The Heart of Teaching: Why School Trips Matter

A Reflection by Joanne Sutcliffe, our Trust Educational Visits Coordinator and Science Teacher at Harrogate Grammar School.

Staff have little spare time. Many are juggling the demands of having a family, and we’re all trying to manage the increased cost of living. So why, when we are already short of time and life’s luxuries, should we give up an evening, weekend or week to take fifty Year 9 students to the WW1 battlefields for no extra money, no days in lieu and certainly no extra sleep?

School visits have been a major part of my life since I joined Harrogate Grammar School over twenty years ago. As a new member of staff, school trips were a great way to meet colleagues who weren’t part of my immediate faculty. My first residential as a Newly Qualified Teacher (NQT) was a Silver Duke of Edinburgh expedition to the Lake District. It was far from glamorous and obviously it rained, but it was my first step to making some new friends in such a frenetic workplace.

Once the initial shock of my Initial Teacher Training (ITT) year was over, I could then start to think about the effect school trips have on the students and my relationships with them.  Of course there are the educational benefits, but the social skills and independence that the students gain are arguably more significant.  Even this far down the line it never ceases to surprise me how some students behave when they are not within the constraints of the classroom.  The student who would frequently roam the corridors and was disengaged in his lessons was a pillar on the ski trip for his friend was struggling with his mental health.  His empathy was amazing and, whilst he may not ace his Science GCSEs, I would not hesitate to write him a reference to vouch for his undoubted compassion and caring nature. 

Then there are all the times when you have to be more involved. After 24 hours of travelling to get to the Honduran jungle, an exhausted student was beside herself to find that her shampoo had exploded all over the contents of her rucksack.  She needed a hug but I was somewhat apprehensive, as even twenty years ago it wasn’t advised that we hug students. However, instincts kicked in and I comforted her, we rinsed her things and she was soon back to her normal self. I’d made her happy again and that felt good.  The staff-student lines can sometimes blur when in the bubble of a school trip, but this dictates an even higher level of professionalism, something which cannot be taught within the classroom.

What is never easy is waiting in A&E with a student with a break or scald, with an anxious parent on the phone and said stoic child next to me.  There are times when I’ve had to put skis in the X position, then follow the ‘blood wagon’ at a speed I’m never comfortable with to some secret medical location only known to a few privileged local residents.  The student gets fixed, the parents are grateful, and I have to somehow work out how to get back to the hotel and claim the €500 on my credit card.  Why put myself through this? Because I know that I have done a good job and looked after the student as if they were my own. 

Some of my closest friends started out as colleagues. Once you’ve shared a tent, bunk bed, latrine and/or first aid kit with someone then you won’t ever be strangers. There are also many amazing events to share - a ski lift overlooking Mont Blanc, a picture on The Great Wall of China, visiting Lonesome George on the Galapagos Island or a slightly warm tuna wrap in a Swaledale meadow in June.  I have had so many incredible experiences all over the world, with both brilliant staff and students. The times when I laugh the most, with genuine tears, are invariably on these trips.  

Students will remember their school excursions forever, and, well, can’t you? They remember the time you were terrified on an abseil, or when you helped them up what felt like the north face of the Eiger. They remember you two years later when they turn up in your Year 10 lesson, and so you are already on a positive trajectory with common ground upon which to further build your relationship.

You don’t have to travel far for students to feel a sense adventure and gain new experiences.  Most of us are only an hour from Brimham Rocks and it is surprising as to how many students have never visited before.  They will always remember a stay at Bewerley Park and the activities that they had the opportunity to try.  For many this may be the first time away from their immediate environment or the only residential visit that they get all year.  Some of our students are very privileged, but for many a school trip is the highlight of their year.

This is why I love taking students on visits and why the long hours, the stress and lack of sleep don’t phase me. Yes, it is hard work and yes, the responsibility is huge, but yes, it is completely worthwhile. 

Other than sick. I don’t do sick.