New Zealand
Tips on How to Plan a School Trip
Introduction
Whatever region you're in in New Zealand or however young your students are, there is an abundance of choices and learning opportunities to pick from when planning a school trip for your students. Whether you're planning to take them to the Te Papa Museum or to bring them to Kaikōura to see the seal colony, you can make it the smoothest and most fun school trip your students could ever have. Don't worry, we're here (with our school trip lessons and experiences) to guide you!
Choose a destination around a specific goal early
What is your objective as an educator in this school trip? Many ideas come to mind. Do you want to heighten their environmental awareness and ecological empathy? Do you want them to develop a deeper appreciation for animals? Do you want them to see the beauty and genius of maths in architecture? Do you want them to be motivated to become better artists? Once your committee comes to a decision, you can narrow down your trip to 1-3 places.
Complete all the pre-requisite paperwork with urgency
You don't want to go into detailed planning around exploring Piopiotahi if you have yet to secure permits from the school administrators or if you haven't booked reservations and signed agreements with the groups and coordinators who are in charge of the locations' activities and accommodation for visiting students.
Contact your destinations' assigned liaison officers or coordinators as soon as possible so you can ask for their required documents from your school. Secure permits required by your school district and school administrators too. Making sure that you follow all administrative and legal regulations is crucial to making the trip happen.
After securing the venues and permits, you can finalise the itinerary and customise it to relate to your objectives best.
Make the Announcement to the Students and Parents ASAP
If you've got the paperwork and the itinerary done, and the school administrators have given you the go-signal to pursue this out-of-the-school endeavour, you need to immediately inform your students and their parents about the planned upcoming trip. This is to give parents ample time to decide whether they'll allow their children to join the trip. It will also allow them to budget for the trip as it will be inevitable to incur expenses in preparation for the school trip.
Some kids also need some time to make themselves look good at home so they get a favourable decision and response from their parents. You were also a kid once, you know.
Do pre-visit activities.
To build anticipation and to acquaint your students with ideas and concepts that they will further explore in their school trip, facilitate relevant activities. For example, if you're planning to bring the students to the National Aquarium, it's a great opportunity to bring this up to the science or biology teachers so they can incorporate showing their students programs about different marine species in their lesson plan.
Plan for everything that will happen during school travel.
Once you've gotten the headcount for everyone coming to the trip, it's time to plan for the school transportation itself.
Booking school transportation services with the right company is important when it comes to ensuring everyone's safety and the trip's overall compliance to standards and expectations set by the district, the parents, and the school.
Give your students a list of must-bring items so they can prepare and feel comfortable during the trip. Travelling on bus hire might take hours and it's good to encourage them to bring their favourite things so they won't get bored.
You also need to specify and list the places where supplies or meals will be acquired or distributed to your students. Will you be making stops along the way? Will you be hauling a lot of stuff with you? These things need to be shared with everyone involved, especially the school transportation service provider who will be making sure that you are comfortable and that the itinerary is followed.
You can also make the initiative of planning activities to do while on the coach. A trivia quiz (with prizes!) or games can be fun!
NZ's best school transportation service by The Coach Company New Zealand
Because we understand the significance of school trips to learning, we have taken it upon ourselves to provide the best school travel experience on the road. Depending on the number of your students and your budget, whether you need a bus hire Auckland or a coach in Wellington, you can choose from our fleet of vehicles that include vans, minibuses, and coaches. We maintain our vehicles regularly to ensure their safety and efficiency. Our drivers are highly-skilled and professional, they are the pride of our company and will look after their passengers with their excellent driving.
Conclusion
Planning early and promptly is paramount to having a fun and smooth school trip that is free from mishaps and full of fun. Knowing and following protocols from your school administration, the school trip destinations, and your district should be a priority. Securing the parents' permission and your students' compliance will help you go into planning the specifics well ahead of the trip. Your choice of school transportation provider plays a huge part in the safety and enjoyment of your travels, so book the right one (that's us!) early.
Are you ready to take your students on an adventure? Start planning today and book your school transportation services with The Coach Company NZ. Check out our affordable, reliable vehicles for hire and book early to secure your dates. Reserve your coach hire with us and look forward to an unforgettable school trip. Click here to browse through our fleet and services.
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