Top School Trips -Issue 6

www.teachwire.net/school-trips | 7 Take learning outdoors CLOtC’s National Confence explores the value of escaping the classroom… November saw the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom’s Annual National Conference, which took place at the Meridian Trust’s Weldon Village Academy in Corby and welcomed over 300 educators, school leaders and LOtC practitioners from across the UK. Highlights of the day included discussions with Dr Radha Modgil, on the connection between learning and student well-being, focusing on the value of LOtC in fostering pupils’ resilience, and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Georgia White and NFER’s Luke Bocock, who illustrated how LOtC develops vital skills spanning a range of careers. Attendees were also able to access 25 workshops, delivered by experts from all LOtC sectors. And there was feedback on the power of residentials shared by five Meridian Trust students, who picked out their sense of accomplishment at overcoming their fears and developing teamworking skills. As one put it, “I never would have had the confidence to speak in front of hundreds of people like this before.” Planning is underway for the 2025 conference, due to take place on 12 November at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. You can find out more at www.lotc.org.uk FUNDING SQUEEZE The average cost of a school day trip is now £28, with residentials priced at £430, and a 2024 survey of 1,000 parents by insurer Zurich Municipal has found that 31% feel this is too expensive. Nearly a quarter of respondents reported cutting back to allow their child to attend, while 28% felt guilty for not being able to afford to pay. MUSIC & MATHS Music and maths combine in a free workshop at the Royal Albert Hall. Linking to the KS2 curriculum, the 75-minute sessions see pupils exploring fractions, decimals, percentages, graphs and probability. Children then use what they have learned to create their own piece of music using maths! To find out more about the Hall’s Engagement programme, which provides a range of learning experiences, visit bit.ly/RAHmaths ULTIMATE GUIDE If you want more advice on planning the perfect school trip, look no further than Teachwire’s ultimate guide for teachers. Packed with advice on every stage of the process, from choosing the right destination to managing pupils on the day and maximising the educational value of the experience, it will help take the stress out of the process and ensure your visit is a success. Visit bit. ly/TWschooltrips NEWS IN BRIEF OWL expands A national scheme offering students the chance to enjoy a residential in the countryside has been extended to Cumbria. The OWL (Outdoor Week of Learning) Collaboration, created by charity The Ernest Cook Trust, supports qualifying schools to send children on an immersive week in nature, as well as providing funding and support to develop their own outdoor learning back at school. Similar opportunities are already available elsewhere in the country, including in Kent, Hampshire, Essex, Somerset, Berkshire and Devon. Each OWL is aimed at targeted schools, to enable those with the highest level of need to benefit. Visit www. ernestcooktrust.org.uk Grant alert! Are you looking for financial help with your school trips? If the answer’s yes, be sure to investigate Hyundai’s Great British School Trip. Since its launch in 2022, the scheme has allocated £1 million of funding to support over 90,000 young people to attend school trips across the UK, and when funding is available, it can be used towards meeting your school trip costs. HOW DOES IT WORK? Bursaries are available to all UK schools and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, though priority is given to those that have more than 30% of their pupils receiving free school meals. The funding provided can be used towards a school trip for seven to 14-year-olds that takes place in the UK during the current academic year; trips outside of the UK aren’t eligible. Head to the Great British School Trip website and you’ll find a host of participating venues to choose from. While applications are closed at the time of writing, more funding is set to be available by February 2025, so be sure to head to www.greatbritishschooltrip. com/bursary to find out more. NEWS