Top School Trip Ideas For Primary And Secondary Schools

The end of the academic year is approaching, and many schools will be rewarding their pupils for getting through the exam season with a trip out. These are both fun and educational experiences, and are useful to help younger students build confidence in coping with environments outside of their usual home or school environment. 

Here are some inspirational ideas for a memorable school trip out to mark the end of term, or perhaps even to help the new intake bond come September or October. All you need to do is work out a date and put the coach hire in place. 

Blackpool Tower Circus

Blackpool Tower Circus is a long-running show featuring some of the world’s most talented performers. Kids will be enchanted with the wondrous costumes and dare-devil stunts, and there are plenty of laughs along the way. There are lesson plans available designed for KS2 learning and also post-visit activities. 

Blackpool is a popular visitor destination with a myriad of other attractions that can be incorporated into your day out. There’s the legendary Pleasure Beach, featuring some of the UK’s tallest and fastest roller coasters. The Blackpool Tower, a landmark of the town since 1894, is another must-see and a trip to the top can be used to inspire and inform students.

Sea Life is another popular attraction that offers tailored visits to engage and inspire school children. Pre and post-visit lesson plans are available that are designed to introduce school children to a range of scientific topics, and further their understanding of marine life and issues such as plastic pollution in the oceans. 

Zip World, Penrhyn Quarry, north Wales

Zip World provides a thrilling combination of white knuckle rides and learning opportunities for children. There are various locations around the UK, but one of the most memorable and beautiful is at the former Penrhyn Quarry near Bethesda, Gwynedd. As well as a range of zip lines, there’s treetop adventures and underground caverns to explore.

These activities are exciting and help to build confidence, teamwork, resilience and communication skills, giving kids a chance to step out of their comfort zones and develop essential life skills. There are also more formal academic programmes designed to boost knowledge of subjects such as science and geography. 

Twist Museum, London

Twist Museum has been designed to appeal to children, with a blend of entertainment and informative exhibits. It’s an immersive experience that’s designed to engage all of the senses and challenge perceptions of reality. It’s sure to hook inquisitive young minds as kids are encouraged to ask questions and look at the world around them in a different light.

There are opportunities to integrate the visit with furthering students’ knowledge of maths, science, the environment, art and design, and leisure and tourism. 

Celtic Harmony Camp, Hertford

Celtic Harmony Camp is an award-winning hands-on day out that is designed to let children experience life as a Neolithic Hunter Gatherer. They can combine fun with learning as they build dens, gather herbs and try prehistoric cooking methods, trade for skins and horn, and watch demonstrations of friction fire lighting and flint tool use. 

The journey then moves on to Bronze Age and Iron Age technologies, as students learn about hill forts, tribal kingdoms, farming, pottery making, cave painting, and more. THey can also try their hands at archery, weaving, and grinding grain. The days are designed to enhance a range of topics in the Key Stage 2 history curriculum.

National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield

The story of coal is central to our current position in a first world post-industrial economy. The museum gives children an opportunity to understand how coal powered the industrial revolution, and to gain an insight into the reality of life as a miner. This was often a difficult, dirty and dangerous job and men risked their lives and health to do it.

Children will be taken on a guided underground tour of a former coal mine, led by an ex-miner who has a wealth of knowledge and stories. They can meet the ponies and canaries who had crucial roles in the working mine, and explore interactive galleries and the wider 45-acre site. There are also science and history workshops to link with the curriculum.