Planning a school trip comes with lots of responsibility and there is a lot to consider; the safety of pupils, budgets, communication, aligning activity with learning objectives and booking safe and reliable school trip transportation. It is also likely that you will be planning a school trip alongside your regular daily activities as an educator, which can really add to the strain.

At Readybus, we have over 20 years’ experience in making educational trips easy, safe and memorable for organisers and pupils. We’d like to think we know a thing or two about planning a stress-free school trip. Read on as we’re sharing our top tips for planning a stress-free, safe, school trip below.

Define the objectives of your school trip

When organising a school trip it can be beneficial to first begin with defining what you want pupils to gain from the experience. Having objectives in place sets the foundation for a successful trip and provides you with a direction when planning by making sure that all activities align with the goals and objectives. Some potential objectives for a school trip could be:

  • Align the trip with an aspect of the curriculum by allowing pupils to gain a deeper understanding of a particular topic. Such as attending an art exhibition to explore a particular style of painting.
  • Build soft skills such as teamwork and confidence. Such as attending an adventure park and partaking in group activities.
  • Support pupils in gaining real-life experiences. Such as practicing language skills on a school trip to a native speaking country.

Whatever the objective, having a clear focus will help with planning the school trip and support you in defining the benefits to parents, caregivers and the school board. It is important to communicate the objectives to pupils so they can understand learning goals, to caregivers to showcase the educational value of the trip and also to staff and chaperones so they are able to support pupils' learning.

Book school trips early

Whether an afternoon at a nearby museum or a longer residential school trip, planning and booking early not only helps to reduce the strain on you as the organiser, but it has a multitude of other benefits:

Wider options of dates, locations and activities

The most sought after school trip destinations may potentially be booked up years in advance, particularly on popular dates. Planning in advance will give you a larger number of options for making your school trip the best it can be. You can choose the dates that suit your school and your pupils the best, and have a wider range of options for activities. It is likely that the costs will be lower, as demand is less.

More time for planning

There are lots of things to consider when planning a school trip; risk assessments, booking school trip travel, collecting payment, gathering permissions, considering access needs, planning activities and many more things that will pop up. Booking far in advance gives you enough time to make sure everything is arranged, whilst giving time for any extra surprises you may need to account for!

Allows time for payment

This is particularly important for those more expensive residential trips. Planning a school trip far in advance gives parents and caregivers enough time to be able to pay, supporting in making the trip accessible to all and hopefully allowing more pupils to attend.

Choose a reputable school trip transport company

After spending months organising the perfect school trip, the last thing you want is an unreliable transport service who arrives late or even worse, doesn’t turn up at all. Ensure peace of mind when it comes to travel arrangements by booking a reliable school trip transport company. A good school trip transport provider will:

  • Tailor their transport services to your needs, collecting you when you need them
  • Have a well-maintained and modern fleet the comfort and safety of pupils and teachers
  • Drivers will be DBS checked, be trained and experienced
  • Maintain high safety standards
  • Have a choice of vehicles so you can choose the one most suitable for your needs

Request a quote from Readybus today for peace of mind on your next school trip

Consider school trip safety

Whilst there is no one piece of legislation specifically catered towards safety on school trips, the duty of care for pupils that is required whilst in a place of education must be extended to school trips. The health and safety responsibilities for schools are outlined here on the Government website.

To ensure the safety of pupils whilst on school trips, some key principles should be followed:

  • Conduct a thorough risk assessment - identify specific risks for the activities you have planned, and make sure there are sensible controls in place, you want to make the risk assessment dynamic in case circumstances change
  • Ensure staff competence - be sure that any staff or chaperones involved are competent and prepared for their roles and the activities they are supervising
  • Appropriate communication - ensure clear communication between staff, pupils and caregivers
  • Consider appropriate staff to pupil ratios - the Department for Education advises the below staff:pupil ratio for trips such as to museums or historical sites, however your risk assessment may define a different ratio, and there must be at least 2 adults:

1 adult for every 6 pupils (years 1 – 3), Foundation Stage 1 settings must have a higher ratio

1 adult for every 10-15 pupils (years 4 –6)

1 adult for every 15 – 20 pupils (year 7+)

Minimum 1:10 for visits to countries other than that of residence

Appropriate school trip communication

A key part of a safe and stress-free school trip starts far before the trip takes place. From sending information home with pupils, gathering consent forms, briefing pupils and caregivers, and collating the medical and SEND information of pupils; communication is key throughout the school trip planning process. You may also wish to host an information event prior to the school trip to allow the opportunity for questions to be asked.

  • Send details to parents/guardians/caregivers - including full details of the trip, a request for parental consent, emergency contact information
  • Communication with staff and chaperones - ensure all adults attending the trip are aware of the details, that all are aware of the risk assessment and their own responsibilities
  • Communications for attending pupils - make sure all pupils are aware of the purpose of the trip and the itinerary and for residential trips you may like to provide them with a packing list

Plan a school trip with confidence

Whilst there is a lot to consider as an educator planning a school trip, by having clear objectives, communicating effectively and choosing a reliable transport provider to get you there, you can plan a successful school trip with confidence.

For more information on booking a school trip with Readybus, visit our school trip coach hire page.