Book with an accredited educational trip provider
Planning an educational trip overseas trip is distinctly different from organising a holiday. As such, you need a specialist travel partner who understands the extra requirements and responsibilities involved in taking a group of learners abroad.
This article details the trade associations and quality marks that schools should look for when choosing an educational travel partner.
Choosing the right educational travel company: three essential checks
- Check they are a member of the School Travel Forum (STF), the UK's leading body for ensuring high standards of safety and care for school groups
- Look for a travel partner with the LOtC Quality Badge to reduce the amount of additional checks and risk assessments you need to complete
- Ensure the provider has an adequate bond in place to protect the money paid by parents for their child's school trip
Our school trip expertise is recognised by the School Travel Forum (STF)
The easiest way to be assured your travel company is a school trip specialist is to check that they are a member of the School Travel Forum (STF), the UK's leading body for ensuring high standards of safety and care for school groups.
You can book your next school trip with confidence knowing that Voyager School Travel is an assured member of the STF and that we are audited on a yearly basis to confirm that we:
- Understand and facilitate the needs of educational travel
- Offer fair terms and conditions and the best financial security
- Have effective Safety Management Systems in place, specifically focused on travelling with young students
Our safety training, systems and procedures are detailed in the Safety Management System and are audited by independent experts every year so you can be sure that we maintain the highest standards.
Our LOtC Quality Badge reduces your risk assessment burden
Not only can you book your trip with confidence knowing that we are certified educational travel experts, but because we have been awarded the prestigious LOtC Quality Badge, we can reduce the amount of risk assessment paperwork you need to complete.
The Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge demonstrates that our quality and safety systems have been externally accredited so that the school doesn't have to carry out additional checks. This has been confirmed by the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel (OEAP) whose national guidance states:
"When the provider holds the LOtC Quality Badge there is normally no need to seek further assurances from the provider about the safety of provision."
The extra reassurance of working with an ABTA member
As well as a member of the specialist STF trade body, Voyager School Travel is a member of ABTA, the UK’s largest travel association which means we have to abide by the high professional trading standards set out in ABTA's code of conduct.
We also hold a license by the Civil Aviation Authority under the Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) to provide school trips packages by air.
Your trip is financially protected by ABTOT and ATOL
Schools can be confident that the money a parent pays for their child’s school trip is safe because all Voyager School Travel’s overseas trips are protected by ABTOT and ATOL.
- ABTOT (Association of Bonded Tour Operators Trust Limited) provides financial cover for package trips taken by rail, road, or sea
- ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licensing) is specifically designed to provide financial protection on package trips involving a flight
