Day trips, residentials, overseas: the ‘My Best School Trip’ finalists have it all covered

The ‘My Best School Trip’ Award recognises outstanding educational visits, because great learning outside the classroom gives children a rich and rewarding experience, achieves a range of objectives and helps embed learning back in school.

Over the years we have had a fantastic and diverse range of trips and once again, our 2024 shortlist demonstrates what learning outside the classroom can achieve.

The finalists will all be at the School Travel Awards ceremony in London on Friday 29th November as our guests, when the winner will be announced. Not only will they get the trophy and acclaim, but a cool £2,000 to spend on a future educational visit.

The finalists for the ‘My Best School Trip’ Award 2024

Our judging panel assessed a shortlisted collection of entries and decided on the overall winner. All commenting on the incredibly high standard this year, the judges thoroughly enjoyed reading all of the entries. We take a look at the four amazing finalists and the impact of their school trips…

Carisbrooke College (IWEF), Isle of Wight, for their Year 10/11 trip to Vietnam

Entered by: Joe Briscoe, Mandarin teacher

Wanting to re-energise learners as soon as possible following the lack of international trips due to the pandemic, Joe felt it important to offer a trip that not only embedded the learning that had taken place in class, but to do something that expanded the perspectives and horizons of the group.

The starting point was a package offered by a tour operator; Joe altered the itinerary, made suggestions based on his experience and knowledge of the area, and tailored it to suit his particular group of students. 

With the Vietnam war playing such a large role in the GCSE History curriculum, much research was carried out to ensure that the experience ticked all the boxes, and much more. Careful attention was paid to the experiences of soldiers in both the North and South, with visits to two tunnel networks along with American bases and relevant sites.

Joe said: “Time was even incorporated in the hot, jungles of the south - close to the Cambodian border - to not only give students an understanding of the harsh climate and conditions faced by soldiers on both sides, but also of the geography of the region and how neighbouring countries were drawn into the conflict.”

There were multiple subject links with the school even ensuring there was an RE teacher present so they could link the trip to that subject too, taking what they had learnt back to their school. Beyond the clear academic enrichment, Joe told us the experience had a “profound impact on students’ personal growth”.

“This trip has helped me to develop as a person as I could have never seen myself doing, seeing or even eating many of the things I did such as walking through tunnels, watching traditional Vietnamese musical performances or sleeping out in the Vietnamese jungle.”

Eleanor Crosswell, 15

Joe added: “Experiencing a different culture first-hand fostered cultural awareness, empathy, and a greater global perspective among those students. 

“Overall, the trip succeeded both in re-energising learners and providing them with an enriching educational experience that helps to take their studies beyond the confines of the classroom, but also in enthusing young people to grow in maturity, independence and experience.” 

Heathfield Knoll School, Worcestershire, for their Year 6/7 residential to the Boundless Outdoors Centre in Malvern

Entered by: Chris Rawles, assistant headteacher

Almost the entire Year 6 and 7 year groups went on the experience which was planned to develop resilience, independence and teamwork alongside creating a strong positive culture among the students involved.

Deciding to run the residential at the start of the academic year to maximise the benefits for all involved, Chris told us: “We didn’t just want it to be a standalone trip that lost all its benefits as soon as the pupils stepped back off the bus on our return.”

The focus of the three-day residential was the power of the word ‘Yet’ and how it can change mindsets. Children took part in all sorts from zip wires, high ropes and climbing walls to a Malvern Hills ridge walk, archery, orienteering and team challenges, each designed to challenge the pupils’ comfort zones and encourage them to work together. 

Chris told us they mixed the groups each day to encourage ‘“cross-year group and friendship group teamwork, helping the pupils to make new friends”. 

They ensured that parents didn’t have to pay for the trip, with the cost being absorbed into the school’s annual operating funds. Alongside this, they re-purposed any kit needed and even went above and beyond to ensure a new pupil with a dedicated 1:1 was driven out each day in the school minibus so they could be included in the activities and get to know their new classmates. 

“It was my first week and I joined my new class on this residential trip. I felt really nervous as I had only met the people in my class and teachers a couple of times. We learnt resilience, perseverance and independence skills like making a bed and tidying up after ourselves. I cannot wait to go on the next school trip.”

Pupil review

When the group returned to school, the pupils were asked to write a letter to themselves that they would open later in the year to remind them of the challenges they overcame. 

Chris added: “Of all the trips I have run over the years, this has been the one that I have had the most positive parental feedback from. As educational visits coordinator I sent out a parental visits survey two months after the visit asking for feedback on our trips offering in general and this trip received significant praise for the benefits it brought to their children.”

