SETO Quality Standards

SETO is Committed to Building Confidence in Education Outside the Classroom

At SETO, the safety, wellbeing, and educational outcomes of students and teachers are our highest priorities. As the peak body for student educational travel in Australia, we champion trusted, high-quality experiences that inspire learning beyond the classroom.

The SETO Quality Standards (SQS) Framework establishes a national benchmark for excellence, supporting tour operators, suppliers, and partners to deliver safe, responsible, and transformative student travel. It also provides schools, teachers, and parents with a clear, reliable reference point when choosing who to partner with — ensuring every journey is planned, managed, and delivered to the highest standards.

The Framework is structured as a series of interconnected layers, forming the foundations of best business practice. The SQS Framework complements local laws and regulations, recognising that educational travel standards vary across states and regions. By embracing these standards, members enhance safety, strengthen governance, and deliver exceptional learning experiences, building trust with schools, teachers, and parents while driving continuous improvement across the sector.

Intertek Checkpoint provides an independent assessment of member compliance, reinforcing the integrity, safety, and quality of SETO-certified tour operators.

SETO Quality Standards Framework

The SQS Framework is designed to mirror the progressive layers of planning and delivery that shape a student educational tour, while reinforcing the foundations of safe, responsible, and professional business practice that guide every SETO tour operator.

Domains (Core)

At the centre are the essential operational and management areas that underpin safe, effective, and professional educational travel delivery.

Trip Types and Activity Modules (Middle Layer)

Surrounding the domains are program elements that apply to specific trip types and contexts. These modules focus on activities that carry additional risks or complexities and provide extra guidance on planning, risk management, and safety. Not every tour type requires a module, they are applied only where relevant to the journeys being delivered.

Commitment to Responsible Travel (Outer Layer)

Enveloping the framework is the commitment to ethical, sustainable, and socially responsible practices across all operations.