How to Plan the Best School Trip
1 February, 2024
A well-rounded education takes place in more than just a classroom. School trips allow children to experience different aspects of life that teach them valuable life skills. They do, however, require lots of planning to ensure that the trip is a success for both the children and adults that go along.
In this blog, we’ll lay out how you can achieve the title of “Best School Trip”, ensuring a smoothly-run day that offers a blend of fun, excitement, and learning.
What Makes a Great School Trip?
You might think that a school trip is easy to plan, but children’s short attention spans make it difficult to stay engaged for a full day, especially when dealing with a large group of children.
Let’s take a look at some considerations for planning the perfect school trip.
Enjoyable for everyone
As we just touched upon, making sure that trips are engaging for both adults and children is incredibly important. As much as the trip is for the children, if the adults are also learning and enjoying themselves, they’re more likely to engage with the children during and after the trip, leading to a better rapport. Students with a good rapport with their teacher are known to have a better connection to the material they’re being taught.
Opportunity to socialise
School trips give children the opportunity to socialise outside of a school environment, teaching them valuable life skills in a safe environment. Skills that are implemented in school such as queuing or paying for something in a shop can be put into practice in the real world when out on a school trip. As well as this, new friendships can blossom from being in a different environment and interacting outside of a rigid seating plan.
Igniting imagination
Putting children in a new space allows their mindset to shift from being in a formal teaching environment, allowing their problem-solving skills and social skills to develop. Just travelling to a new part of the country for a trip might spur them on to research the local area and history of the place they’re visiting.
Great reward or incentive
Having a trip to look forward to at the end of the year acts as a great incentive and reward for children and adults. As well as being an opportunity to learn outside of the classroom, it’s also a fantastic way to blow off some steam after an arduous school year, particularly in years that end with exams such as SATs or GCSEs.
What to Consider Before Booking a School Trip
When booking a school trip there are many factors that could affect the location that you visit. Here are our tips on what to consider before booking your school trip.
Time of year
Depending on where you’re planning your trip, the time of year could be a major consideration. If the plan is to take in the great outdoors, then late spring or summer are obviously your best bets. Some attractions are only open seasonally, with discounted rates during off-peak times, so keep this in mind (At Oakwood we offer amazing discounts for school trips in off-peak periods – just sayings!). You might also want to consider if you’re trying to time your school trip as a reward at the end of term or after exams.
Travel arrangements
When planning a trip away, travel arrangements are crucial to make sure that you get there and back safely. Having numbers confirmed early will allow you to make travel arrangements effectively. Distance is also a key factor. Driving for 4 hours there and back isn’t a very exhilarating trip for young children, or anyone for that matter! For primary schools with younger children, it might be best to look for attractions within a 2-hour drive of their school. At Oakwood Theme Park, we can offer free coach parking.
Lunch arrangements
Before booking anything, ensure that there are adequate facilities to have lunch, such as a food court or picnic area. If the plan is to grab lunch while you’re there, establish that the location can facilitate special dietary requirements.
At Oakwood Theme Park, there are a number of eateries to choose from including Woody’s Burger Bar, The Haunt Pizzeria, and The Little Darlings Café.
Why Oakwood Theme Park is the Perfect School Trip Destination
There’s an extensive list of attractions for children of all ages here at Oakwood Theme Park, making it the perfect destination for a mixed group – especially with the enjoyment of adults to consider as well!
Primary school-age children
Despite being full of white-knuckle rollercoasters, Oakwood offers just as much for younger children to enjoy. With play areas and arcades, as well as smaller rollercoasters such as Sights of London, Neverland Chase, Skull Rock Log Flume and Tink’s Flying School.
Official height check wristbands are available at Whistlestop Shop to ensure that younger riders are tall enough for the attractions they want to ride on.
Of course, there are a number of other great activities for primary school children too, including our massive indoor soft play area too.
Secondary school-age children
For children aged 12+, Oakwood’s high-octane rides offer fantastic levels of excitement for children who are tall enough to enjoy them. Rides such as Bounce, Speed and Drenched have higher height restrictions so be sure to get measured before heading to the queue.
Our smaller rides aren’t just for our younger visitors, they also offer plenty of excitement for those not tall enough for the larger attractions, or just if huge rollercoasters aren’t your thing but want to have equal amounts of fun.
Oakwood Theme Park has masses to offer whether you’re an adult planning the trip or a student coming along at the end of term or after your exams. With incredibly competitive pricing for all school children, Oakwood is the perfect destination for an end-of-term treat. Booking your school trip is a simple process, and we even offer free teacher places.