English school trips & tours
English school trips are the perfect platform for students to strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the English Language’s most decorated wordsmiths. From Shakespeare and Charles Dickens to Harry Potter™ and even the Royal Courts of Justice, you certainly won’t be short on choice with our updated selection of literature and creative writing experiences.
Why choose NST for an English school trip
We organise English trips for secondary school students, helping them to develop their contextual analysis and enhance their learning around the GCSE curriculum. All of our English school trips are designed with your learning objectives in mind. Our range of English trip destinations differ in delivery, attractions and inspirations. The core focus remains developing a real-world understanding of what makes writers tick and how to adopt writing styles that will captivate wider audiences.
Our English school trip destinations...
We offer English school trips to the following destinations:
- Stratford-upon Avon
- English
- Northern France
- Belgium
Take your students to English school trip to London to explore the literary works of one of history’s most iconic writers Charles Dickens. Or, travel into a Shakespearean utopia in Stratford-upon-Avon, where students can immerse themselves in the birthplace of the famous William Shakespeare. We also provide English school trips to Northern France & Belgium, allowing your students to gain insight into the impacts of war on famous writers and poets like Sassoon, Rosenberg, McCrae and more.
The educational benefits of an English school trip
Our English school trips give students a chance to swap classroom learning for an educational journey that stimulates and inspires. We believe English Language and Literature studies require a deeper understanding of the characters and writers that helped pave the way. It helps shape the way students write and perceive literature, and elevates the skills developed in a classroom setting. Working alongside you, our dedicated English school trip coordinator will curate the perfect trip for your learning objectives.
Browse our English school trips
London
London
For an English school trip that focuses on works of literature and how they can be adapted for stage and screen, you won't be disappointed with NST's London literature study tour.
Highlights for London English School trips:
- Charles Dickens Museum & Workshop
- National Theatre Backstage Tour
- Shakespeare’s Globe
- Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter
- Dr Johnson’s House & Workshop
Northern France & Belgium
Northern France & Belgium
Bring the literature of the war to life for your pupils with an English school trip to the battlefields region and gain an unforgettable insight into the effects of the war on iconic writers.
Highlights for Northern France & Belgium English School trips:
- Sanctuary Wood Museum & Hill 62
- Langemark German Cemetery
- High Wood
- Lochnager Crater
- Newfoundland Park
Stratford
Stratford
Explore the historic world that shaped Shakespeare’s life and works and enjoy a range of English educational visits, including an RSC production and theatre workshop, on an NST English school tour.
Highlights for Stratford English School trips:
- Shakespeare Properties Sessions
- RSC Tower
- Shakespeare’s Schoolroom
- Stratford Walks
- Royal Shakespeare Company Production
Our most popular English school trips
Our most popular English school trips
London
For English school trips that focus on works of literature and how they can be adapted for stage and screen, you won't be disappointed with NST's London literature study tour.
From Shakespeare and Charles Dickens to Harry Potter™ and even the Royal Courts of Justice, the choice is yours on your English trip! We work closely with Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and can offer fantastic group prices on tickets for curriculum-linked Shakespeare performances during your trip to London.
Stratford
Explore the historic world that shaped Shakespeare’s life and works and enjoy a range of English educational visits, including an RSC production and theatre workshop, on an NST English school trips.
English school trips to Stratford-upon-Avon, where famous playwright William Shakespeare was born and lived, are guaranteed to inspire your pupils. Of all the educational visits on offer in Stratford, an RSC production at the intimate Swan Theatre undoubtedly gives pupils an educational experience that is invaluable to their studies as they see the works they have been studying brought to life on stage. Plus, we’ll arrange every aspect of your Stratford Shakespeare school trip, so you don’t have to.
Take a look at one of our English adventures...
Planning your first school trip?
If you're planning your first history school trip, our essential guide will take you through each step of the process...
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Additional support, resources & information:
Tour planning service
Tour planning service
With NST, you’ll get your own dedicated, knowledgeable Tour Co-ordinator who’ll work with you from start to finish. You’ll benefit from their unrivalled destination knowledge, and their experience gained from working with many other groups too. They’ll tailor-make your itinerary from scratch and take care of everything for you:
- Pulling together an itinerary that runs smoothly
- Planning the right balance of visits every day with realistic timings
- Pre-arranging and pre-booking your visits, entrance tickets, passes and meals
You’ll receive your final itinerary a full 4-weeks before you travel too.
