SQS Partner Assessment | Altura Student

DMC Assessment Programme

Student Travel
Readiness Assessment.

This assessment determines whether your operation meets the standards required to deliver student educational travel for Australian tour operators. Aligned to the SETO Quality Standards framework.

Assessment Domains

Maximum Points

Critical Fail Conditions

25+

SQS-Ready Threshold

Assessment Progress

Before You Begin

Complete this assessment honestly and accurately. Responses generate a formal audit scorecard reviewed by the Altura Student team.
Scoring uses Yes / Partial / No. Partial indicates foundations exist but documentation gaps remain.
Six domains assessed across a maximum of 30 points. A score of 25 or above indicates strong SQS alignment.
Four critical fail conditions result in automatic Not Ready status regardless of total score.
Activity modules (expeditions, adventurous activities, homestays etc.) are nominated at the end.

All information is treated as confidential. An audit report is generated automatically on submission and reviewed within 5 business days. Your referring operator will be notified of the outcome.

Details

Organisation and Contact Details

These fields populate your audit report header.

DMC / Company Name *

Primary Contact Name *

Contact Email *

Country / Region of Operation

Referring Tour Operator The Australian student travel company that sent you this assessment link.

Quoting and Financial Practice

Transparent, accurate quoting is essential for school operators meeting state education department approval processes.

/ 5 pts

D1.1 — Standardised quote with day-by-day inclusions and exclusions * Does your quote template include explicit inclusions, exclusion notes, and meal and accommodation standards?

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D1.2 — FX assumptions and quote validity period stated Base exchange rate, date, validity period (minimum 14 days), and FX fluctuation threshold.

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D1.3 — NETT pricing with no hidden commissions or mark-up ambiguity

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D1.4 — Documented payment schedule and cancellation policy aligned to international school tour norms

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Safety Management System

Australian school operators carry significant legal and reputational liability. DMCs must demonstrate structured safety management. This is a critical fail domain.

/ 7 pts

D2.1 — Documented Safety Management System covering risk assessment, safety arrangements, and continuous improvement *

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D2.2 — Comprehensive emergency escalation protocol with defined roles, communication chains, and 24/7 operations support * Must include crisis levels, reporting lines, local emergency contacts, and Australian Embassy communication protocols.

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Critical Fail Condition: No documented emergency escalation protocol is an automatic Not Ready result.

D2.3 — Systematic supplier vetting — transport and accommodation assessed against documented safety criteria

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D2.4 — Documented incident, accident, and near-miss reporting protocol with investigation process

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D2.5 — Established contacts with local authorities, emergency services, and Australian Embassy

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Additional requirements: Water and swimming policy · Crisis management plan · Data protection policy · Illness management and allergen protocols · Satellite communications for remote operations.

Additional safety context

Tour Preparation and Supplier Vetting

Your vetting and contracting practices determine whether the supply chain is defensible to Australian school risk assessors.

/ 6 pts

D3.1 — Formal accommodation assessment including fire safety, security, electrical hazards, pool safety, and hygiene — completed before first use and at least every 3 years

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D3.2 — Formal coach and transport assessment including licensing, insurance, vehicle maintenance, and driver vetting

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D3.3 — Risk categorisation and vetting applied to all activity and excursion providers

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D3.4 — Documented risk assessments for all DMC-organised elements not delivered by an external operator

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D3.5 — Service Level Agreements with all contracted sub-suppliers specifying safety standards and safeguarding requirements

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Prohibited Activities — Confirm your DMC does NOT offer any of the following to school groups * Bungee jumping · Flying ultra-light aircraft · Hang gliding · Parachuting or skydiving. These are prohibited for all Australian school groups.

✓Confirmed — none offered

✕One or more offered

Critical Fail Condition: Offering prohibited activities to school groups results in automatic Not Ready status.

Staffing, Training and Safeguarding

Safeguarding is non-negotiable in Australian educational travel. Background checks and child protection policy are critical fail conditions.

