Hyundai Launches National School Trips Week With Ground-Breaking UK Programme

Monday 29 April 2024: With just a few months left of the current academic year, over a quarter (27%) of pupils are yet to experience a trip away from the classroom.

Funding (64%) and staff shortages (40%) top the list of the most significant barriers for teachers when it comes to booking trips. In response, and in a bid to get even more children on trips this academic year, Hyundai is boosting its commitment to school trips through its Great British School Trip (GBST) initiative with the launch of National School Trips Week.

The company has added an extra 25,000 school trip places to the GBST programme, pledging to support 60,000 children across the 23/24 academic year. This will mean that the total number of children supported across both Year 1 and 2 of the initiative is 90,000.

National School Trips Week will play host to over 30 of these essential educational experiences, across the full length of the country, supporting over 8,000 pupils across the week. Venues signed up to take part include English Heritage, PGL, Eureka! and the Royal Air Force Museum London.

The research, commissioned by Hyundai Motor UK, also revealed that 97% of teachers consider school trips as positive for fostering creativity, yet over three quarters (78%) admit that it’s harder to organise a trip with creativity as a focus. When surveying recent school leavers at the end of 2023, it was revealed that 72% wish they’d done more creative subjects at school, with 18% citing ‘creative thinking’ as a key quality they lack.

As part of National School Trips Week, Long Mead Community Primary School from Tonbridge attended the Turner Contemporary in Margate, which was the first time some of the Year 4/5 children had ever been to a gallery or the seaside.

Reggie Yates, Hyundai’s Educator in Residence, who attended the school trip to Turner Contemporary explains:

When I was younger, I couldn't stand being cooped up in a classroom. I craved action outdoors. In fact, a particular trip that sparked me wanting to get into the career I do now was visiting the Natural History Museum, followed by a trip to the cinema to see Jurassic Park! Kids learn best by doing and therefore we mustn't underestimate the value of hands-on learning experiences, which is why initiatives such as The Great British School Trip are so important.

With this increased commitment, Hyundai will continue to offer bursaries to help schools most in need fund their trips, which will cover booking fees and travel costs. To find out more about the programme and how you can get involved, please visit: https://greatbritishschooltrip.com/.