School’s Minister, Jim Knight, has announced a series of measures aimed at encouraging schools to take their children out on more trips.

For more than 30 years Dolphin School in Hurst, Berkshire has seen its trip programme as central to the philosophy and educational objectives of the school.

We have almost 300 children aged between 3 and 13 who share in an annual experience of about 120 days out of the classroom.

Day trips start in our Nursery and by the end of Year 8 they will have been on more than 60. Residential trips begin with our seven year olds spending three days in East Sussex and end with our thirteen year olds spending almost two weeks in Italy (which they did just a few weeks ago). We also have a walking trip programme which culminates in a week in the Alps for our oldest children.

The responsibility is great and the staff very dedicated to make it happen, but the cross-curricular, hands on education is unbelievably beneficial to the children.

Heather Brough, Head of Dolphin School, said, ‘Our trips are life changing, life enhancing and never forgotten by our children. They stimulate an interest in and give them an understanding of the world in which they live, giving them confidence and skills to take on any challenges that they may meet now or in the future.’