/ 6 pts

D4.1 — All guides and staff working with school groups hold current criminal history checks and a WWCC-equivalent *

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Critical Fail Condition: No background checks or WWCC-equivalent is an automatic Not Ready result.

D4.2 — Documented child protection and safeguarding policy addressing responsibilities, disclosure, photography, ICT safety, and staff code of conduct *

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Critical Fail Condition: No child protection or safeguarding policy is an automatic Not Ready result.

D4.3 — Structured staff training programme including formal induction, annual refreshers, and mandatory first aid certification

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D4.4 — Documented supervision ratios and duty of care protocols — understanding that teachers hold in loco parentis

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Documentation and Communication

Australian operators present DMC documentation to school principals, parent evenings, and education department approval processes.

/ 3 pts

D5.1 — Responds to operator queries within 24 business hours with a separate 24/7 emergency line

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D5.2 — Itinerary version control and change log system — itineraries versioned, dated, and changes communicated with amendment summary

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D5.3 — All client-facing documentation available in fluent English with no language barriers for Australian operators or school groups

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Responsible Travel Practice

Australian schools increasingly scrutinise sustainability credentials, ethical supply chains, and animal welfare.

/ 3 pts

D6.1 — Child protection and ethical employment commitment extended to the supply chain — supplier due diligence includes ethical labour practice checks

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D6.2 — Environmental and sustainability commitment covering waste reduction, single-use plastic elimination, carbon management, and conservation

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

D6.3 — Cultural sensitivity, community respect, and animal welfare — no animal encounters involve exploitation or welfare concerns

✓Yes

◐Partial

✕No

Modules

Activity Modules

Select all module types your DMC offers to school groups. Module-specific requirements will be noted in your audit report.

Select all activity modules your DMC offers to school groups

Community ProjectsConservation, building, reforestation, charity work

ExpeditionsMulti-day trekking, hiking, remote environments

Adventurous ActivitiesAbseiling, zip lines, rafting, kayaking, scuba, surfing

Sports ToursCompetitive fixtures, tournaments, training camps

Snow and Ski ToursSkiing, snowboarding, snow sports

HomestaysBilleting, host-family accommodation, cultural exchange

Additional notes on activity module capabilities or limitations

Anything else the Altura Student team should know? Certifications, awards, accreditations, unique capabilities, or areas in development.

Declaration and Submission

By submitting this assessment you confirm that all information provided is accurate and complete to the best of your knowledge, and that you are authorised to submit on behalf of your organisation. Altura Student will review your application and the referring tour operator will be notified of the outcome within 5 business days. This assessment is valid for 12 months from the date of submission.

I confirm all information is accurate and I am authorised to submit on behalf of this organisation.

Assessment received · Scorecard generated automatically · Altura Student reviews within 5 business days

Critical Fail Conditions Detected

Live Score Preview

Updates as you complete each domain

— / 30

Assessment Status

Complete form to preview

What Happens Next

Your assessment data is processed immediately on submission.
A comprehensive audit scorecard is generated automatically based on your responses.
An AI-generated remediation plan is included for any gaps identified.
A Google Drive folder is created for your compliance documents.
The Altura Student team reviews and notifies your referring tour operator within 5 business days.

This framework aligns with the SETO Quality Standards Member Handbook — February 2026. It is an enablement tool designed to assist Australian tour operators in evaluating DMC partners, and is not a substitute for official SETO membership or formal SQS certification.

Assessment Submitted.

Thank you for completing the Altura Student SQS assessment. Your responses have been received and an audit scorecard is being generated.

You will receive your result by email shortly. The Altura Student team will follow up within 5 business days.

Student TravelReadiness Assessment.

Before You Begin

Organisation and Contact Details

Quoting and Financial Practice

Safety Management System

Tour Preparation and Supplier Vetting

Staffing, Training and Safeguarding

Documentation and Communication

Responsible Travel Practice

Activity Modules

Declaration and Submission

Critical Fail Conditions Detected

Live Score Preview

What Happens Next

Assessment Submitted.

Student Travel
Readiness Assessment.