Nearly three-quarters of teachers say school trips are becoming harder to organise yet demand for educational visits remains as strong as ever, according to the School Trip Reality Report produced by Halsbury Travel.
The research has revealed that 73% of teachers believe school trips are becoming harder to organise each year, despite widespread recognition of their benefits for pupils.
The School Trip Reality Report 2026, produced by Halsbury Travel, IBT Travel and Skern Adventure, surveyed 94 customer contacts to investigate the challenges facing those responsible for organising school trips.
School trips remain a core part of education despite growing pressures
The findings show that 85% of respondents believe school trips improve pupil outcomes and 78% see them as ‘a core part of their school’s educational offer’. However, the time and resources required to organise them are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.
Workload emerged as a particular concern, with 83% of respondents saying they receive no formal planning time during the working day to organise trips. Almost a third (32%) spend more than 40 hours planning a typical visit, equivalent to a full working week.
Risk assessments and paperwork were identified as the most time-consuming tasks by 70% of respondents, followed by parent communications (59%) and obtaining and comparing quotes (47%).
Affordability is another significant barrier. Some 81% said cost-of-living pressures on families were having a major impact on school trips, while 69% identified pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds as being particularly at risk of missing out.
Commenting on the financial pressures facing schools and families, Robin Parry, CEO of Halsbury Travel, said: “Whenever the cost of a school trip rises, we know that matters to families (and creates another difficult decision for teachers). There isn’t one single reason behind those increases. A trip brings together transport, accommodation, meals, activities and people (and suppliers across that chain are facing higher food, staffing and operating costs).
“Transport has come under particular pressure. Conflict and disruption in the Middle East have pushed up global oil prices (which can feed through into the cost of coaches, ferries and flights). We work hard to negotiate competitive rates and plan ahead, but we can’t shield schools from every increase. Our responsibility is to be transparent about what’s changing, protect value wherever we can and help schools find practical ways to keep these important experiences within reach for as many pupils as possible.”
The advice from Halsbury contained in the report findings is for teachers to always to book their trips as far in advance as possible with their average time between the enquiry to trip departure being 364 days. Booking early not only secures better availability but also gives families more time to spread the cost, making trips more accessible.
Which pupils might miss out and what do teachers want from tour operators?
Survey respondents were clear about which pupils they believe are most at risk of missing out on school trips. Nearly seven in ten (69%) identified pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds beyond existing support as the group facing the greatest barriers, whilst 57% selected pupils eligible for financial support such as Pupil Premium. These figures sit ahead of pupils with behaviour needs (48%), SEND pupils (32%) and those with medical needs (18%), reinforcing that parent affordability remains the dominant concern for teachers when it comes to access.
Whilst these categories naturally overlap — the question allowed multiple answers — the underlying message is consistent and compelling: the pupils who stand to benefit most from learning outside the classroom are often the same pupils who face the greatest obstacles to participating.
Workload relief emerges as a significant priority. Some 68% of respondents said that reduced admin is a key factor when choosing to work with a tour operator, with 38% also citing reduced staff workload more broadly.
When asked what practical support they would most value from a tour provider, approval packs came out on top (55%), followed closely by payment plans and affordability support (54%), and parent communication packs (46%).
Demand for educational visits remains strong
Despite these challenges, demand for educational visits remains strong. More than three-quarters (76%) of respondents said their school was likely or extremely likely to run a UK residential in the next 12 months, while 66% said the same for an overseas educational trip.
Popular school trip destinations and booking trends
Halsbury Travel has found that the average number of trips booked per school and the trip mix has remained stable over the previous two academic years. Where schools are choosing to go has also remained relatively consistent with its top four destinations currently France, Belgium, Spain and Italy which collectively account for around two-thirds (67%) of bookings over the past three school years.
Halsbury Travel introduced its My Trip Zone earlier this year, which is a new portal that simplifies a range of processes. It allows teachers to send parents a secure online form to complete, with passport details scanned directly using a smartphone.
Downloads
The School Trip Reality Report by Halsbury Travel
PDF, Size 0.79 mb
