Key Stage 4 (15-16)

Key Stage 4 (15-16)

At KS4, there has been a gradually burgeoning number of types of educational visits – foreign language school exchanges, cultural visits all over Europe and further afield, sports competitions, youth conferences, winter sports and adventurous activities in more extreme environments. The Duke of Edinburgh Award becomes available at 14 years old and continues to be offered for those up to 24 years of age, and pupils of many ages start work on specialist awards in areas such as mountaineering, sailing and river sports. This increase in venue variety has led to a proliferation of specialist companies catering for these activities.

The aims of history trips tend to be more focused in KS4, with study trips to the 1940 Dunkirk evacuation and the 1944 Normandy Landings often proving popular along with the 1815 Waterloo battlefield. Venues of this type are often catered for by specialist travel companies to ensure participants get the best experience available.

A lot of schools have a tradition of school trips with their choirs, orchestras and musical/theatre students. There are specialist companies that can help any school wishing to explore this possibility, and many venues have tailored activities for groups that can help improve performers’ confidence and motivation.

British schools have been the forerunners in Europe for undertaking challenging outdoor activities both at home and abroad (you can visit here for good list of activities and gateway sites) but there is a notable increase of interest at KS4 in science-based trips – most notably the Science and National History museums in London, the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the National Railway Museum in York, Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre in Macclesfield, Techniquest in Cardiff, and the Bristol Science Centre, all of which have reported an increase in visitors in recent years.

Suitable Venues

Dramatic chalk cliffs with acres of open downland and coastal views

Bembridge and Culver Downs form a dramatic promontory at the east end of the Isle of Wight. The cliffs are part of the same chalk ridge that forms the Needles and cliffs of Tennyson Down in the west. Feel the wind in your hair and admire the views over Sandown Bay and the Solent from this high point perched on top of the cliffs.

Dramatic moorland rock formations

Explore Brimham Rocks, and have a great day out at nature's playground. 

This amazing collection of weird and wonderful rock formations makes a great day out for families, climbers and those wanting to enjoy the simple pleasures of fresh air and magnificent views over Nidderdale.

Officially the highest zipline tour in Australia, the Illawarra Fly Zipline Tour involves flying on a series of cable spans and suspension bridges up to 35 metres above the forest floor!

A 10-km (6.5 mile) underground track between Paddington Station and Whitechapel sorting offices, it was served by a fleet of 2-ft gauge driverless electric trains, once transporting 30,000 mailbags containing four million letters and packets every day.

The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum is housed in two towers of Caernarfon Castle. In it you will discover the history of over 300 years of service by Wales’s oldest infantry.

A traditional English landscape

Outridge is an 80 acre farm set on the side of Toy's Hill. It has an impressive grade 2 listed square oast house and piggery located in its centre and is home to the Octavia Hill basecamp.

Rising from the east shore of Loch Lomond to a height of 974m (3,193ft), Ben Lomond offers exhilarating walking and spectacular views across Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park.

Towering cliffs, coves and a wooded valley within Exmoor National Park

The Heddon Valley set in the West Exmoor coast was the favourite landscape of the Romantic Poets.

Creative fun in the countryside

​​​​​​In the heart of Pollok Country Park, this award-winning building houses a unique collection in a beautiful woodland setting. The Burrell Collection is one of the greatest ever created by one person, comprising over 8,000 objects.

A perfect environment for schools wanting to explore the great outdoors!

Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in North Wales, Colomendy is the perfect environment for 7-11 year olds to explore the great outdoors

Breath-taking adventure park nestled in woodlands with a giant zipwire, climbing tower and an abundance of ropes courses

On-site watersports including canoeing, kayaking and raft-building

Covering 100 acres of beautiful fields and woodlands in a superb clifftop location, overlooking Whitecliff Bay

Situated on the enchanting Isle of Wight, with stunning views over Whitecliff Bay and direct beach access, this centre an instant hit with students and teachers alike

Located in a Site of Special Scientific Interest, providing the perfect destination for environmental and history studies along the dramatic Jurassic Coast

Where Charles Darwin Lived and Worked

With its unique place in the history of science, Down House, the home of Victorian scientist Charles Darwin (1809–82), is one of the major visitor attractions in the South East. Down House was Darwin's home from 1842 until his death 40 years later.

Spectacular and varied lakeland landscape around Derwentwater

Derwentwater is often called the 'Queen of the Lakes', and as you canoe between the islands with your picnic at the ready it's easy to see why. The friendly staff at our shop and information centre on the Keswick Foreshore will help you out with local knowledge about canoeing, interesting things to see and walks to do.

Famous for our red squirrels, wildlife and Scouting

Brownsea Island is dramatically located in Poole Harbour, with spectacular views across to the Purbeck Hills.

Tranquil area of dramatic fells, farms and woodland, encompassing three lakes

Buttermere in Old English means 'the lake by the dairy pastures'. Large numbers of Vikings settled in Cumbria during the 9th and 10th centuries and many names in the area are of Norse origin.

A spectacular landscape of curious contrasts

The St Just coast boasts spectacular cliffs which lead from turbulent Atlantic seas, to a flat plateau of granite, capped by small agricultural fields. Here, since the Bronze Age, tin has been pulled and pushed out of the earth.

Home of the Wild Ennerdale project with 30 miles of traffic-free paths

Lying on the north western edge of the Lake District National Park, Ennerdale is home to some of England’s most vibrant natural environments and one of the longest running wild land restoration projects in the UK.

Valleys of many delights

The valleys descend from the highest and wildest mountains all the way to the beautiful sandy beaches on Cumbria’s peaceful western coast. The landscape provides everything from grandeur and beauty to tranquillity and remoteness.

Beautiful wooded valley with 19th-century Gibson Mill at its heart

A beauty spot of the South Pennines with more than 160 hectares (400 acres) of unspoilt woodland.

As well as being the home of the northern hairy wood ant, there are tumbling streams, glorious waterfalls and stacks of millstone grit, all crisscrossed by more than 15 miles (24km) of footpaths.

A museum set in a remarkable building that holds an extensive collection that covers the many aspects of life and social history in Bishop’s Castle and the surrounding area. Free to visit. Restricted opening times as run by volunteers.

If you are visiting nearby Stourhead then why not walk half a mile or so to see one of the great follies of the UK.

With so much to see and do, a trip to Belsay is one of the best value family days out in north-east England. Explore the medieval castle, the Grecian inspired Hall and acres of impressive gardens.

Neolithic and Iron Age site rich in wildlife, offering sweeping views of surrounding countryside

Discover an unusually designed Iron Age hill fort, containing a smaller central, possibly Neolithic, enclosure. Enjoy the exceptional views from the ramparts over Salisbury Plain, Old Sarum and Salisbury Cathedral. The ramparts also act as a refuge for unusual plants.

A magnificent Tudor merchant’s house

This beautiful building has been home to merchants and mayors through the ages. A museum since 1900, its stunning Tudor and Stuart interiors now house rich furnishings and textiles that give a real feel for the day to day life of its wealthy former owners. 

This remarkable small museum is home to many diverse collections of items made from straw including marquetry, embroidery, straw stars, Swiss straw lace and dyed straw marquetry. 

There are also examples of other crafts such as quilling, tatting and beadwork. Owner, Ella Carstairs, will be happy to give you demonstrations of straw marquetry and quilling.

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