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The year may have only just got going, but if it falls to you to organise the end of term school trip, then there’s not a minute to waste. Here’s a look at why it’s important to put the wheels in motion now for a successful school trip, and some tips for selecting the right destination and coach hire in London or the surrounding areas.
Organising a school trip can be fun and rewarding, but there’s a lot to consider, and putting it all together will probably take longer than you think. By starting the process early, you will have the best chance of securing your first choice of destination, particularly if you are aiming for a popular venue that tends to get booked up months in advance.
Planning well ahead will also maximise student participation, as the date can be put in the diary ahead of any other commitments or family holidays. It also gives parents or guardians the opportunity to spread the cost by paying in instalments, or to apply for any relevant grants to support low-income families.
Finally, you will have ample time to research transport options, such as ensuring that the coach hire company has well-maintained vehicles and DBS checked drivers with previous experience of school transport work.
The biggest decision is where your group will visit. Think about the purpose of your trip: will it primarily be to support and enhance classroom learning experiences; to expand horizons and help pupils grow in confidence at dealing with new environments; or a recreational trip that will be fun and can strengthen social bonds between classmates?
It may well be that you have all of these objectives for the school trip. Other factors to consider might be the distance you are prepared to travel, the age range and current level of attainment of the group, and what is a reasonable amount that you can expect parents to contribute to the cost of the trip.
The next step is to pencil in a date. If it is to be an end of term reward for pupils, then obviously you will have a short window of suitable dates, and will face competition for bookings from other schools with similar ideas.
Even if there is more flexibility, pinpointing a date early will boost student participation and help you to more effectively plan the next steps.
The budget should be planned carefully so that you can accurately estimate the parental contribution to the cost of the trip, and make use of any school funds or grants that might be available. Consider the cost of transport, admission fees to the venue, food and drink, and a miscellaneous fund for any unexpected costs.
Put together a detailed itinerary for the day, which should include departure and arrival times and any pick up and drop off points along the way; meal times and rest stops; and the allocated time for each activity that is planned for the day.
Remember to factor in some wiggle room and don’t plan back to back activities, because there may be unexpected delays, or you may simply underestimate the amount of time required for each activity.
Share the itinerary with students and parents well in advance so that they will know what to expect. This will help them to engage more closely with the event and create a sense of anticipation. Not everyone looks forward to new experiences, so it will help the more cautious students to feel comfortable about the prospect of a day away from the classroom.
If the trip will be for educational purposes, such as to a historic site, science museum, or wildlife and nature park, spend some classroom time discussing the background and features of the destination, and link it to subjects they are currently studying or have expressed an interest in.
Finally, make sure that your arrangements comply with the relevant health and safety processes. This might involve conducting a risk assessment, obtaining written parental consent, and having an appropriate staff-student ratio and a trained first aider with you.