As a sixth form or college teacher, tutor or educator you want to offer the best experiences to your students. No matter your subject area, getting the right mix of teaching and learning techniques is crucial to help your students achieve their academic, vocational and personal potential. This means planning opportunities for learning both in and outside the classroom.
Educational travel brings an entirely new dimension to the development of your students’ comprehension of your subject area, as well as enhancing their individual personal skills and attributes. However, with so many aspects to consider, arranging educational visits can be a real drain on your time, budgets and well-being.
From paperwork and risk assessments to board and student buy-in, the challenges involved in offering experiences outside the classroom can put educators off the idea of an external trip entirely.
But don’t scrap that visit just yet!
There are many ways you can simplify your educational tour planning process to not only save yourself time, budget and stress but also offer a better experience to your students.
It takes a long time to plan an educational tour. Beginning to plan your trip around 12 months in advance will give you the best chance at avoiding any unforeseen problems further down the line.
Giving yourself plenty of time to plan your trip will not only save you stress at busier times in your calendar, but also give ample time for parents to budget making the experience more affordable.
You need a clear idea of what you want your students to gain from the experience. Without it, you will struggle to plan your trip effectively. Ask yourself:
Be specific. By answering these questions precisely you will be able to gain a clear idea of what you need your educational tour to provide, and what experiences will give you and your students the best value-for-money.
On top of being clear with learning objectives, you also need to plan around costs and other facets associated with educational travel.
Think about your budget, potential destinations, travel elements, school calendar constraints etc. There are many elements you may need to think about or prioritise; each organisation has different needs.
If you work with an educational travel tour operator, be up front with any and all constraints which may affect the planning of your trip itinerary. A respectable tour consultant will use their expertise to help craft a trip which delivers both on cost and organisational elements, as well as educational value.
Read our guide on what to expect from a student trip quote.
Working with a tour operator not only increases the potential learning outcomes of your trip, but also offers peace of mind for questions over health and safety.
Your tour operator should understand the importance of the highest quality of health and safety compliance and application. This means offering round-the-clock support when you’re on your trip to ensure you, your staff, and your students are safe to enjoy the best possible experience.
Are they audited regularly for health and safety compliance? Do they offer a 24 hour helpline in case things go wrong? Are there testimonials from previous customers that show their response to problems on student tours?
We're proud of our ability to respond to any situation whilst you’re away:
“Great customer service from the start. Timely responses and patience with changes to the trip. Great with sorting last minute changes due to rail strikes! Really enjoyable and we look forward to booking again next year!” - Abingdon & Witney, London
Have you and your colleagues planned tours for your students before?
It’s an excellent opportunity to learn before planning your next trip.
You can ask yourself:
On top of this, it’s always a good idea to get feedback from your students. What did they enjoy or not enjoy? Do they feel like they learned something? Were the educational and personal benefits of the trip reflected in their grades?
Using your past experiences will help to inform what you want to gain from your next trip.
The best way to simplify and streamline your trips for schools planning is to use a reputable educational travel tour operator. We have years of experience helping college and sixth form groups create their perfect student travel tour.
“The trip went off without issue, everything was organised, and it was easy to get in touch with and fast responding for any queries” - Hadlow College
We combine destination and travel expertise with a deep understanding of education and curriculum outcomes to deliver a trip which provides value-for-money, peace of mind and leading learning opportunities.
Get in touch with our team today to discuss how we can help you to plan your next educational student trip.
If you’re interested in taking your sixth form or college students on an educational trip, contact us today to request a quote.