To ensure an effective and enjoyable school educational tour, prioritize educational value, plan well in advance, involve students in the planning, and ensure safety and engagement throughout the trip.
You want your school trips to be enjoyable for pupils. However, don’t lose sight of the educational value they offer too. Your cycle of trips and visits should be woven into your curriculum plans and should support the development of skills and knowledge that would not be accessible in other ways. Try and provide every subject with an opportunity to explore an aspect of the curriculum outside the classroom.
Try something new
Sticking to the people and venues you know definitely has its advantages and the familiarity allows you to build with confidence, link into the curriculum, and tweak to continually improve the experience. However, there is also room for trying something different. Keep an open mind about new opportunities and talk to colleagues about what is working for them. If you do decide to seek out something new then explore some of the school trip directories available online and talk to other schools about what they do. Of course, you will still want to do your own preview visit and research each potential venue thoroughly.
Keep them affordable
You will want to ensure that these opportunities are accessible to everyone. As such, look for ways to keep the cost down and consider using funds such as the Pupil Premium.
