Why Pre-Travel Assessments Matter And What Schools Can Do To Keep Students and Staff Safe.
Schools and universities have long organised travel programs to enrich students’ learning experiences. These include field trips, study-abroad programs, sports tournaments, and community service projects. While these activities provide immense educational and personal growth opportunities, they also expose students and staff to potential risks, especially with the increased risks to student travellers in 2025. This highlights the critical need for robust travel assessments in educational institutions.
A couple of years ago, during my son’s school trip to the Lake District, I experienced firsthand how a lack of thorough planning can lead to chaos. On the second day of the trip, half the children fell ill, and parents were called to make long journeys to pick up their sick children. The rest of the trip continued as planned, but by the fourth day, a teacher also became ill, forcing the trip to end prematurely. This time, all the remaining children were returned home.
Curious about what had caused so many to fall sick, one parent contacted the manager of the hostel where the children had stayed. Shockingly, the manager admitted that a similar outbreak had occurred just a week earlier with another group of students. This was vital information that should have been uncovered before the trip began.
Why Travel Assessments Matter
This incident could have been avoided if the school had conducted a thorough travel assessment prior to the trip start. Schools have a duty of care to ensure the safety and well-being of their students and staff on and off campus.
Part of a pre-travel assessment includes an audit that reviews the up-to-date status of the intended destination through the lens of the activities being conducted by the travellers. The purpose is to mitigate risks for the travellers by identifying gaps and preparing travellers.
For schools, a proper travel assessment helps:
- Identify and Mitigate Risks
Risks like unsafe accommodations, health hazards, or transport issues can be addressed ahead of time. For example, checking the recent health and safety records of the hostel would have revealed the earlier outbreak and allowed the school to reconsider their plans, make alternative arrangements or implement additional precautions. - Create an Emergency Response Plan
Schools need to be prepared for the unexpected, whether it’s illness, accidents, or travel delays. A well-thought-out plan ensures quick communication and action, reducing panic for parents, students, and staff. An emergency response plan also takes into considerations contingencies in the event of an incident, so that the travel plans are not disrupted. - Build Confidence with Parents
Parents entrust their children to schools, expecting their safety to be a priority. Knowing the school has planned for every eventuality builds trust and reassures parents that their children are in good hands.
What Schools Can Do Better
Schools can take several steps to improve the safety of their students and staff while on trips:
- Research and Due Diligence
Before finalising accommodations or destinations, schools should thoroughly vet them. This includes checking health and safety records, recent incidents, and feedback from previous visitors. - Risk Assessments
Conducting a detailed risk assessment for both the journey and the destination is crucial. This includes evaluating transport safety, food hygiene, and emergency medical facilities at the destination. - Emergency Preparedness
Schools should have a clear plan for managing emergencies, whether it’s a widespread illness or a travel disruption. This plan should include communication protocols, access to medical support, and contingency arrangements. - Training for Staff and Students
Preparing everyone involved-students, teachers, and chaperones-with safety training ensures they know what to do if something goes wrong.
To enhance travel safety, and empower schools, it is essential to adopt a comprehensive travel risk framework that considers who the traveller is, where they are going, and what they will be doing. This framework should be supported by risk mitigations through pre-travel awareness and information, ensuring that travellers are well-informed before embarking on their journey. Additionally, location support is crucial, with systems in place to know where travellers are at all stages of their journey. Effective communication is also key, ensuring that everyone knows how to ask for help or leverage destination information when needed.
Travel risk management aims to empower travellers, whether faculty or students, to make informed decisions when they observe potential hazards or face crises or travel interruptions. This proactive approach ensures that everyone involved in school trips can travel safely and confidently, equipped with the knowledge and resources to handle any situation that may arise.
Find out how we can help you travel safely
Travel in academia ranges from overnight trips to month-long exchange programs through to year-long research projects. With each type of travel, the risks vary and require unique management.
At World Travel Protection, we stand as a 24/7 travel and medical assistance partner, dedicated to aiding customers in times of medical, travel, and security emergencies. Through our Travel Risk Management Solutions, we offer comprehensive support to travellers before and during their journeys, accessible through our user-friendly portal, app, and expert in-house assistance. Get in Touch via the form below.
