Free template · Schools, nurseries and clubs
Free photo consent form for schools
A photo and video consent form you can copy, print or download as a Word file. Parents choose each use separately — website, social media, newsletters, the press — the way UK data protection guidance expects.
Updated 1 October 2026
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Free, no sign-up. Swap the [square brackets] for your own details.
Download Word file (.docx)Read it on this page ↓What a photo consent form needs to cover
Under UK GDPR, consent only counts if it is specific, informed and freely given. The ICO's guidance on valid consent translates into a handful of things every photo consent form should do:
- A separate choice for each use. The ICO says separate consent is needed for different processing wherever appropriate. Agreeing to a classroom display is not the same as agreeing to a public Instagram post.
- No pre-ticked boxes. Silence, pre-ticked boxes or inactivity don't count as consent. Parents must actively say yes.
- Who you are. Name your organisation, and any other organisation that will use the photos — a local newspaper, say.
- How to withdraw. People have the right to withdraw consent easily and at any time, so tell them who to contact.
- How long it lasts. Consent should be kept under review and refreshed at sensible intervals — many schools renew it yearly or at each key stage.
- A record. You need to be able to show who consented, to what, and when. Keep the signed forms.
The ICO's guidance on photos in schools adds that pupils, or their parents depending on the pupil's age, must be told how photos will be used, and recommends giving pupils the chance to opt out. Consent is one possible lawful basis, but it isn't the right one in every case — your DPO can tell you which your setting relies on.
Asking the child as well as the parent is good practice too: the NSPCC's template for sports groups seeks consent from both. Our template has a line for older children to sign.
Not legal advice
[Organisation name and logo]
Photograph and video consent form
At [organisation name] we like to celebrate what our children do — in lessons, at events, on trips and in matches. This form asks your permission to take and use photos and videos of your child, and lets you choose exactly where they may appear.
You can say yes to some uses and no to others. Saying no to any of them will never affect your child's place, activities or how they are treated. Please do not tick a box unless you agree to that use.
Where may we use photos and videos of your child?
Please tick Yes or No for each use.
| Use | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Displays inside our buildingNoticeboards, classroom displays and printed work that stays on our premises. | ||
| Newsletters and printed materialsNewsletters sent to families, the prospectus and printed leaflets. | ||
| Our websitePublic pages of our website, which anyone can view. | ||
| Our social media accountsOur official accounts (for example Facebook, Instagram or X), which anyone can view and share. | ||
| Parent communication appsApps or learning journals shared only with your child's family or class. | ||
| Local press and mediaPhotos or video we send to, or that are taken by, newspapers, TV or radio. The media may print your child's name. | ||
| Video and live streamsRecordings or live streams of performances, assemblies and events. | ||
| Photos with your child's face replacedPhotos where software has replaced your child's face with a computer-generated one, so your child cannot be identified. Tick this if you would allow these even where you have said no to identifiable photos above. |
Our promises to you
- We will not print your child's full name next to a photo or video without asking you separately.
- We will not use photos of children who are not suitably dressed, or in a way that could embarrass them.
- We will keep this form on file for as long as your child is with us, and remove photos from active use once your consent ends.
- We will ask you to renew this consent every [year / key stage], or sooner if anything about how we use photos changes.
Changing your mind
You can change your mind at any time. Tell [contact name] at [email / phone] or the office, and we will stop using new photos of your child for the uses you withdraw. We may not be able to recall printed materials already distributed, but we will remove photos from our website and social media accounts as soon as we can.
Your child's views
For older children: I have talked about this form with my parent or carer and I am happy with the choices above.
Your data
[Organisation name] is the data controller for these photos and videos. Our privacy notice at [link] explains how we handle personal information, how long we keep it and your rights. Our Data Protection Officer is [name, contact].
Signature
- Child's name
- Class / group
- Parent or carer's name
- Signature
- Date
Template from safeguard-vision.com/photo-consent-form. Not legal advice: adapt it to your own policies and check it with your Data Protection Officer.
Children without photo consent
Every class has a few. The usual workarounds all cost something: leaving those children out of the group shot, photographing the backs of heads, or covering faces with emoji stickers and blur — which spoils the photo and can still give a child away through their hair, uniform or build.
There's another option. Safeguard Vision replaces the faces you choose with new, AI-generated ones that keep the same age, expression and complexion, so the photo still looks like your school on the day — but those children can't be identified. Pupils whose parents said yes can stay exactly as they are.
That's why our template has an optional line for photos with faces replaced. Some parents who say no to identifiable photos are happy for their child to appear once nobody could recognise them — and asking means you know for sure. If you're weighing up what's allowed at all, read can schools post photos of children?
Tips for using the form
- Send it when a child joins, and again at the interval your policy sets.
- Keep a simple list — paper or in your MIS — of which children have which consents, and share it with anyone who takes or posts photos.
- Check the list before every post, newsletter and press visit, not just at the start of the year.
- When a parent withdraws consent, update the list the same day and take down online photos promptly.
Common questions
Photo consent questions.
Do schools need consent to take photos of pupils?
Can one tick box cover every use of a photo?
How long does photo consent last?
Can parents withdraw photo consent?
Do parents need consent to film the school play?
What about children whose parents said no?
Consent sorted. Now share the photos.
For the children without consent, give them a new face instead of leaving them out. Try it free on two photos.
Anonymise 2 photos free →- ✓ 2 photos free
- ✓ No card
- ✓ About ~20 seconds