Southill Primary School, Weymouth, for their Year 4 residential to London

Entered by: Caroline Wood, deputy headteacher

Taking a group of 31 pupils to London is no mean feat but with big ambitions for pupils, Caroline wanted them to experience their capital city, with many having never been to London before. Planning the whole trip herself, Caroline did a lot of research to work out all of the routes they would take and what they would see as part of the journey around the city. 

The main aim of the trip was the link to the Shakespeare module as part of the English curriculum. During the residential the pupils visited Shakespeare’s Globe, experiencing a tour and a live action workshop based around Romeo & Juliet which they had been learning at school. They also went to see Wicked and Caroline had arranged for them to meet some of the cast which was an added bonus. 

“We arrived early, so we decided to go to Buckingham Palace, I was excited because I had never seen Buckingham Palace before. It was as big as my expectations. Wicked was the best musical I have ever seen.”

Amelie, Year 4 pupil

Caroline told us: “We are working hard on children’s oracy and confidence skills and I wanted them to see what a real West End performance was like. The children loved Wicked - I wanted them to be inspired to maybe want to perform on stage again.”

Staying in the YHA London St Paul’s hostel, other experiences included a tour of the Tower of London, a twilight stroll along the Thames, a tour of St Paul’s Cathedral and a stop off at Buckingham Palace. 

Caroline made sure the trip was accessible to all, even providing stories with pictures of everything they were doing for children who were anxious about being away from home. She also arranged the residential a year in advance with a payment plan so that everybody had enough time to pay. 

She said: “Of course the purpose of the trip is not just about academic learning. A huge part of the experience is about children gaining confidence and independence when staying away from home. 

“As a coastal school with some limited aspirations we feel that it is vitally important for our pupils to experience a variety of challenging and ambitious trips to broaden their horizons and expand their cultural capital.”

Salusbury Primary School, Brent’s Year 5 trip to Turkey

Entered by: Rachel Linkletter, head of school and educational visits coordinator

As part of developing their international curriculum, the school decided to take the group of pupils to Inegol in the region of Bursa, to visit the children of Cayakka School who they had been building up a relationship with over several years.

Rachel explained that in order to immerse the children in the local area, they incorporated visits to several mosques, as well as the Oylat Caves, a waterfall, Silk Bazaar and the local museum in Inegol where they found out about the area, which is famed for its furniture making. 

“Some of my best memories were meeting the Mayor of Inegol, visiting the Oylat caves, seeing an ancient puppet show and having a tile painting workshop, but my favourite parts were the history, the people and best of all, the food!”

Verity, Year 5 pupil

The residential allowed the school to build on the partnership and to broaden the children’s horizons by them experiencing a very different culture. Rachel said: “Travelling abroad without parents is a challenge for any child - but especially a child of 9 or 10. This trip enabled them to develop their independence and resilience - as well as their empathy towards their peers.”

Rachel said the children wrote passionately about their experiences following the trip and were able to refer to parts of it during lessons back at school. She added: “Every child who attended said that they wanted to go back and would recommend it to the next year group.

“Parents wrote that they had seen a positive change in their child and they were shocked by the amount of things they had learnt while there - particularly in terms of the history of the area.”

Stoke by Nayland Primary School, Colchester, for their KS2 trip to the Snape Maltings Concert Hall in Suffolk

Entered by: Joe Carr and KS2 teacher Megan Conway

The Art Award in a Day at Snape Maltings combines music, art, history and literacy curriculums as well as providing the chance for the children to achieve a nationally recognised qualification - The Arts Award. 

The experience included: 

• Pupils learning about the famous Suffolk composer Benjamin Britten through exploring photographs and documents. 
• A backstage tour of the world-famous Snape Maltings Concert Hall. 
• A workshop in which children created and performed a song about the photographs they had been exploring.
• The chance to meet a musician.

“It was so good because we were walking in the real Britten’s footsteps. And I have learned quite a bit about him and his music. It made history feel real and I was stepping into real life. I am very proud that I got an Arts Award.”

Ariana, Year 4 pupil

Megan said there were a number of curriculum links including music, history, literacy and art and design. She said: “The excitement of achieving an Arts Award allowed the pupils to understand the purpose and expected outcomes of the trip, so they were more likely to actively engage with the content and activities.

“This helped to increase motivation and develop confidence when taking part in the brilliant range of activities.”

Once back in school, the learning was embedded through class discussions and reflection exercises with pupils sharing the impact of the trip and what they had learnt with each other. They also continued to explore aspects of the orchestra, learning about different instruments.

In addition, the children performed a number of songs, including one they wrote during the trip, at the school’s Easter Service. Megan added: “It was a fantastic privilege and they really enjoyed the experience. Since then we have tried to provide further opportunities for music and performance too.”