Nearly half of parents say their fondest childhood memories include school trips

The Natural History Museum and Imperial War Museum in London, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, have topped a list of the UK's favourite destinations – for school trips.

A study of 1,600 parents, with school-aged children, found that two-thirds believe school trips to be an essential part of a child's education and development.

In fact, 44% still feel nostalgic for their own educational days out – with a separate poll, of the same number of parents, revealing that four in ten still talk about school trips they enjoyed as youngsters.

Almost half (46%) claim that school trips are their favourite memories from their school days – with the best parts about the trips including spending time with friends, and reserving seats at the back of the bus.

But learning something new outside of the classroom was also an important element – with 32% saying that school trips they went on had such an impact that they shaped their future career path.

The research was commissioned by Hyundai, to launch its “Great British School Trip” programme, which will provide 25,000 school children, aged seven to 14, with free school trips.

Ashley Andrew, managing director at Hyundai Motor UK, said: “When you’re a child, it’s great to get out and about to bring your learning to life – so it’s no wonder it’s such a key memory for so many.

“Getting out of the classroom not only creates memories, but fundamentally also brings a sense of excitement to a particular school subject.

“Also, school trips are often the first opportunity for a child to gain a sense of independence – so it’s no surprise that many people remember the small things like reserving the back of the bus, and spending time with friends in a new environment.

“We firmly believe that school trips are an essential part of our young people’s development, and something that every child should have access to, creating the same memories as their parents.”

The research went on to find almost three-quarters (72%) of parents wish their child had the opportunity to go on more school excursions, after having some great times during their days in education.

Looking back on their school years, four in ten believe these trips played a big role in cementing things they learned in the classroom, and they often remember looking forward to the time away from school up to five days in advance.

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And two-thirds (65%) wish they'd appreciated the outings they had more when they were a child.

But almost four in ten (39%) fear their youngsters won’t be offered the opportunity to go on any trips during the 2022/2023 school year.

As many as six in ten think more needs to be done to ensure all children have an equal opportunity to go on school trips.

And two in five believe the responsibility to go on more days out lies with the school itself, according to the findings by OnePoll.

Ashley Andrew added: “All school trips offered through our Great British School Trip initiative will cover important subjects such as art, maths, and STEM, and will allow students to truly cement their learning outside of the classroom.”

Bookings for The Great British School Trip are now open, where teachers can select a school trip location.

BRITS' FAVOURITE SCHOOL TRIP DESTINATIONS:

1. Natural History Museum, London
2. Imperial War Museum, London
3. Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
4. Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, London
5. Cadbury World, Birmingham
6. SS Great Britain, Bristol
7. Snowdonia, Wales
8. Cardiff Castle, Wales
9. Edinburgh Castle, Scotland
10. Holyrood, Scotland
11. Tate Modern, London
12. Dover Castle, Kent
13. Warwick Castle, Warwick
14. Stonehenge, Wiltshire
15. Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
16. Hadrian's Wall, Cumbria
17. The National Videogame Museum, Sheffield
18. Birmingham Botanical Gardens
19. The Gates of 10 Downing Street, London
20. Gower Peninsula, Wales

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