FREE school trip promotion pack
FREE school trip promotion pack
We’ll support you and provide everything you need to advertise your school trip around school and to parents. Our free school trip promotion pack consists of:
- Parents’ letter & permission slip template for you to complete
- A3 posters to promote your trip around school
- PowerPoint presentation templates which you can tailor to your own needs
- Parents’ leaflets covering how NST manage safety, financial protection and details of our travel insurance
- Online parents’ video which showcases the benefits of taking a school trip
For selected destinations, we’ll provide a trip launch web page using video footage and imagery. This web page is provided by a weblink and can be shared with pupils and parents in many ways.
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment support including preview visits
Risk assessment plays a vitally important part in the planning and organisation on any school tour.
Our risk assessment guide aims to help you understand more about your obligations and how you can more effectively manage group safety on your next educational visit and provide you with risk assessments for your trip.
Planning first school trip
Planning first school trip
Organising your first school trip can appear to be a daunting process. If you're planning your first school trip, our guide will help to take you through each step of the planning process, answering frequently asked questions and providing tips and support along the way. Our helpful guide covers the following:
- Choosing your destination
- Gaining approval from your Local Authority and/or your Head
- Promoting your tour in school
- Confirming your booking
- Tailor-make your tour
- Completing your risk assessments (including a sample risk assessment)
- Quick reference timeline
- Pre-tour checklist
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Get live updates on your group's tour location
Locate My Trip uses GPS technology and is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your location whilst on tour. Specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers, NST will know where your group are 24/7. If your schedule needs to change, we’ll put plans in place to keep your tour on track.
With Locate My Trip your group can also share photos and videos with the school and parents, via a secure link, to keep them updated on your experience whilst you’re away.
Watch our short Locate My Trip video here.
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Your online school trip organiser - My Tour Manager
Save time and stay on track with your school trip admin with our online orgnaniser - designed to help busy teachers like you.
With My Tour Manager, you'll be able to download FREE resources and access trip paperwork online and in one place. Your personalised checklist details what you need to do and by when, plus you'll receive fortnightly reminders too.
What's more, you can take all your trip documents on the go whilst on your tour with our app, My Tour Manager-On-the-Go.
Find out more and watch out short My Tour Manager video here
Free classroom resources
Free classroom resources
We've created a range of free resources and educational posters to brighten up your classroom!
Take a look at our downloadable posters here
Speak to one of our school travel experts
Our team of school travel experts have unrivalled destination knowledge and experience so they can help to bring your tour ideas to life and might even suggest options you hadn’t already thought of too! So get in touch today and we'll help to create a bespoke, budget-friendly tour itinerary to meet your specific learning requirements.
Why choose NST...
Here's why thousands of teachers choose NST each year...
- Unrivalled knowledge
Your dedicated English tour co-ordinator will use their unrivalled local knowledge and expertise to create a tailor-made, curriculum-linked itinerary to meet your group’s exact needs.
- Making it easier for you
With our online school trip organiser, travel app, free classroom posters and trip launch resources to support your in-school promotion.
- Free group leader inspection visits
We offer a free inspection visit to your chosen destination to support your risk assessment planning.
- Value for money
We’re committed to bringing you the best possible value trips to help make every penny count.
- Aligned to current study themes
All of our English trips are aligned with the current GCSE and A-level curriculums.
- More than 50 years’ experience
With over 50 years’ experience, with NST you can rest assured that your group is in safe hands.
- Risk assessment guidance
Our risk assessment guidance will help you to manage group safety on your next educational trip.
- Peace of mind
Your group’s location can be followed with our trip tracking device - Locate My Trip - plus you’ll have 24/7 support from us whilst you’re away.
- Offsetting carbon emissions
For every trip taken, we'll plant a Maya nut tree in Peru to support reforestation, local communities & biodiversity. Plus, we'll offset an additional tonne of CO2 to guarantee carbon emission reductions.
Looking for protection on your next school trip?
Booking with a school travel company is the best way for you to protect parents’ money and give yourself peace of mind.
Don’t forget – if your school arranges transport, accommodation and other services directly, you’ll be liable under the Package Travel Regulations – meaning you’ll have all the responsibilities of a travel company, both legal and financial.
Financial protection from the moment you book
NST are fully bonded:
- ABTA
- ATOL
- IATA
Managing safety on school trips
For your protection, NST's independently audited Safety Management System covers:
- 24-hour emergency cover
- Audited accommodation & transport
- Excursions & school visit assessment
- Group leader preview visits to assist with risk assessment planning
We're LOtC Council’s Quality Badge assured
The Department for Education advises schools to always look for the LOtC Quality Badge when choosing a school travel provider.
