How to Bring School Trips into the Classroom

We all know the power of school trips. Their ability to bring learning to life, spark new interests in students and are quite often the highlight of a child’s school year.

However, planning and booking an off-site school trip to a local museum, gallery, attraction or theatre is unfortunately not possible for many schools right now.

The School Trip Community’s goal is to make school trips as accessible as possible. During this challenging time, we’re finding new ways to help teachers like you still connect with venues and help you bring school trips into the classroom.

Take a look at our guide below, and if you have any questions we’re here to help! Please do get in touch if you need advice or are looking for anything in particular.

Virtual School Trip Ideas

There’s still nothing quite like seeing an ancient artefact that’s thousands of years old, a knock-out theatre performance or an interactive workshop at one of the country’s brilliant attractions.

However, unfortunately, many schools are now unable to book an off-site school trip experience like this.

Luckily though, arts & cultural venues across the country have created innovative new virtual school trip ideas that you can beam directly into your classroom.

There are loads on offer from online exhibitions and online performances to virtual tours and virtual sessions. School trip venues are creating new and exciting opportunities for you to still interact with them.

British Museum’s Samsung Virtual Visits

The British Museum has decided to massively expand the capacity of its Samsung Virtual Visits programme. Allowing you to bring a school trip to the British Museum into the classroom.

Sessions are offered for students in KS2 and link directly to the history and science strands of the national curriculum. Sessions include explorations of the Indus Valley and Roman Britain and on prehistory Britain, where students use archaeological objects from the distant past to explore the homes of prehistoric people and compare them to their own homes.

You can also book their new session on ancient Egypt. During their Myth-busting ancient Egypt session, students become British Museum Myth-busters and develop their own perspective and judgements about ancient Egypt’s common misconceptions.

And best of all? It’s FREE! Schools across the country can access their new sessions for free, and they’re currently booking up until the end of the academic year (July 2021).

Find out more information about the British Museum’s Samsung Virtual Visits.

National Museums Liverpool Virtual Classrooms

National Musem Liverpool’s brand new virtual classroom workshops are now available to book.

Created for schools for the new academic year, their interactive curriculum-linked workshops – led by museum experts – will bring learning to life and inspire the imaginations of your pupils by engaging them in activities based on real artefacts.

Using feedback from teachers, they designed six live workshops for Key Stages 1-3, each of which are supported by resources and activities that you can use before and after your session.

Find out more about National Museum Liverpool’s Virtual Classroom Sessions.

Find more virtual school trip ideas.

You can find more sessions and activities in our new Virtual School Trip Ideas section. Our new virtual section helps you quickly find all the options available, split by subject and Key Stage suitability. We’re adding in loads of new options each week – so do take a look!

See all of our Virtual School Trip Ideas.

Free Teaching Resources

Our Teaching Resource Library includes hundreds of education packs, worksheets, educational videos, educational games and more – all of which you can download and use for FREE!

They’re a brilliant way to still connect with museums, galleries, attractions and theatres to find fun teaching ideas and activities.

Our resource library is split by subject and Key Stage, plus you can also search for a particular topic. And if there’s something particular you’re looking for – do get in touch!

Turner Contemporary’s Creative Mindfulness Resources

To support the Recovery Curriculum, Turner Contemporary has seven new creative mindfulness activities to help students relax, recuperate, and refocus in school time.

The new resources can help students pay attention to themselves, their thoughts and feelings, and what is going on around them. All to help them be in the present moment.

The videos are free to access and can be used in the classroom as a lesson starter for any subject or to begin and end the day. They can also be used to increase focus and act as a creative prompt for art lessons.

Find out more about Turner Contemporary’s Creative Mindfulness Resources.

Museum of London’s Free Resource Library

The Museum of London has loads on offer to help you still connect with their collections.

Their free teaching resource library includes 60 education packs, educational videos and interactive games that you can use to bring a Museum of London school trip into your classroom.

Everything is split by subject, Key Stage and topic and includes dedicated resources suitable for children with SEND.

Resources link mainly to History and Geography but can also be used across a wide range of subjects – making them a brilliant choice for cross-curricular study.

Highlights include their Great Fire of London Game and an interactive prehistory explorer.

Find out more about the Museum of London’s Free Teaching Resources.

Taking school trips beyond the classroom.

For those schools that are planning trips, there are still some brilliant options out there. Museums, galleries and attractions have created loads of new workshops, redesigned so your students can get the most out of the trip whilst still being COVID-secure.

Up at The O2

Up at The O2 offer a fantastic way to learn more about London’s skyline. Zip up your climb suit. Pull-on your boots. Hook up your harness. This is a 90-minute experience your students won’t forget.

80% of the attraction is outdoors, and their new measures make sure you can still get the of your school trip to Up at The O2, while always being COVID secure.

Up at The O2 also offer companying teaching resource packs for KS2 & KS3 Geography. The education packs can be used before and after your visit to explore the local Geography. Further resources relating to Business Studies and STEM are also in development.

Find out more about a school trip to Up at The O2.

Council for Learning Outside the Classroom

Confused about current guidance? You’re not alone! The Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (CLOtC) is there to help. The CLOtC are champions of promoting learning outside the classroom and support schools all across the country.

Their national accreditation badge is given to venues that recognise effective risk management and quality of education. There are 100s of accredited providers across the UK including museums, visitor attractions, parks, farms and activity centres – and it’s recommended by the Department for Education.

You’ll also find all the latest information, guidelines and more to help you plan.

Find out more about the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom.

Summary

We’re here every step of the way to help you find what you’re looking for. Whether virtual ideas or providing you with resources and activities that you can use back in the classroom.

There will be a day (and hopefully soon!) when all schools can once again take off-site school trips.

For those that can, there are loads of venues across the country offering new COVID-secure trips. With organisations like the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, helping you keep on top of the current guidance.

For those that may not be able to book a trip right now, there’s still a wide range of opportunities that allow you to bring your next school trip into the classroom.

Looking to plan a trip or virtual session? We’d love to hear from you! You can get in touch at any time via email or through the chat feature on the site.