As a language teacher, you probably remember with zeal the benefits you enjoyed being overseas on school trips and during a university year abroad. You can see how it would help your students to progress, and how it would utterly change their perspective on what it is to learn a language.

Cactus School Groups Abroad is proud of the planning, preparation and professionalism which goes into organising a school trip abroad. If you're a confident trip planner, we take on a support role, and simply supply you with the information you need. If you're new to this, we help you as much as possible with the paperwork, and work alongside you throughout the process. As we've already helped plan trips all over the world, visited and assessed the locations and schools we work with, and have privileged points of contact with our partner schools, we're in a good position to help.

Please remember though, to quote the RoSPA: “Using reputable and experienced tour operators can be an advantage but school trip organisers should not see this as a substitute for the careful investigation and planning that school trips require.” We expect you to test us out, ask us lots of questions, and let us do what we can to provide you with what you need.

Cactus recently presented a seminar at the London Language Show on Planning a School Trip Abroad (please click to read the associated article).

1. Outline Proposal:

An outline proposal to head teacher, governing body or LEA to seek approval in principle. These should cover points such as: objectives of the visit; likely dates, duration and location; pupil group and staffing; resources required; approximate costings.

Cactus School Groups Abroad can provide you with a summary or detailed quotation which will cover most of these criteria. We send the quote as a Word Document, so you can cut and paste our information into your own document.

2. Planning

Gaining knowledge of the venue, gauging its suitability for the group; transport options; assigning group leaders, helpers and supervisors; organising payment; risk assessment & an exploratory visit.

Here Cactus saves time and effort. Only locations and schools deemed suitable for groups are included on the Cactus School Groups Abroad website. These have been inspected by Cactus and our contacts there make obtaining additional information more straightforward. The exploratory visit/familiarisation trip is arranged at your convenience, and usually lasts a couple of working days.

3. Substantive Proposal

Made to the head teacher, governing body or LEA, this is a full-scale account of how the entire trip will take place, including the results of the exploratory visit, including risk assessment; emergency procedures; transport, insurance, costs, staffing.

Procedures here do vary between LEA and between state and private sector. Cactus can give support at this stage by coordinating the flow of necessary information from the school and various suppliers.

4. Final Preparation

After approval is obtained, a briefing evening is required and payments are taken. Final LEA or governors' approval is received, and parental consent forms are collected.

Cactus School Groups Abroad prepares and coordinates accommodation details, host family addresses and all destination-based contact information. Cactus can also text students with the most important emergency contact numbers if required. Cactus continues to monitor progress throughout the trip, acts as a base camp for issues arising during the trip, and elicits feedback on the group's return to the UK.

(The above is based on an excerpt from the 1998 Health & Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits). We recommend this text below.

How Cactus will help with the risk assessment

Teachernet:

Health & Safety of Pupils on Educational Visits
See also the Good Practice Guide on the same website: http://www.Teachernet.gov.uk

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA):

Health & Safety at School: School Trips: Part 1
Health & Safety at School: School Trips: Part 2

Department for Education and Skills (DfES):

Tel: 0870 000 2288
Website: http:// www.dfes.gov.uk

Cactus is in a position to offer a wide range of related travel services beyond our basic flight booking service. These include travel and course cancellation insurance, car and coach hire (in the UK and overseas), airport transfers, discount airport parking and even airport lounge passes.

With the advent of budget flights, there has been a trend among school travel organisers to book directly with the no-frills airline online. The drawback of this approach is that buying direct does not provide financial protection or repatriation in the case of airline bankruptcy.

Cactus is a fully-bonded ATOL tour operator and can compare different travel options and work with you to find the most appropriate and best value solution. We have access to all flights, including those provided by budget airlines.

Once you have made a preliminary booking with Cactus School Groups Abroad and deposits have been received, we invite one of the group leaders taking part in the study trip to visit the location in person.

This exploratory visit enables the group leader to:

• cross-check risk assessment data provided by Cactus
• familiarise her/himself with the location and surroundings
• meet local staff and suppliers
• enjoy a taster of the language tuition, accommodation and general atmosphere of the school.

We are delighted to offer exploratory visits in every destination featured on our site, ie. Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Mexico* & Canada*. You can tailor-make your own 3 day / 2 night programme which will give you the opportunity to visit the school (where applicable), the accommodation, the venues of the activities/excursions and transport providers.

You will only be charged a nominal fee* for your exploratory visit and this will be deducted from the final payment once final acceptance is granted and full fees are paid. Cactus covers the cost of return flights, transfers to location and accommodation costs (bed & breakfast in a host family or self-catering in an apartment, according to local availability).

* a contribution to the cost of flights may be sought for Mexico & Canada.

Parent Briefing Evenings

In addition to our free consultation & quotation, we are very happy to visit your school and give a presentation to you and the parents. This would include further details and photos of your requested language school, accommodation, activities and general organisation of the holiday. From past experience we have found that this usually helps teachers, as it gives parents any added assurance they may need and the opportunity to ask any questions.

Please contact us for more information or support.