Hyundai launches National School Trips Week

With just a few months left of the current academic year, over a quarter (27%) of pupils are yet to experience a trip away from the classroom.

Funding (64%) and staff shortages (40%) top the list of the most significant barriers for teachers when it comes to booking trips. In response, and in a bid to get even more children on trips this academic year, motor company Hyundai is boosting its commitment to school trips through its Great British School Trip (GBST) initiative with the launch of National School Trips Week.

The company has added an extra 25,000 school trip places to the GBST programme, pledging to support 60,000 children across the 23/24 academic year. This will mean that the total number of children supported across both Year 1 and 2 of the initiative is 90,000.

National School Trips Week, which kicked off yesterday (29 April), will play host to over 40 of these essential educational experiences, across the full length of the country, supporting nearly 9,000 pupils across the week. 

Venues signed up to take part include, English Heritage, PGL, Eureka! and the Royal Air Force Museum London.

Nick Tunnell, business transformation director at Hyundai Motor UK said: “Our research has shown that the need for extra investment in these fundamental learning opportunities is vital. The hope is that the experiences taking place during this week help play a part in unlocking creativity, confidence and new skills that can be difficult to tap into in a classroom environment.”

The research, commissioned by Hyundai Motor UK, also revealed that 97% of teachers consider school trips as positive for fostering creativity, yet over three quarters (78%) admit that it’s harder to organise a trip with creativity as a focus. 

When surveying recent school leavers at the end of 2023, it was revealed that 72% wish they’d done more creative subjects at school, with 18% citing ‘creative thinking’ as a key quality they lack.

Nick continued: “Creativity is something we truly value at Hyundai, with design, innovation and technology at the core of the business. 

“By focusing on trips that draw on our Imagination & Curiosity pillar, we’re hoping to help teachers plug the ‘creativity gap’. 

“National School Trips Week is all about putting these experiences back on the agenda on a national scale and showing the unparallelled importance of learning experiences outside of the classroom.”

As part of National School Trips Week, Long Mead Community Primary School from Tonbridge attended Turner Contemporary in Margate, which was the first time some of the Year 4/5 children had ever been to a gallery or the seaside.

Karen Follows, headteacher at Long Mead Community Primary School commented on the initiative: “Lots of our families struggle financially and can’t afford to contribute to the costs of trips. 

“So, being part of Hyundai’s Great British School Trip programme has been amazing and enabled us to take our children out of the classroom, something that we wouldn’t have been able to do without this support.

“The children loved their trip to the Turner Contemporary. They were so enthusiastic about the art they saw and really grew in confidence as the day progressed.”

Toby Parkin, head of learning and participation at Turner Contemporary added: “We’re really proud to be a partner of Hyundai’s Great British School Trip programme. At Turner Contemporary, we welcome thousands of school students every year to experience creative, hands-on, activities and work with artists.”

Reggie Yates, Hyundai’s educator in residence, who attended the school trip to Turner Contemporary, said: “Kids learn best by doing and therefore we mustn’t underestimate the value of hands-on learning experiences, which is why initiatives such as The Great British School Trip are so important.”

With this increased commitment, Hyundai will continue to offer bursaries to help schools most in need fund their trips, which will cover booking fees and travel costs. To find out more about the programme and how you can get involved, click here.