Frequently Asked Questions

We are a tailormade company and will develop a bespoke itinerary that is specifically designed to provide your group with a sense of purpose and for every participant to gain a sense of achievement. To ensure a fulfilling experience, we will plan your itinerary with consideration to achieving specific Primary Learning Objectives, as well as any other specific Learning Objectives that you would like your group to experience and learn from.

As far as possible, we adopt a non exclusion policy. We develop our trips to have content and purpose that we feel matches the abilities of the group. However, we are not a specialist disability provider and so in certain cases, we may not be able to able to ensure the safety of some.

Typically, our group leaders hold the ML (summer) Award and a minimum of 16hr First Aid Course. All Group leaders must demonstrate a high level of travel experience throughout the world.

We have a pool of group leaders who’s environmental experiences vary enormously and and include high altitude mountaineering, jungle training and overseas project development work. From this network we are able to accurately allocate leaders based on the demands and content of the trip, and the experiences of the leader.

Many of our Group Leaders are teachers themselves, and in all cases they are well accustomed and experienced in working with young people in an outdoor setting.

Leaders are typically allocated 12 to 6 months ahead of the trip’s departure, this allows time for the group Leader to meet the group that they will be travelling with, as well as introduce themselves to parents.

The leadership team start to form as soon as a booking has been made. The Lead Teacher and supporting teachers have clearly defined roles, that are mainly focussed on the planning of the trip and preparation of the group, once overseas their role supports the Group Leader, who has ultimate responsibly for the entire group overseas.

We are fully licensed so you can book your holiday with us in confidence. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advanced booking. We are also a member of the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) providing financial protection for any non-flight packages.

We are part of The Natural Travel Collection, a fully bonded and licensed travel agent and tour operator, who hold an Air Travel Organisers' Licence (ATOL 10544) granted by the Civil Aviation Authority to protect your money should we go out of business.

It is impossible for us to outline every scenario and situation that could possibly affect your holiday arrangements, however we follow the travel advice as published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Should they indicate that the destination of your planned itinerary is unsafe to travel to, we would either divert your trip to a safer destination, postpone your departure, or cancel your itinerary with a full refund.

Whilst we place no obligation on anyone having to fundraise towards the cost the trip, there is no doubt that fundraising is a fantastic opportunity for group members to work together on fundraising events, develop entrepreneurial skills in personal fundraising activities and learn the true value of money. We would strongly encourage group members to set a target to fundraise and we provide a Fundraising Pack of ideas for the group to consider.

We are able to provide a percentage breakdown of how the trips funds are spent, on request.

A contract comes into being between ourselves and the school and the parents when we receive the Booking Form, which requires acceptance of our Booking Conditions.

We have a comprehensive public liability insurance policy to the value of £10,000,000.

We always recommend that individuals are covered under a group travel insurance policy and most school or college travel insurance policies can be extended to cover pupils for these types of trips. Alternatively, we recommend our optional group travel insurance which includes cover of medical and repatriation expenses for all participants, although cover for personal items is not included in this policy. This policy should be arranged by the group organiser. Please liaise with your travel consultant to receive a full copy of this policy schedule.

Yes. We are proud to have been awarded the LOtC (Learning Outside the Classroom) Quality Badge.

The LOtC Quality Badge is a national accreditation recognising organisations that provide good quality educational experiences and manage risk effectively.  Supported by the majority of Local Authority Outdoor Education Advisers, the LOtC Quality Badge makes it easier for anyone organising educational visits to gain approval and provides assurance that their chosen destination has met 6 nationally recognised quality indicators.

We have also been assessed for compliancy to British Standard 8848 which recognises that Schools Worldwide’s operational and safety management processes meet the industry requirements for overseas school trips, fieldwork, expeditions and activities.

We operate our trips on a student to teacher ratio of 1:8, as standard. However, the environment and content of an itinerary may increase this ratio and as part of our planning of the trip we will also discuss and agree the scaling of ratio’s in line with fluctuations of the group size.

Each itinerary and activity that we plan undergoes a thorough risk assessment that incorporates general travel risks as well as those associated with a specific itinerary. Our Risk and Hazard Assessments are available throughout all phases of the trip. They are provided to the Leadership team to carry with them throughout the trip and time is spent explaining particular points to note before departure.

All pre-written Risks Assessments and the Emergency Response plan are developed by our office staff. However, a Risk Evaluation Table is also provided which explains a process for the leadership team to make an assessment of an unforeseen hazard and establish control measure ‘in-situ’.

All pre-written Risk Assessments take the hazard information from a variety of sources including in-house expertise, Leader Reports, Local Suppliers, FCO guidance and Travel Medical advice and we consult with leaders, technical and medical advisors as well as using our own knowledge to develop safe and appropriate control measures.

