Primary School Trips & Tours
Our destinations have been chosen with primary school groups in mind. Our safe, secure accommodation options and range of engaging visits provide an ideal introduction to the world outside the classroom. We go the extra mile to offer residential tours which enable children to understand how they fit into the world around them and embed the educational values from your tour within your learning environment in school.
Our primary school trips programme covers the UK, Ireland and Europe. Our trips which can be tailor-made to your exact needs and subject themes curriculum your pupils are studying. Explore key topics in London including WWII & the Battle of Britain, Crime & Punishment in Britain and The Tudors.
Or take your pupils on an NST primary school trip educational tour to the Continent, inspire them with brand new surroundings and challenge them with fun-filled educational visits, and you’ll develop them both as individuals and as part of a team!
We offer unique and exclusive educational materials for you to use on your tour, and provide you with resources for pre- and post-tour tasks too.
Learn more about our primary school trip destinations
Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is quickly becoming an exciting city to visit - and with more and more exhibitions and cultural visits opening, it's a destination that's suitable for all ages.
Disneyland®Paris
Disneyland® Paris
Paris is home to Europe’s most popular theme park; Disneyland® Paris. Both Disneyland® Park and Walt Disney Studios® Park are jam-packed with rides, shows and attractions all of which provide a great environment for your students to work together, bond as a class and build their confidence.
Learn more about our primary school trips to Disneyland Paris here
Dublin
Dublin
Why not take your school group to the Irish Capital? Enjoy the amazing visits that are educational, cultural and fun.
Dutch Coast
Dutch Coast
The ideal destination for your first Primary School tour abroad!
Learn more about our primary school trips to the Dutch coast here
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Streets are steeped in history, attractions offer the chance to experience an earthquake, and you can even explore the famous castle.
Loire Valley
Loire Valley
This diverse region of France is an ideal destination for a group tour. Known as ‘the Garden of France’, the Loire Valley is home to many cultural and educational visits for language groups.
Learn more about our primary school trips to the Loire Valley here
London
London
A London tour will enable your group to cover many curriculum topics in a short space of time. We can create an itinerary package around any theme, from Tudors and Victorians to Science and Nature.
Manchester
Manchester
This vibrant city offers lots to see and do. Major touring musicals stop off at the Palace Theatre, MediaCity UK continues to grow, and the exciting tour of Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground is still our most popular visit.
Learn more about our primary school trips to Manchester here
Liverpool
Liverpool
Exciting things have been happening in Liverpool over recent years, and this vibrant city offers lots to see and do.
York & Yorkshire Coast
York & Yorkshire Coast
If you’re planning a primary educational trip in the UK, then York and the Yorkshire coast are two of our most popular primary educational tour destinations, so we recommend that you book early to avoid disappointment!
Learn more about our primary school trips to York & Yorkshire Coast here
Our most popular primary school trip destinations...
Our most popular primary school trip destinations...
Edinburgh
This beautiful city is steeped in history and home to many fascinating visits. From exploring the medieval maze of the Old Town or visiting one of the many excellent museums, to simply enjoying the heritage and dramatic cultural landscapes in the city, your pupils will be left feeling excited and enchanted during a school trip here.
This compact city is easy to explore on foot and is a great year-round destination with visits open throughout the year however May is a good time to travel to enjoy fine weather and the Christmas markets in December are not to be missed!
York
Fill your group’s primary school tour itinerary with education and adventure for all. The walled city of York is one of England’s oldest and is renowned for its heritage, exquisite architecture and tangle of quaint cobbled streets. There’s something around every corner in the grand old city of York, and with the coastal towns of Scarborough and Whitby only a short drive away, this is the perfect location for a primary school trip
York Castle Museum contains various exhibitions allowing you to explore 400 years of history in one place and there are many exciting events throughout the year including the Jorvik Viking Festival, held in February, which is a city-wide celebration of York’s rich Norse heritage.
NST, the number one choice for primary residential trips
NST has worked alongside thousands of teachers, like you, to create unique school trip experiences and memories that last a lifetime. That’s why so many primary schools choose to travel with us each and every year.
We’ll work closely with you to bring your school trip ideas to life and with our unrivalled knowledge of destinations across the UK, Ireland and Europe, together with years of experience in planning unforgettable primary school trips, we’ll help you to create an experience that’s as unique as your group itself.
Planning your first school trip?
If you're planning your first primary school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process...
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Additional support, resources & information
Tour planning service
Tour planning service
With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:
- Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
- Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
- Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals
You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.
Free school trip promotion pack
Free school trip promotion pack
We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:
- Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete A3 posters to promote your trip around school
- PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
- Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment support including preview visit
Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour.
Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.
Planning first school trip
Planning first school trip
Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process.
If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way.
Our helpful guide covers the following:
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track.
With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.
With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.
What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.
Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here
Free classroom resources
Free classroom resources
We've created a range of free geography resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!
Take a look at our downloadable posters here
Speak to one of our school travel experts
Our team of school travel experts have unrivalled destination knowledge and experience so they can help to bring your tour ideas to life and might even suggest options you hadn’t already thought of too!
So get in touch today and we'll help to create a bespoke, budget-friendly tour itinerary to meet your specific learning requirements.
Why choose NST...
Here's why hundreds of teachers choose NST each year...
- Unrivalled knowledge
Your dedicated primary school tour co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.
- Making it easier for you
With our online school trip organiser, travel app, free classroom posters to support in-school promotion.
- FREE group leader inspection visits
We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning.
- Value for money
We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.
- More than 20 years’ experience
With over 20 years’ experience, with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.
- Risk assessment guidance
Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.
- Peace of mind
Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away.
- Offsetting carbon emissions
For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions.
Looking for protection on your next school trip?
Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.
Financial protection from the moment you book
NST are fully bonded & licensed:
- ABTA
- ATOL
- IATA
- Commission for Aviation Regulation
Managing safety on school trips
For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:
- 24-hour emergency cover
- Audited accommodation & transport
- Excursions & school visit assessment
- Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning
Package Travel Regulations 2018
Don't forget - if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial.
We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured
For groups travelling from Northern Ireland... the Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.
