The 3-Step Guide to Planning A School Trip

05 February 2018

Carting a bunch of young human beings to weird and wonderful places they’ve never been before requires some serious planning and management. Not only are hoards of parents trusting their children in your care, but there are a million and one other things you need to worry about: costs, transport, assistance, dates, event bookings, educational value, access…

All this makes it paramount to approach the planning of a school trip in the right way and make sure everything is in order before you leave the school gates. Easier said than done; it’s hard enough to organise a lesson for the classroom, never mind out in the real world where nothing ever goes as expected.

So, where do to begin? Whether you’re arranging a museum visit as part of a project assignment or a special treat before breaking up for the Easter holidays, follow our 3-step planning guide and ensure you and your students experience an enjoyable and trouble-free school trip.

1. The Cost

Tight school budgets mean cost is normally the first thing teachers need to iron out. But from digging out affordable transport to scouring attractions that offer free educational visits, there are dozens of ways you can take a school trip without it costing the Earth.

If your budget is on the small side, it’s worth reaching out to parents for help. Sending a letter that calls for ‘voluntary contributions’ can work incredibly well, providing your wording is right. Along with being courteous and explicit about the tangible benefits the school trip will have on their child’s learning (mentioning grades and employability can help), be clear that the trip may not go ahead unless contributions are received from all parents. Friendly but firm is key.

2. The venue

With a school trip on the cards from a financial standpoint, the next thing to do is complete a full risk assessment. This will likely involve filling out any generic risk assessment forms and specific documents that apply to the particular venue or destination you’re visiting.

Places that often take groups from schools will provide their own risk assessments that lay out any potential hazards and control measures associated with their locations and activities. This can be a real time and hassle saver, especially if it’s your a newbie when it comes to leading groups outside of the order of school grounds.

A few other advantages of organised visits include they often have dedicated educational officers, reliable disability access, clean eating areas for packed lunches or on-site meals, and stacks of fun-looking educational materials to help prove to parents it was a worthy excursion.

3. The transport

From the number of passengers and its usage type to driving licence requirements and maintenance, arranging transport is arguably the most gruelling part of any school trip. You can have everything figured out, for only at the last minute to realise you need a D1 category or you’re seriously lacking in luggage space.

For this reason, it’s worth leasing a minibus via Contract Hire. With Contract Hire, you cut out any uncertainties and complexities right from the start; the leasing company takes care of everything from pesky, forgotten admin tasks to budgeting to repairs, leaving you free to take care of what really matters.

Leasing a minibus with Contract Hire also brings additional advantages that are invaluable to teachers planning a school trip – things like Foreign travel documents, driving licence validation checks and a 24/7 helpline.

Need a minibus for your next school trip or excursion? Contact our friendly team today and work with a company that specialises in minibuses for schools.

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