School Fete Jumping Castle Checklist: Insurance, Permits, Supervision
Everything a P&C committee needs to book a jumping castle for a Brisbane school fete — COI, AS 3533 compliance, supervisor mandates, council permits.
So your P&C voted “yes” on a jumping castle for this year’s fete. Now what? This is the checklist Brisbane school treasurers use to keep the principal, the insurer and the local council happy — and to make sure the castle actually shows up on the day.
The 4 things you must have before fete day
A school fete jumping castle hire is not the same as a backyard birthday. Schools sit on Queensland public-liability frameworks, your insurer wants paperwork, and your council may require a permit. Here’s the short list of what you need:
- Certificate of Currency (COC) — proof the hire company carries at least $20 million public liability insurance, with your school named or noted on the policy
- AS 3533.4.1:2018 compliance certificate — Australian Standard for inflatable amusement devices
- Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) — what the operator does, in writing, to keep the equipment safe
- Site-specific risk assessment — sometimes required by the council or insurer; covers pegging surface, power, weather threshold, capacity
A reputable Brisbane hire company hands you all four free with every school booking. If they hesitate, choose someone else.
Do I need a supervisor on-site?
The Queensland Workplace Health and Safety code doesn’t legally require a paid supervisor for every inflatable, but every public liability policy for schools in this state does require continuous adult supervision when kids are using the castle. There are two ways to handle this:
Option 1 — Volunteer supervision. A P&C parent watches the castle, controls entry, enforces capacity limits. Free, but it eats one parent’s whole afternoon and they need to be trained. The hire company should brief whoever’s supervising at drop-off.
Option 2 — Paid hire-company supervisor. A trained, insured operator from the hire company stays on-site for the full hire. Manages entry, capacity, weather threshold, breakdowns. Costs around $95–$120 an hour. Worth it for big fetes (300+ kids) where one person can’t realistically watch the castle for 6 hours straight.
For school fetes with multiple inflatables (e.g. castle + slide + obstacle course), most P&Cs go with supervised hire on at least one item. See our supervised jumping castle hire page for the details.
What council permits do I need?
Most Brisbane school fetes happen on school grounds, which means no council permit is needed. The school is already a licensed venue and the inflatable is being used as part of an organised, school-authorised event.
Where you DO need a permit:
- The fete spills onto a council park adjacent to the school (e.g. you’ve borrowed the oval next door)
- The fete is run off-site at a community park
- The fete is large enough that road closures are needed
If your fete fits any of those, contact the relevant council 6–8 weeks before the date. The hire company supplies the documents the council needs (COC, AS 3533, SWMS); your P&C lodges the application.
Brisbane councils and what they require:
| Council | Park permit needed? | Lead time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane City Council | Yes for council parks | 2–4 weeks | Online application via the BCC website |
| Logan City Council | Yes | 3–4 weeks | Some sites require additional impact statements |
| Ipswich City Council | Yes | 2–3 weeks | Pegging may be restricted in heritage parks |
| Moreton Bay Regional Council | Yes | 2–4 weeks | Strict on event capacity caps |
| Gold Coast City Council | Yes | 2 weeks | Beach-adjacent parks have stricter rules |
| Sunshine Coast Council | Yes | 2 weeks | Hire must be ANZSI member or equivalent |
How much should we budget?
Realistic 2026 budget for a school fete jumping castle setup:
- Single medium castle, 4 hours — $225–$295 (plus delivery $0–$150 depending on location)
- Combo castle with slide, 6 hours — $395–$495
- 15m obstacle course — $495–$595
- 30–40m bootcamp course — $695–$895
- Multi-item fete bundle (castle + slide + obstacle + supervisor) — $1,200–$2,400 depending on scale
- Supervised hire surcharge — $95–$120/hour
The cheapest school fete setup that works for a typical 200–400 kid event is a 15m obstacle course with a paid supervisor. The course handles continuous traffic better than a single castle (no capacity bottleneck), the supervisor handles risk and breakdowns, and it photographs well for next year’s fete promo.
What about wet weather?
Brisbane in fete season (October to early December) gets afternoon storms. Your hire contract should specify the wet-weather policy:
- Light rain — most inflatables stay up; sliding inflatables stop until the surface dries
- Heavy rain or wind over 40 km/h — castle comes down for safety
- Storm forecast on the day — hire company will usually call you the morning of to reschedule
Make sure your fete contract names a free reschedule clause if the hire company calls it off. Most reputable Brisbane companies (including us) don’t charge a cancellation fee when weather is the reason.
Who signs the booking?
The P&C treasurer or school business manager signs and pays the deposit. Not the principal. Schools have stricter procurement rules than P&Cs — going via the P&C is faster and gives you more flexibility on supplier choice.
The school principal or business manager still needs to sight the COC for insurance reasons. Forward the email when the hire company sends it.
The day-before checklist
48 hours before fete day:
- Confirm delivery window with hire company (they’ll usually call to lock it in)
- Confirm power access at the setup spot (most blowers need 10-amp standard outlets within 25m)
- Confirm pegging surface (grass = pegs; concrete = sandbags, ask the hire company)
- Confirm wet-weather contact — who at school is the call point if storms are forecast
- Print the COC and SWMS for the school’s records
- Brief the volunteer supervisors (or confirm the hire-company supervisor is booked)
Booking your fete inflatables
We’ve supplied Brisbane school fetes since 2009. P&C committees know us by reputation — we hand over all four documents at booking, brief volunteer supervisors at drop-off, and we don’t charge for free reschedules when storms force a date change.
Common school fete combinations:
- Primary school (K–6) — combo castle + slushie machine + photo booth. Around $895 plus delivery.
- Middle/junior school — 15m obstacle course + sumo suits + fairy floss. Around $1,295 plus delivery.
- High school formal lead-up event — disco dome + 18+ rated bouncer + photo booth. Around $1,495 plus delivery.
Get a fete-specific quote with all four documents pre-attached via our contact page. Lead time for fete season is 8 weeks — book early.
