Ideas for a school trip

balletshoes

I saw a school trip to Birmingham airport this afternoon, that looked cool. Maybe Manchester airport might oblige?

kingfisherblue

Loads of great suggestions already, but one place that many people don't know about is Catalyst Museum in Widnes. It is a science museum with plenty of hands on activities, and has a planetarium at the top with a fantastic view.

Outside, it is next to Spike Island, with plenty of open space for running off energy and some decent playground equipment. Disabled access is great - my son uses a wheelchair and we spent a full day there a few weeeks ago. My youngest wants a season ticket . Prices are very reasonable - I think it was £3.95 for children and £4.95 for adults, with discounts for family tickets. Carers go free with a disabled person. The only disappointment was the cafe, which offered limited choice and was quite expensive IMO.

There is also the World of Glass in St. Helens - a bit more expensive, and includes a trip through the underground tunnels as well as a demonstration of glass blowong. The tunnels are the originals and are not wheelchair accessible. The cafe has a good range of very tasty food and we often go there for lunch . There is a hall of mirrors that keeps the kids (and adults!) happy whilst waiting for the food to cook.

milliebear00001

The point of trips is (generally) to be a learning opportunity! For example, I teach the Victorians, so we go to Quarry Bank Mill, and we do the Egyptians, so we visit Manchester Museum to see the Egyptology section.

My kids have visited Cannon Hall Farm (as part of their animals topic) and go on a Peak District ramble in Y3 (as part of their study of the local area (Peak District). I can't understand why a school wouldn't link their trip to a topic they are covering.

My children's school does occasionally have a trip 'just for fun' - like to the beach in summer - usually as a kind of 'end of year treat'

I would ask whether it's a sensible use of school/parents' funds to have repeated trips, and whether locations that feed into their topics might be considered for a change.

How you get on will depend on how receptive the school is to suggestions!

mishkanorman

Our schools go back to the same place time and time again as it fits in with the topics, they build a good connection with the venue and it benefits everyone.

I find it strange that a school would take kids to somewhere just for fun and it have nothing to do with anything they are doing in class !?

GobbledyGook

School trips are a nightmare to organise. There's so much red tape and form filling. Generally trips have to fit some sort of educational criteria. Also teachers are not legally obliged to take children on trips so trying to get some to take children to new places with all the headaches that entails is nigh on impossible.

Also there are lots of places that people think "oh that would be a great trip" that have been ruled out for one reason or another (and sometimes for reasons that seem really daft as well).

mum2one

As an ex goveneror, the rules and regulations regarding trips are a nightmare, there has to be health and safty assessments done, and generally they stick to the same areas.

I remember going to Manchester airport for the day when i was 8, we went to Chester Zoo, Drayton Manner park, - memories. x

Janepig

mishkanorman wrote: »

Our schools go back to the same place time and time again as it fits in with the topics, they build a good connection with the venue and it benefits everyone.

I find it strange that a school would take kids to somewhere just for fun and it have nothing to do with anything they are doing in class !?

I know I went to school in the dark ages, but even back then we always had a summer school trip which was a day out just for fun, not particularly educational (this is in junior school).

DS is in year 1 and his class and the year 2 class are going in a few weeks time for a day out to Pembrey Country Park which is about five miles down the road, huge beach, adventure playground, forest, etc.... Not particularly adventurous on their part (we've got a season ticket for the place, as have most of my friends) and I did think they might have gone a bit further afield, as that trip tends to be what the nursery and reception class do. But I know DS will have fun, and it's probably just as well that they're not going too far away. No news yet on where DD (year 4) will be going.

I see no problem with one fun school trip day out a year.

Jx

GobbledyGook

suejb2 wrote: »

Thanks for all the input D.D is going to Eureka and D.S is going to Blackpool Zoo they are never curriculum based just where gets suggested by the teachers.

They both sound like places with quite a bit of educational value (if Eureka is the children's museum place that I'm thinking of) to me tbh.

ionahenor2

I used to organise our early years trip using public transport. For some children travelling by bus and train was a first. The end destination wasn't always the highlight of the trip. We used to go to Manchester airport, York railway museum, or Temple Newsam.

milliebear00001

As a teacher, I can confirm that the 'red tape' issue is a bit of a red herring. Yes, we have to do a risk assessment, but most big institutions are well used to school visits, and will norally have there own already done. Once doen, it tends to be the same form every year (same risks). I do a visit, with my own kids, to whichever venue we're thinking of doing, and complete the rest of the forms then The rest is a bit of simple form filling which isn't really that onerous when you consider the benefits.

No, teachers don't have to do trips, and don't have to do the extra work that comes with risk assessments, but for the sake of a bit of form filling, it's worth it if it means a more worthwhile experience. Teachers do lots of things that aren't 'strictly' part of their job description. I would be surprised at any school not doing really valuable trips just because the staff 'couldn't be bothered' to explore new venues or fill in the risk assessment forms.

Ask OP!