From a maths teacher taking pupils to Malawi to an EVC who has spent 18 years transforming her school’s visits programme, your finalists embody everything that makes learning outside the classroom so powerful. Meet them and vote for your winner.
The School Trip Champion Award recognises EVCs, teachers and school staff who go above and beyond to create fantastic learning opportunities through educational visits. Meet the four finalists competing for the £2,500 prize and vote for your winner.
The accolade is presented at the School Travel Awards ceremony, which this year takes place on Friday 20th November. And importantly, the winner scoops £2,500 to spend on a future educational visit.
This is about celebrating the individuals who are passionate about getting children and young people learning outside the classroom and see the true value of the experiences for young people.
Meet our four amazing 2026 finalists…
Will Aitken,
Maths teacher
Accrington Academy, Lancashire
Described as the “driving force behind the organisation and delivery of school trips across the whole school”, maths teacher Will has organised everything from international trips to New York, Barcelona and Malawi through to residential experiences and exciting day trips.
He is passionate about ensuring that all students, regardless of background or circumstances, have access to “meaningful learning experiences beyond the classroom” and is involved in the whole process from start to finish, including coordinating logistics such as travel, accommodation, passports, visas, medical requirements, partnerships, and funding.
Will told us: “A key part is actively removing barriers to participation so that no student is excluded due to financial or social disadvantage.”
Through the experiences he organises, Will said he aims to “develop students’ confidence, independence and cultural awareness, while strengthening relationships and engagement with school.”
He added: “I place a strong emphasis on inclusion, ensuring that our most disadvantaged students, including those who are looked after, are prioritised and supported to take part.”
Will works collaboratively with colleagues across departments to enhance the wider curriculum through trips, helping to embed real-world learning opportunities that inspire and motivate students. This is a person who firmly believes that learning outside the classroom plays a “crucial role in shaping young people’s futures” and is committed to giving every student the chance to experience life “beyond their immediate community”.
Some of the visits Will has been involved in include: taking up to 64 students to New York on a maths-focused trip, residential weekend trips, an annual two-week trip to Malawi through the Turing Scheme, history visits to Skipton Castle and more.
Lee Gwillim,
Science teacher (specialising in physics)
James Calvert Spence College, Northumberland
Dedicated to providing young people with opportunities to learn beyond the classroom, science teacher Lee said: “Seeing pupils overcome challenges, support one another and return with a genuine sense of achievement is one of the most rewarding aspects of my role.”
Described as having an “energetic, hands-on approach” and being somebody who goes “above and beyond to provide meaningful, inclusive and inspiring” experiences, Lee has organised a wide range of visits throughout his teaching career.
He also runs a variety of day trips including theatre outings, and is passionate about the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, developing a thriving programme enabling pupils to experience the outdoors while learning practical life skills.
During expeditions, Lee told us they deliberately place pupils in situations so they can solve problems, make decisions, and cope with unexpected challenges. This is so that they discover “strengths they never knew they had and develop skills that will prepare them for whatever life throws at them”.
Lee said: “Across every trip I lead, my aim is the same: to provide safe, challenging and enjoyable experiences that encourage young people to become resilient, independent and confident individuals. These experiences help pupils discover what they are capable of, build friendships that last well beyond school and return with a renewed belief in themselves.
“As a rural school in Northumberland, we work hard to ensure our students are not limited by geography and have access to the same experiences as their peers elsewhere in the country.”
Some of the visits Lee has been involved with include: residential trips to Tanzania, Italy, Austria and France as well as Year 7 residential centre experiences, ski trips and a host of day trips including an annual Christmas pantomime.
Louise Hardwick,
EVC and operational lead for PSHE/RSE and second in geography
Durham Johnston Comprehensive School, County Durham
It’s said that EVC Louise is the “beating heart of her school’s trip offer”, working tirelessly to ensure there is a varied programme.
In her 15 years at the school, Louise has overseen the risk assessments, paperwork and admin for every school trip, attending many of them. To support such an ambitious programme, she has refined and streamlined the educational visits process across the school, developing guidance documents, trip packs and checklists. This work has helped increase the number and variety of opportunities available to students.
Louise told us: “Throughout my career, I have been passionate about creating opportunities that extend learning beyond the classroom. Whether through local fieldwork, international study visits, careers enrichment or global expeditions, my aim is to ensure that every student has access to a rich and diverse range of experiences that inspire ambition, build confidence and help them realise their potential.”
Inclusion is at the forefront of the school’s educational visits and Louise works closely with the SENDCO pastoral teams and finance department to make sure students from all backgrounds can take part and benefit from the opportunities available. She told us: “By actively identifying and reducing barriers to participation, we strive to ensure that financial circumstances, additional needs or personal challenges do not prevent students from accessing life-enhancing experiences.”
As well as the EVC, Louise has a significant contribution to the school’s personal development programme, helping to organise enrichment opportunities, engagement activities with employers and university visits.
Some of the visits Louise has been involved in include: sports tours to Malaga, a Battlefields tour to France and Belgium, annual ski trips, day trips to Beamish Museum and Alnwick Garden, as well as music tours and performances, Holy Island and Durham Cathedral.
Sue Lee,
EVC
Madeley School, Staffordshire
As the school trip coordinator, Sue is said to have “transformed” the school’s educational visits programme into a “gold standard of excellence”. Over the past 18 years, she has organised and led a variety of residential, international and day visits to enrich the curriculum and enhance students’ experiences.
She is passionate about giving students the opportunity to apply their learning in “real-world settings, developing independence and resilience and broadening their horizons.”
Sue said: “I believe educational visits should be purposeful, inclusive and transformative. Whether students are exploring Iceland’s geothermal landscapes, studying history in Normandy, experiencing theatre in London, or engaging with art and culture in museums and galleries, these experiences bring learning to life and create meaningful connections with the curriculum.”
As an EVC, Sue oversees risk assessments, approval processes and helps reduce the admin workload for colleagues. She is also committed to keeping visits affordable and accessible by securing value for money and “maximising student participation wherever possible.”
She works closely with colleagues at the school to make sure educational visits are well-planned, safe and manageable.
Sue told us: “Educational visits also help students develop confidence, social skills and curiosity about the wider world. For many students, school trips provide opportunities they may not otherwise experience, helping to raise aspirations and broaden perspectives. Seeing students return with greater confidence, deeper understanding and lasting memories remains one of the most rewarding aspects of my role.”
Some of the visits Sue has been involved in include: annual residential trips to London, overseas visits to Iceland, Spain, Normandy and the German Christmas Markets, as well as visits to museums, galleries, historical sites and Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.
Vote for your winner of the School Trip Champion Award here. Your votes must be received by Sunday 18th October 2026, to be counted.
The winner will be announced at the School Travel Awards lunch and ceremony on Friday 20th November at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.
