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.
The spectacular sandy beach forms a white arc between two headlands on the North Antrim Coast. Its secluded location means that even on a busy day there is plenty of room for quiet relaxation.
The beach is also backed by ancient sand dunes that provide a range of rich habitats for bird and animal life.
An 18th-century corn mill in a peaceful, rural setting. Rebuilt in 1776 on a site marked in the Domesday Book, this substantial mill was extensively repaired in 1994 and still retains its original elm and applewood machinery (now too fragile to be used).
Enjoy a stroll over White Mill bridge or sit in the garden and enjoy the tranquillity of the River Stour.
Britain's first fully themed indoor family resort and amusement park. A magical world of fun, thrills and experiences for all the family. Now including the indoor Galactic Play Zone!
Following our hosting of the white water canoeing at the London2012 Olympics, development and expansion work has recently been completed at Lee Valley White Water Centre. There are now improved facilities for the 2014 season including more changing rooms, an expanded café with a bigger outdoor terrace area and the new Pavilion in the park which includes the Finish Line Café.
The National White Water Centre is based on the River Tryweryn in the heart of Snowdonia. As a centre of excellence for paddlesport, we are known as the home of white water rafting and kayaking.
Situated in a stunning location in the beautiful Peak District National Park, White Hall Outdoor Education Centre has given thousands of young people wonderful, memorable experiences since it opened in 1951 as Britain's first local education authority outdoor centre.
An excellent example of a Neolithic long barrow, located on Salisbury Plain, a few miles from Stonehenge. This was our first purely archaeological purchase.
This incredible Tree Cathedral, made from trees, shrubs and plants, was created after the First World War in the spirit of 'faith, hope and reconciliation'.
Admission to the Tree Cathedral is free. Donations welcome to the Whipsnade Tree Cathedral Fund c/o The Trustees.
This beautiful small manor house, built over three centuries, has late Gothic and Jacobean windows, decorative plasterwork and two important keyboard instruments. There is some fine period furniture, 17th- and 18th-century tapestries and a modern topiary garden.
Lytes Cary Manor is an intimate medieval manor house with a beautiful Arts and Crafts garden where you can imagine living.
Originally the family home of Henry Lyte, where he translated the unique Niewe Herbal book on herbal remedies, Lytes Cary was then lovingly restored in the 20th century by Sir Walter Jenner.
The Iford valley has been occupied since Roman times and the manor house sits idyllically by the Frome river in the steep-sided valley. Iford Manor is mediaeval in origin, the classical facade being added in the eighteenth century when the hanging woodlands above the garden were planted.
West Wycombe Park is one of the most theatrical and Italianate of all English country houses and the Dashwood family home for over 300 years. Set in 45 acres of landscaped park, the house as we see it today is the creation of the 2nd Baronet in the 18th century.
Originally laid out between 1696 and 1705, this is the only restored Dutch style water garden in the country.
Visitors can explore canals, clipped hedges and working 17th-century vegetable plots and discover many old varieties of fruit trees.
Medieval gatehouse to the 13th-century College of Priests - where the 14th-century theological reformer, John Wyclif, lived.
This is the perfect place for a breezy walk along, or up and down, the hills of north Norfolk.
Enjoy the sun on the heaths or shelter from the wind in the woods.
In a stroll of a couple of miles you can see eight species of trees and depending on the season, a variety of flowers, birds, bees and butterflies.
A delightful series of walled gardens surrounds the charming 18th-century house.
The garden has many original features including a grand water staircase, created by Marylyn Abbott, providing the focal point to the Nymphaeum fountain designed by Quinlan Terry.
Wenlock Edge is a narrow limestone escarpment that runs for 15 miles from Craven Arms to Ironbridge, the National Trust owns 8 miles of this stretch. There is a mix of rich flowering grasslands and ancient woodland along with internationally important sites for geology, making the area an important Special Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Wembury in South Devon is a wildlife magnet. Its rocky cliffs are home to nesting sea birds, while a rocky shore, slate reefs and massive wave-cut platforms provide one of the UK's best spots for marine life.
The Wellington Monument stands as a tribute to the Duke of Wellington and his victory at the Battle of Waterloo.
Take a stroll around the 2,000 acres of Watersmeet and Countisbury, a haven for wildlife and breathtaking views.
On Exmoor, Watersmeet is the meeting place of the East Lyn river and Hoar Oak Water.
Explore the rich woodlands of the Lyn Valley and stroll along the riverside at Lynmouth, Combe Park and Rockford.
Nestling in an idyllic wooded glen offering lovely walks and picnic spots this, the last working water-powered linen beetling mill, offers a unique experience for all the family.
Try some scutching, hackling and weaving as you take part in hands-on demonstrations, against the thundering cacophony of beetling engines.
At the heart of historic Washington village this picturesque stone manor house and its gardens provide a tranquil oasis, reflecting gentry life following the turbulence of the English Civil War.
The building incorporates parts of the original medieval home of George Washington's direct ancestors, and it is from here that the family took their surname of 'Washington'.
Wasdale is a remote farming hamlet surrounded by spectacular fells and dramatic wilderness. The fells have been an inspiration for mountaineers, climbers and poets for decades and remain a magnificent setting for an adventure to suit everyone.
Gifted to you by Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan, Socialist MP and ‘illogical Englishman’, our 13,000-acre estate has something for everyone.
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.