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
Established in 1983, Discover the World's specialist study trips programme provides tailor-made educational travel, whether for field study or quite simply through ‘awe and wonder’.
A dedicated schools travel team offer first-hand destination knowledge and the highest levels of customer service - 99% of school trip organisers rated us 'good' or 'excellent' in 2013.
Ardmore Educational Travel, part of The Ardmore Group, offer over 100 educational school tours in 32 countries. We partner with schools to provide one-off tours, multiple tours or total extra curricular solutions for schools and students aged 11-18.
WorldStrides, formerly Casterbridge Tours, are an educational travel company specialising in customised educational group tours.
We deliver quality foreign tours and skiing trips with a difference
Why travel with Select School Travel?
We are a premium team sports development tour company. Our aim is to deliver unique sports travel programmes including school and youth teams sports tours to enrich young peoples' experiences and leave life-long memories. We offer young players of all standards the opportunity to train and play in the world's top professional clubs.
When you choose WST to plan your school tour you’re choosing to travel with the experts. With over 300 combined years of experience, our 2013/14 brochure is packed with tours linked directly to the subjects, study themes and learning outcomes from the National Curriculum, but more than that, our Tour Consultants have an in-depth knowledge of your subject and your chosen destination.
Travel Places offers School Sports and Educational Tours on a different level.
Our friendly and knowledgeable team specialise in tailor-making tours for schools, clubs and associations to suit all levels and abilities from prep schools through to university sides at sporting events worldwide.
Tours Designed offer tailor made itineraries for educational coach travel to destinations throughout Europe.
Attention to detail in planning, implementation and co-ordination of entire programme ensure our clients travel with us year after year.
ABTA bonded
The Cultural Experience is distinguished in its provision of accompanied study tours led by accomplished, knowledgeable and experienced specialists.
STUDYTRIPS is one of the largest independent and most respected educational travel companies in the UK.
Study Experiences offers a wide range of great value educational tours, which include curriculum-led multimedia seminars and interactive workshops, all supported by Study Experiences’ education guides.
With its Head Office in Innsbruck, Austria, SkiTeam4 is able to obtain the best hotels in top resorts with suppliers in Austria, Northern Italy and Switzerland, negotiated by our MD who, with our Contracts Manager, audits all services provided.
Remembrance Travel for Schools and Young People offers tours specifically for schools and young people to visit memorials, battlefields and remembrance sites across the UK and Europe, covering conflicts of the twentieth century.
Rhapsody Tours specialise in Year Group and Reward Trips for all types of school in both the state and independent sectors. They can offer a variety of experience to suit all ages of students from Primary to Secondary. Tours are by executive coach to UK and European destinations.
We seek to change lives and the perceptions people have about the world they live in. We do this by creating lasting partnerships between different groups who share the same vision of allowing young people to understand and experience different cultures to enable them to contribute to building a better global village.
Truly bespoke educational travel.
Every school trip we operate is designed to match your curriculum and meet your learning objectives – once we have taken the time to understand your requirements we will work together to build a trip that best suits your group's objectives and budget.
PGL is a long established provider of outdoor education for schools, with a reputation for providing safe, tailor-made courses with meaningful outcomes and high standards of tuition and accommodation.
NST is the UK's leading school tours, school trips and educational travel company for primary schools, secondary schools and colleges.
Since 1967 we've been creating expertly planned school tours - helping groups get more from their time away... Take a Learning Journey.
Curriculum-linked school trips
Hellene Travel, is an educational travel company with a difference. We specialise in classical tours, concentrating primarily on Greek, Roman, Turkish and Croatian archeological and cultural sites.
With over 25 years of experience in operating tours for school/youth groups, IBT Travel prides itself in delivering both a quality product and an exceptional standard of customer care.
Our company offers tailor made itineraries for both educational and snow-sport tours for groups travelling to the UK, Europe and USA.
FHT Travel Ltd provides a knowledgeable and professional student group travel services, with bespoke visits based on each institute’s subject specialism needs and offering great value for money. Whilst away, a full and varied programme can be arranged, giving students the ideal opportunity to enhance their studies away from the institute.
ABTA and ATOL Bonded
European Study Tours is part of the Education Division of Holidaybreak, the education and activity travel group, alongside PGL and NST. We have 30 years' experience in operating student tours and conferences in Europe and worldwide. We have dedicated teams who deal with Tailor-made tours and Conferences.
Edwin Doran Sports Tours are the market leaders in sports travel with over 40 years experience operating quality sports tours throughout the world. Renowned for our experience, expertise and extra touches, it is no surprise that we have taken more teams on tour than any other sports tour operator; +11, 000 at the last count.
Gullivers Sports Travel's Sports Tours and Festivals department is a leading specialist in the provider of playing tours for school children from primary and prep school age up to leavers and beyond.
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.