Teacher Preview or Inspection Visits
When planning your next school trip, an inspection visit offers is an excellent opportunity to familiarise yourself with a new destination, somewhere you haven’t visited for a while or somewhere you might still be debating whether to take your group.
Planning and preparation can be the big difference with any school trip, especially if you have no guide or representative on arrival, and an inspection visit gives you a chance to look at all the logistics, risk assessments and practical elements of your future trip.
Any reputable tour operator will offer you one of 2 options for inspection visits for you and one other person. Taking a colleague or another adult helping with the future trip is always worthwhile.
Ensure you maximise your inspection visit time and…
Conduct valuable risk assessments
Familiarise yourself with the layout and geography of your destination
Assess different study opportunities
Look at accommodation options
Check-out local attractions and excursion options
Check out suitable places to eat with your group
Look at evening entertainment options
The service and arrangements offered by the tour operator you’re considering using
1. Individual Inspection visits
A good tour operator will offer you the opportunity to visit your destination during the planning stage of your trip. It is normal to expect this trip to be subsidised – some operators will even pay for your accommodation whilst away and book your transport. Ask for details when planning and see what different companies can offer you.
2. Group Preview visits
Many operators organise group preview/ inspection visits on a regular basis. This can be a great opportunity to meet other teachers with similar objectives to you and share ideas and best practice. Ask for details and see if there are any available for you to join to destinations you may be considering.
Promoting Your Tour
Promoting your tour effectively is vital to get the ever important numbers up and keep prices down.
Here are a few ways we recommend attracting pupil and parent interest to your tour. If you wish to add any to the list please do not hesitate to let us know.
Posters
Create some simple but large and bold posters that can be printed off and placed around your school. Alternatively why not ask for creative volunteers from your classes to create one or even lay down a challenge for the best poster design…. great for Art groups!
Some tour operators will provide poster templates for you to make life easier so remember to ask about what they have available. Either way make sure you include all the necessary information to get pupils interest – visits etc and make it clear that the more that sign up the lower the price could go.
School Newsletter
Create an advert for your school newsletter. Specify everything that’s included within the price, curriculum links, opportunities for learning and study as well as social interaction and bonding, all to maximise the value of the tour to parents.
Parents Evenings and PowerPoints
Create a short, informative PowerPoint presentation for your next parents evening. Include pictures, an itinerary, details on visits, meals, hotels all to reflect the value the students are getting on this school trip. Many tour operators will provide this service for you or at least provide a template for you to work from which saves a lot of time. Make sure you ask what they have available or if they would be prepared to help.
Website
Create a page or an area within your school’s website where pupils can refer their parents. If you have a PowerPoint presentation for the trip, upload it here. Use the space available to include pupil comments from past trips as well as images and links to visits and excursions included in the trip. A great place to publicise your trip to the max.
Parents Letters
Send a letter home with all relevant pupils communicating about the forthcoming visit.