All vehicles that transport our groups are fully licenced and insured with a local tour operator to meet local road worthy standards.

Each member of the Leadership Team is provided with a comprehensive manual that specifically relates to the trip and includes a contact sheet that lists a variety of hospitals throughout the country. The manual also contains a thorough section explaining our Emergency Response Plan, which is discussed with the Leadership team prior to departure.

As well as having access to medical support via their own insurance company, all groups are registered with Remote Medical Support, providing our groups with direct telephone communication with a qualified UK doctor 24 hours a day. This is of particular importance for individuals travelling with complex conditions, for leaders who wish to seek advice on prescribing a particular item from the medical boxes, or if wishing to seek a second opinion on a local diagnosis.

Group leaders must hold a valid 16hr First Aid certificate.

Depending upon the nature of the itinerary, group leaders are provided with a mobile phone or Satellite phone for external communications. For large groups, or if the nature of the itinerary requires it, we will also provide Motorola radios to enable the group to communicate with each other from different locations.

We operate a 24-hour support service which is available to all groups overseas, that endeavours to provide group leaders with immediate contact with a member of our UK office team. This is the frontline of our Crisis Management Plan, which draws upon the additional support and expertise of our parent company, The Natural Travel Collection, as well as external specialists to deal effectively with any major incident.

Group Leaders will normally hold qualifications associated with the nature of the itinerary and the environment being visited. They will be experienced in working with young people on similarly focussed itineraries and have undergone an enhanced disclosure (DBS check). We will only use in-country suppliers that employ experienced and qualified local staff. Therefore, if your Group Leader is not familiar with the exact area you are visiting, the local guides and trek staff will have the added expert local knowledge and experience to safely support the itinerary.

Schools Worldwide have reliable and knowledgeable in-country suppliers, in every destination we run trips to who are always the first point of contact for the team in country, whatever the reason.

Adventure safety training for participants is incorporated at every stage of the build up to the adventure. Once the trip has been firmly established, your Operations Co-ordinator will come to your school and deliver a Venture Preparation Session to your group. This will help prepare the group by developing a team bond between the participants and explain some of the practicalities associated with overseas travel and the important preparations they must make in readiness for their itinerary.

Depending on the nature of your itinerary, in addition to your group’s Venture Preparation Session we may also require you and your group to attend an overnight Training Weekend. The purpose of the weekend is to get your group ‘outdoors’ and teach them some basic expedition skills, get used to using their kit and equipment and have their fitness levels assessed.

Our Annual School Travel Conference is designed to assist teachers and leaders to prepare for their trip. The day is very much focussed on the safety of a trip, the back up and support available from the UK and also how to get the very best out of an itinerary and a group, and consists of a series of workshops run by ourselves and guest speakers, covering topics essential to each trip.

Our itineraries are developed to provide your group with a sense of purpose and for every participant to gain a sense of achievement. To ensure a fulfilling experience, we will plan your itinerary with consideration to achieving specific Primary Learning Objectives, including learning the importance of detailed planning and preparation, learning about the history, culture and environment of the destination, understanding the lives and needs of rural communities and learning about the practicalities and processes associated with overseas travel. These objectives will always be achievable within an itinerary – almost regardless of what else may be unachievable.

A Learning Objective that may become unachievable for almost any number of reasons may be to successfully achieve a goal. Typically this may be to reach the summit of a mountain, or complete the tasks of a project. Should these become unachievable, leaders are encouraged to focus on the positives that can be drawn from the situation and celebrate the success of what was achieved – for instance, returning the group to safety in the event of poor weather disrupting a summit attempt or celebrating the successful completion of certain project tasks over a complete project.

Your Programme Manager will develop your itinerary, help launch your trip and oversee the successful running of your entire journey. Once your trip is confirmed, an Operations Co-ordinator will be assigned to your trip to co-ordinate all the operational and logistical matters relating to your itinerary as well as the preparation and distribution of all group documentation.

From the point you enquire about running a venture with us, to the point that you return from overseas, your Programme Manager will be your main point of contact relating to any matter about your trip. Your Operations Co-ordinator will be responsible for all flight and in-country matters, as well as handling all administrative matters relating to your group, parents or Local Authority. They will manage all guidance documentation relating to your trip and the provision of any associated kit and equipment that may be necessary. Your Operations Co-ordinator is also responsible to support you with the ensuring the successful approval of your trip.

As part of the planning process we will provide you with references to other Lead teachers and School Trip Co-ordinators who have previously (and continue) to run trips with us.