The School Travel Forum (STF) was founded in 2003. It is a not for profit organisation consisting of leading school tour operators that promotes good practice and safety in school travel. It now encompasses almost every major school tour operator in the market. Handsam Ltd's Editor-in-Chief Dr Chris Lowe CBE was involved in the organisation for many years.
The STF runs its own Assured Member scheme, which has won widespread recognition and support for the way it has simplified and provided essential reassurance for leaders looking to organise school trips.
Every year all of the member companies holding or wanting the award are audited by independent experts to ensure they are complying with the STF's safety management systems, financial protection requirements and fair trading policies.
Teachers using an STF Assured Member can be secure knowing that their travel partner:
From its beginning the STF initiative won the support of the ASCL, ATL, NAHT, NUT and Voice. It was welcomed by the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel (OEAP) and the DCSF, and NASUWT advised members wishing to organise school trips to use companies that had this type of scheme.
STF standards have been adopted as the benchmark for all companies operating Study, Sports and Cultural Tours by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom's Quality Badge award. This provides for the first time a national accreditation combining the essential elements of provision - learning and safety - into one easily recognisable and trusted award.
STF Objectives
Equity are specialists who will work with you to deliver fantastic learning experiences for young people that inspire them in the classroom and everyday life. We have been providing groups with inspiring school trips for over 80 years, which is why we are the best at what we do.
Regional Travel Advisors
Galloway School Tours provides tailored educational tours of the highest quality to destinations within Europe and the UK.
One of the longest established school tour operators, the company has its own modern fleet of first class vehicles, driven by experienced drivers, which transport the majority of its groups.
Diverse School Travel is a passionate and vibrant business, offering schools & colleges wonderful and exciting educational and cultural tours throughout the UK, Europe, and beyond.
Inspiring and stimulating, exciting and motivating – science and geography have never been this good! Discover Ltd. operates a field study centre in the Cevennes National Park in France and welcomes students from across the UK and around the world.
With over 30 years’ experience, Club Europe are industry leaders in group travel for both UK and international students.
Anglia Tours Ltd specialises in high quality fully guided tours to a range of locations in the UK and across Europe, particularly battlefields and historic sites. Each tour is led by a highly experienced guide, selected not only for their expertise but also their ability to engage with audiences and to share their enthusiasm for the sites we visit.
ABTA & ATOL bonded
321ski and 321dive uniquely offer school ski and dive trips that are ‘Designed by Teachers’. Founded by former teachers intent on raising the quality and integrity of school trips, 321 delivers the standard of school trip that our teacher colleagues would be delighted with.
Adaptable Travel provides innovative educational tours for thousands of passengers each academic year from schools, colleges and universities. We pride ourselves on offering unique, safe and low-cost school trips and study tours.
ACFEA Tour Consultants arrange tailor-made concert tours throughout the world. With over 50 years of experience and a worldwide network of accomplished musicians and travel experts, we open doors to the best venues and performance opportunities available to choirs, orchestras and bands.
Halsbury Travel will work with you to create a tailor made trip that will inspire your pupils and bring your subject to life.
Established in 1986, Halsbury Travel is a friendly, family-run school tour operator. With several former teachers in our midst, we understand from first-hand experience the pressures on teachers when organising school trips.
With a wealth of specialist experience, our friendly team has been helping school groups to enjoy sports, ski, educational and special interest trips since 1992 under our former STI School Travel, Sports Travel and STI Skiwise brands.
Although School Trips Ltd. is a new name in school travel, we have been organising school and group trips for over 20 years.
Encounters Europe offers high quality bespoke tours and The School Travel Company has innovative ‘off the shelf’ trips. Together with the exotic excitement of our Indian trips, we can provide a wide range of educational visits.
Rondo Travel has been providing bespoke and tailored tours for schools for over 25 years. Our commitment to providing a quality service is unparalleled, with our personal hotel audits going way beyond the minimum requirements set. Our robust Safety Management System is further enhanced by the LOtC Quality Badge.
Xplore is a dynamic, motivated and growing company run by people with valuable industry knowledge and expertise. For nearly 30 years we have been providing top class, tailor made packages for groups of young people.
Holts Tours is the leading battlefield and history tours company.
MasterClass Sports Tours are the market leaders in school sports coaching and tournament tours. In addition to our range of European coaching and tournament courses, we also offer tailor-made sports tours to a wide range of other destinations worldwide, including South Africa and the Caribbean.
Voyager School Travel is the Educational Tours arm of a group of very successful school tours companies. Schools choose Voyager because of our People, who without exception have years of experience in school travel. That experience brings with it a wealth of product knowledge and expertise, as well as a deep understanding of what party leaders require.
We are an accomplished and well trusted company. We have a small and dedicated team to ensure we provide a personal touch and support you every step of the way.
SkiBound is a well recognised and trusted name in school skiing with 26 years of experience in operating school ski tours. Our head office staff and overseas team bring together years of resort and operational experience ensuring each school has a successful ski trip.
Wyvern Schooltours was founded by teachers in 1979. We specialise in humanities and arts tours, with particular focus on MFL, history tours and day trips to a diverse and extensive selection of European destinations. We also have a specialist set of tours for Primary Schools.
Schools Into Europe is a family run business with over 55 years' experience of organising school trips and school tours in Europe, including the UK, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Poland.
Activ4 was established in 2002 and is today run by people with a genuine passion for providing students with the best travel experience possible.
Activ4 has gained a deserved reputation for delivering tours worldwide offering excellent value.
Actviities include Ski & Snowboarding, Science-Geography-Technology Discovery, TeamWork Sports Tours, and Academy Tours for Performing & Expressive Arts.
The Bushcraft Company offer residential school trips with a difference, taking students into the wild and giving them real back-to-nature experiences they will never forget.
A 15-year-old boy fell 60ft over the edge of a cliff whilst on a geography school trip, miraculously only suffering minor injuries.