Slips are permission and consent forms. They’re how the school captures parent consent for an event, a medical procedure, a media release, an excursion — anything where you need a record that the parent has agreed.
PortalHQ slips combine a custom form (built with the Forms module) with a workflow — release dates, expiry dates, parent dashboard prompts, completion tracking and reporting. The parent’s response includes a digital signature (drawn on screen) and is timestamped for audit.
What slips are for
| Use case |
Example |
| Event consent |
Year 9 excursion to the museum, Friday 5 June. |
| Annual permissions |
Photography consent for the school year. |
| Medical |
I authorise the school to administer paracetamol if needed. |
| Acknowledgement |
I have read and understood the BYOD policy. |
| One-off enrolment paperwork |
Direct debit authority. |
The building blocks
| Concept |
What it is |
| Slip |
The configuration — title, description, form, release/expiry dates, who needs to respond. |
| Slip form |
A Forms-module form of type Slip. Defines the fields the parent fills in. |
| Slip submission |
One parent’s response. Includes form data and signature. |
| Outstanding slip |
A slip that’s released but not yet submitted by the targeted parent. Surfaces on the parent dashboard. |
The typical workflow
- Editor creates the slip — picks the form, sets release/expiry, targets students. See Creating a slip.
- Slip is released at the configured date. Targeted parents see Outstanding slips on their dashboard.
- Parent submits — fills in the form, signs digitally, submits.
- Submission is recorded with timestamp and signature image.
- Editor reviews completion — sees who has and hasn’t submitted, sends reminders, follows up.
- Slip expires at the configured date — no more submissions accepted.
Who does what
| Role |
Activity |
| Slips coordinator / office staff |
Creates slips, monitors completion, follows up outstanding. |
| Teachers |
Often request slips for excursions and activities. |
| Parents |
Read, fill in, sign and submit. |
| Compliance / audit |
Reviews the completion record. |
|
Forms |
Slips |
| Purpose |
Any data collection |
Permission and consent specifically |
| Targeting |
Audience-based |
Per-student (each student needs their own submission) |
| Workflow |
Submit-and-done |
Release date → outstanding state → submission → expiry |
| Signature |
Optional |
Always required |
| Tracking |
Submissions list |
Per-student completion grid |
| Reminders |
Manual |
Built into the outstanding-slips view |
If you’re collecting consent on behalf of a specific student, use Slips. For anything else, use Forms.
Where to start