Body of Persons Approval (BOPA)
A BOPA is an approval for your organisation, from the council where the show takes place, that replaces individual licences for the children in it. No child can be paid, and it doesn’t cover missing school.
Last checked 28 October 2026
When it’s worth it
If several children in your cast are over the 4-day rule, a BOPA means one application instead of one per child, each to that child’s home council. The DfE says any type of organisation can apply, professional or amateur, “as long as no payment (other than expenses) is made for the child to take part”.
The catches
- It’s issued by the council where the performance is, at its discretion. They want “clear, robust and well embedded policies for safeguarding children”.
- A BOPA “does not authorise absence from school”.
- The law doesn’t require council-approved chaperones under a BOPA, but councils can set their own conditions. Suffolk, for one, allows only licensed or parent chaperones.
- Councils differ on how long it lasts: Hampshire now issues BOPAs for individual shows only; Somerset’s last 12 months; Cambridgeshire’s cover a single production.
How far ahead
| Council | What they say |
|---|---|
| Kent | Apply online at least 21 days before the first performance, then notify each production online. Notifications aren’t accepted by post or email. |
| Essex | Offered. See “Apply for Body of Persons Approval (BOPA)” on the Essex site. |
| Hampshire | At least 5 children, apply at least 21 days before the first performance. BOPAs are now for individual shows only; Hampshire no longer issues 12-month approvals. |
| Lancashire | May be considered for unpaid performances within Lancashire. Email the forms with at least 21 days’ notice. |
| Surrey | Submit at least two weeks before the first performance. There’s a separate BOPA form for festivals and events. |
| Hertfordshire | Apply at least 1 month (21 working days) before; children must not be paid and must only perform in Hertfordshire. |
| Birmingham | Offered for groups whose children won’t need time off school. |
| Norfolk | Online webform (one sitting of under two hours). Single performances or a series. |
| West Sussex | Offered for performances in West Sussex, unless children are paid or miss school. |
| Nottinghamshire | Online. Apply to the council where the performance takes place. |
| Devon | See Devon’s “Body of Persons licence” page. |
| Leeds | Online form, for amateur groups such as dance schools and drama groups whose children aren’t paid or missing school. |
| Derbyshire | Derbyshire has a BOPA application form. |
| Suffolk | Email at least 14 working days before, with the production risk assessment. Under a Suffolk BOPA only licensed chaperones or parent chaperones may look after the children. |
| Oxfordshire | Online application. |
| Cambridgeshire | Online form. A BOPA covers a single production and must be applied for 21 days before the first performance. No school absence or payment. |
| Gloucestershire | Talk to a licensing officer first. Approval takes at least 4 weeks; one event or a series, normally up to a year. |
| North Yorkshire | Offered, with an application form and contract of agreement. |
| Somerset | Valid for 12 months. At least 21 days before; for later shows, send an updated notification of performance. |
| Cornwall | Performances within Cornwall; 21 days’ notice, and a meeting with the team. |
| Buckinghamshire | See “Applying for a Body of Persons Approval (BOPA)” on the council’s site. |
| Sheffield | BOPA application form on the council’s page. |
Questions
Can one BOPA cover children from different council areas?
Yes. That’s the point: the council where the show is approves your organisation, instead of each child’s home council licensing each child.
Can some children be on a BOPA and others on licences?
Kent says a BOPA can still be granted when some children don’t meet the criteria; those children need individual licences.
Sources
- Children and Young Persons Act 1963, section 37 (England, Wales and Scotland) (checked 28 October 2026)
- DfE departmental advice: child performance and activities licensing legislation in England (Feb 2015) (checked 28 October 2026)
Beginners Call is an information tool, not legal advice. It reads the law the way the Department for Education’s advice does, but your council makes the decision. If in doubt, ask them.