The key to a safe and successful trip relies in its planning. Schools Worldwide will spend many months researching and planning each part of a trip, not only to ensure that it meets your requirements and needs, but importantly, to ensure that it is safe.

In order to satisfy ourselves that the itinerary and activities you and your team will be undertaking are safe to do so, we ensure that safety is top of the agenda throughout the entire research and planning process, and this will continue right up until your departure.

• Risk Assessments
  
  An essential part of the research for any trip is identifying the risks and making an assessment. Each of our trips are given a full risk assessment, which is broken down into two categories and provided to all adult leaders as part of their overseas documentation before leaving the U.K.
  
  1. The Schools Worldwide Generic Risk Assessment provides a comprehensive reference and guide to all aspects of our overseas expeditions as a whole.
  
  2. The Schools Worldwide Country Specific Risk Assessment provides a comprehensive reference and guide to aspects particular to a country.
  
  It is also worth noting that we provide a detailed account of a trek (day by day) and also of a project which each contain a Hazard Awareness section, forewarning leaders of particular hazards to be aware of at given points of their itinerary.
  
  We provide a Risk Evaluation Table for leaders to use, should they encounter a hazard that has not been identified with thin the above documentation. These normally arise out of unforeseen circumstances, but the grid assists leaders in making a strong decision while also considering our guidelines.

• Medical Consultation
  
  We currently work with a qualified medical professional who provides guidance and advice to us, regarding each of the participants of the trip and their medical conditions. This allows us to rely upon a medical professional to highlight where we need to request additional information. The Doctor also provides us with up to date information regarding advice on inoculations and vaccinations for each destination, in relation to the itinerary. All team members are required to complete a medical declaration form and parents must later sign a Medical Consent Form. The Doctor also provides us with advice and recommendations for the contents of our First Aid Kit.

• Group Preparation (Members Area)
  
  Once a trip is confirmed, we develop a micro-website dedicated to each group. This is accessible via our main website provides access fro parents, pupils and teachers to all relevant trip information quickly and easily. As we upload new information to the site, group members will receive an email from us to letting them know that more information is available. The site includes three Tour Information Packs providing information about the destination, the itinerary, flights details, kit lists, inoculation advice, project pack, fundraising pack and fitness information. For teachers there is additional information regarding risk assessments and also consent forms for parents to download.

• Presentations and Meetings
  
  We meet with all Lead Teachers, group members and parents in the run up to departure in order to plan and prepare for the trip. An initial Tour Information Meeting aims to ascertain the needs and objectives of the group so that we can develop a suitable itinerary. At the Launch Presentation and Pre-Departure meeting, group members and parents have the chance meet us, find out more about the details of their itinerary, to see photographs from previous trips and to ask questions.
  
  For groups who undertake a substantial and active project, we also provide a comprehensive project workshop, encouraging the group think about their own project by showing them pictures of what other groups have achieved, providing them with clearer details of what their tasks will involve and ultimately getting them to brainstorm their own ideas and encourage them to plan well.

• Leaders Reports
  
  An essential source of information for us is the Leaders Report. Providing a detailed account of the group's experience, we review each trip using the leaders report to identify areas where we need to improve our services. This is also one of the main sources for updating our Risk Assessments, trekking information and itineraries as well as the back up and support paperwork that accompanies all trips.

• Experienced Staff
  
  Our staff members have a combined first hand knowledge of all the destinations in our portfolio. Reconnoitre trips are made in order to ensure that the contacts we use in country continue to be reliable and the information and advice that you receive from us is taken from our own country experiences.

• FCO Advice and Embassy Liaison
  
  Schools Worldwide frequently liaise with the British Embassies and ensure that all team members have their details (inc. passport no.) registered with their National Embassy, in country, prior to arrival. We also consult embassies for advice and information in the planning stages of our trips to ensure that the itinerary is not travelling to unsafe areas. Schools Worldwide consult Foreign and Commonwealth Office advice prior to finalising the country specific risk assessment for each trip. We continue to monitor FCO advice via live email updates.

OTHER SAFETY INFORMATION

• Overseas Support
  
  
• U.K. Support
  
  
• Compliance
  
  
• FAQ's - Safety & Support