Planning Successful School Tours
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It has long been recognised that school tours are a positive addition to any learning experience. Giving students the opportunity to travel will help to broaden their horizons and develop their understanding of their subject. Learning in the classroom situation certainly has its place, but there is no substitute for appreciating a subject in an authentic context. Students are encouraged to question, evaluate, appreciate, debate and are often left motivated and inspired to learn more.Taking students on school tours, however, can be a daunting thought for a teacher - but help is at hand. There are excellent travel companies on the market that specialise in organising school tours and they offer a professional service drawing from years of experience in the business. As long as you plan carefully (and well in advance), your students will have a fantastic experience and one they will remember always.
Planning, planning, planning
The first step to organising school tours is to contact the company you are going to book through. Choose one that is reputable and well known so you are guaranteed a quality, experienced service. The initial phone call will involve a discussion about your ideas, requirements and the destinations you may be considering. You'll then be given a quote that details an itinerary and all that is included.
Following this, there is a process that begins with a no-obligation provisional booking. This means that flights, hotels and other excursions included are pre-booked and held ready for confirmation. Then it is up to you, as the tour organiser, to take the quote to your School Head or the Governors, or whoever is in a position to give the go-ahead. You will also have a comprehensive risk assessment information sheet provided by the company so the school are aware of what exactly is involved on every step of the tour.
Finalising the details
Once this has all been approved, you can let your students know about the tour being offered. The sooner deposits start coming in the better, as the company will normally require these no later than three weeks after the provisional booking date. Extensions can always be granted if circumstances necessitate it, but deposits are important if confirmation of flight seats and rooms in the requested hotels are to be guaranteed.
A tour coordinator will go through all your itinerary planning and help with any questions or issues you may have. Confirmation, a detailed itinerary, and safety information will be provided, which you can then pass on to the students and their parents. Now is the time many students begin to get excited, as reality sets in and the date for departure draws near.
You're off!
While you're waiting for the big day, it's a good idea to involve participating students in research and group discussions about their destination. While much of the fun of a new place is discovering its attractions first hand, there may be particular things that appeal to students. As long as you plan wisely and enlist the services of a reputable, specialised school travel company, your students will be afforded the opportunity for a fruitful and fulfilling learning experience.
About author: Angela Bowden
Angela Bowden works for STS (School Travel Service), the UK's largest educational travel company, providing school trips for secondary schools, primary schools and colleges. School tours with STS can encompass art/design, foreign languages, history, science/nature, geography and more, to worldwide destinations.Other article from Travel
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Posted by Angela Bowden in ,Source: http://www.zuarticles.com/article-details/planning-successful-school-tours.html
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