorrow morning." Zero.
Why "Just One Drink" Is One Too Many
I was recently reviewing a boarding school training manual material that felt like common sense after years in the field. But there it was: a question about the school's alcohol policy.
The answer? Nothing while on duty, on backup, on camp, or anywhere near students.
It's not complicated. But it is absolute.
Here's why even a single drink creates unacceptable risk:
You're Never Truly Off Duty on Camp.
Camp doesn't operate on a shift system. When something happens and it will, every staff member is on deck. Immediately.
I've dealt with:
A
funnel web spider in a student's bed
A boy who tripped in the dark and gashed his leg getting water after lights out
A student who fell from a bunk and hit their head
Medical emergencies requiring urgent hospital transport
In each case, I needed backup. Staff who could think clearly, act decisively, and take full responsibility for the students in my care while I managed the crisis.
If your backup has been drinking, you have no backup.
Duty of Care Doesn't Pause
Imagine this scenario:
You're transporting a student to hospital for urgent treatment. You delegate supervision of the remaining group to your backup staff but they've had a drink. They're compromised. Not legally fit to drive. Not fully alert. Not able to deliver the duty of care those students deserve.
Now imagine a second incident occurs while you're off-site.
Who manages it? Who's accountable? What happens when parents, the school leadership, or an investigator asks why impaired staff were left in charge?
You've just put every student, every staff member, and your school at serious legal and reputational risk.
Alcohol and Camp: The Leadership Standard
This isn't about being preachy. It's about being professional.
If you can't go a few nights without alcohol, you shouldn't be taking students anywhere. That's not judgment, it's a baseline standard for anyone responsible for young people in dynamic, high-risk environments.
School camps require:
Full cognitive function
Immediate decision-making capability
Legal fitness to drive or supervise at any hour
The ability to model professional responsibility to students and colleagues
Alcohol removes
every one of those capabilities.
Even in small amounts.
The Risk Management Reality
Risk management isn't about preventing every possible incident. It's about ensuring you can respond effectively when something does happen.
Alcohol on camp removes your ability to respond.
It compromises your judgment, your legal standing, and your duty of care. It exposes your school to liability. And it signals to students who notice everything that adults don't take their safety seriously.
What "Zero Tolerance" Looks Like in Practice
No alcohol while on duty, on backup, or on camp
No exceptions for "off hours" or senior staff
Clear policy communicated during pre-camp briefings
Consistent enforcement across all staff, all camps, all year levels
This isn't about control. It's about clarity. When the standard is absolute, there's no ambiguity, no negotiation, and no risk of a staff member making a judgment call that puts students in danger.
Leadership Insight: Stay Sober, Stay Ready, Stay Accountable
At the end of the day, every staff member on camp is responsible for the safety and wellbeing of every student. Not just "their" group. Not just during "their" shift. All students, all the time.
That responsibility requires full capacity. Full presence. Full professionalism.
If something happens and you've been drinking, there's no defense. Not legally. Not ethically. Not professionally.
But if you stay sober, stay ready, and stay accountable? You're protected. Your students are protected. And your school is protected.
Insight Takeaway
Alcohol and school camps are incompatible not because of policy, but because of reality. The unexpected is inevitable. Your response must be immediate, clear-headed, and legally defensible. Zero-tolerance isn't restrictive; it's the only standard that protects students, staff, and your school when it matters most. Lead by holding the line.
