Outdoor Learning Written by T Mark Castle, CEO, the Field Studies Council
Making field trips affordable When finances are stretched, how can headteachers make residential trips more cost-effective and affordable so they can continue to offer the all-round learning experiences that such trips offer? Mark Castle, CEO of the Field Studies Council, explores the options With budgets getting tighter all the time, headteachers need to make the money they have available work as hard as they do. While many schools are looking for “nonessentials” to cut from the budget, it’s vital that the proven value of residential field trips is not discarded in the cost-cutting. Residential trips have been shown to boost academic, social, mental and physical development, particularly for disadvantaged pupils for whom it might be their first experience away from home. So, when finances are stretched, how can headteachers make residential trips more cost-effective and affordable so they can continue to offer the all-round learning experiences that such trips offer? Planning Careful planning before the trip can help you make the best use of available resources,
use of group discounts for train travel. including time. Think about making the trip Consider your accommodation options cross-curricular – a destination which is good carefully. An all-inclusive study for studying geography, for example, centre, such as those run by also probably has something to the Field Studies Council, offer for English, history, possibly Many could be the most costlanguages, and maybe even of the effective option and science and art. Writing a saves the hassle of poem or keeping a diary nationa arranging meals about their trip and l academ i c for the party every experiences for example, s o c ieties offer sm day. Field Studies can boost literacy skills. to run a all grants Council also includes This means you can ctivities the equipment you offer the trip to a wider to stimula may need for your group of students to help t e studying as well spread the fixed costs. If interest as any wellies and you are travelling by coach, waterproofs so that your make sure you fill every seat learners don’t have to bring (although don’t forget your staffing their own or buy them specially. ratios). If you can’t fill every seat, talk Hostels and out of town budget hotels to the travel company to see if a smaller, are also much more cost-effective than E cheaper coach is available, or consider making Issue 27.6 | EDUCATION BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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