School Trip Funding
ways to fund your educational visits
How much do school trips cost?
Unfortunately, school trips are rarely free, and for schools and parents, the financial cost of outside the classroom learning can be prohibitive. Places like English Heritage, and CADW in Wales offer free access for self-led school visits, but even then there is the cost of travel between school and venue. Schools are forced to restrict and prioritise trips despite knowing that their benefits are proven and observable.
School trips are an incredibly important part of school life, and really help children to make the connection between what they are learning inside the classroom, and the wider world. Trips can inspire pupils at all key stages, from KS1 visits to a museum where they can view and touch objects that have been discussed as part of history lessons, to KS4 science museum trips, where students can observe world leading research in action.
A typical day trip can range in cost from £10 to a staggering £60 per pupil. This is the cost of entry to the actual venue, though the cost of coach hire if your school does not have access to a minibus or two is likely to add a few hundred pounds to the total cost for the class. Some schools have been coming under fire in the media in recent months for asking parents to fund trips well in excess of a thousand pounds. Keep your costs down by taking a look at our low cost educational trips page. Or have a read of our tips for running school trips on a budget article.
Who pays for school trips?
While most people assume that the parents always pay, in many cases the school have to find sources of funding for trips. Activities which take place during school hours, whether that is inside or outside the classroom, are supposed to be funded by the school, though they often ask parents for a voluntary contribution, and sadly, if the shortfall cannot be met by the parents, many schools are unable to proceed with the trip or workshop.
No such thing as a free school trip?
Actually there is... If you are looking to take a trip outside the classroom, your group has a high percentage of pupils on a pupil premium, and your trip is educational rather than reward based - we may be able to help organise your trip for free! Complete the short form on this page to let us know what type of trip you are looking for. As long as it is educational, and your group meets the pupil premium requirements, there may be funding available!
What sources of funding are available?
One of the most accessible ways to subsidise a school trip is through local authority funding for low-income families. Some LEAs have been operating a waived fees scheme allowing money to be repaid to pupils eligible for free school meals.
Community or charitable trust funding may exist in your area, especially if it is an area suffering a high level of unemployment, and is well worth investigating. These funding schemes are often set up with the goal of improving educational engagement and achievement and may be backed by local businesses.
Some places want to get bookings pencilled in and will offer early bird discounts, while others will have low season or last minute availability that may be heavily discounted, so do try to be as flexible as possible on dates if you want the best price.
Some grants and bursaries are offered direct from venues. Take a look at our page of free and subsidised school trips for a full list of these bursaries and funding available for educational visits. Or see below for some other sources of funding..
updated 18 December 2025
The Jack Petchey Foundation provides funding through Educational Visits Grants worth up to £1,200 per trip, helping schools with the costs of making visits to museums, theatres, science shows and more. In addition, SEND schools can apply to receive £60 per young person to help with the cost of a day trips and £100 to help with a residential school trip. These trips must be demonstrated to have a clear educational benefit.
Eligibility: no known restrictions
The John Watson Trust has an Educational Grant worth up to £2,000 for school trips taken within the UK.
Eligibility: schools in Edinburgh, Midlothian, West Lothian and East Lothian
The Henry Smith Foundation provides funding through a Holiday Grants Programme worth between £500 and £2,750 per trip, that provides one-off funding for schools to take children aged 13 and under on day or residential trips, promoting wellbeing and confidence. They prioritize supporting disabled children and those facing financial hardship or limited access to ensure they can experience these valuable opportunities.
Eligibility: Priority given to groups working in the 20% most deprived UK areas
The Happy Days children's charity has funding for group day and residential stays You can apply for day trips to destinations like the seaside, theme parks, or theatres, as well as theatre performances or experiences at your school. Additionally, they offer group activity holidays to locations such as outdoor activity centres, holiday camps, and sailing breaks.
Eligibility: You should represent a group of young people aged 3-17 with additional needs.
Art Explora in association with the British Museum have launched 'Time Odyssey', an experience that allows school groups to experience local museums both virtually and physically. The free visit includes travel grants and is available to groups aged 7-11 years, with the aim of giving more young children the opportunity to visit a museum.
Eligibility: Yorkshire Museum, Royal Albert Memorial Museum, The Great North Museum, Manchester Museum and South Shields Museum and Art Gallery.
Country Trust provide 'Farm Discovery' programmes offering free and heavily subsidised Educational visits to real working farms and countryside residentials.
Eligibility: SEND schools, or schools with more than 26% of children eligible for Free School Meals (23% in Wales)
Blue Spark Foundation provides 'funding for education projects' including Educational excursions, worth up to £2,000 per school. Supports chools projects which aim to improve the education and development of children and young people by means of educational, cultural, sporting or other activities.
Eligibility: schools in England. Applications reviewed every 8 weeks so apply with plenty of time before your trip!
Brathay provides 'Brathay Bursary' a discretionary fund to help with the cost of attending an outdoor residential at their Lake District centre.
John Lyon's Charity has a 'Cultural Capital Fund' worth up to £5,000 per school. Schools work with Arts organisation based in London - this can be a workshop in your school, or a visit to a museum, gallery or theatre.
Eligibility: state schools within London boroughs: Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham, Harrow, Kensington & Chelsea and the Cities of London and Westminster. Applications need to be made at least 10 weeks before the trip or workshop.
South Downs National Park have just opened their 'Outdoor Learning Grant' for help with the costs of a trip by contributing up to £750 towards both transport and learning providers fees. In 2024 6,800 pupils from 119 schools benefitted.
Eligibility: state schools and colleges with more than 10% of students qualifying for free school meals.
The City of London 'School Visits Fund' is available to Greater London school groups to enable you to visit any of the City Corporation's cultural venues. The grants are worth up to £325.
Eligibility: pupil premium ratio of 35% or more and Greater London based
The Ernest Cook Trust offer 'Outdoor Essentials Grant' for state schools to 'enable pupils to connect to nature and learn outdoors'. One key use for the grant is for transport costs, to allow your class to go on a school visit to a forest school, farm, park, woodland or coastal area.
Eligibility: UK wide
The Edina Trust is offering grants to EYFS and primary schools for science projects under their 'Science Grant Scheme'. Each year the scheme is made available to schools within different local authority areas. The grants are worth up to £800 per year for three consecutive years. The grant is designed to help fund science weeks and educational visits and trips.
Eligibility: check current LEA areas
The YHA (Youth Hostel Association) operates 'Breaks for Kids', which can offer financial support for children who would not otherwise be able to afford to take part in a school trip. These trips my be part of fully funded.
Eligibility: open to schools in England and Wales
The Arts Council of Wales have a 'Go and See Fund' which offers grants of up to £1,000. The fund is designed to help state maintained schools in Wales take students on visits to see art in venues across Wales.
Eligibility: percentage of pupils with free school meals will be taken into account
The Ski Club of Great Britain bursary scheme is available for any school to apply for, and which can significantly reduce the cost of a school ski trip, helping Key Stage 3 & 4 student experience skiing and snowboarding.
Eligibility: no known restrictions
Outdoor clothing and equipment company, Alpkit, are offering up to £500 to eligible schools, to support a variety of projects. In line with their outdoor brand, they are encouraging schools to undertake responsible outdoor activities, that introduce children to new experiences with lasting benefits. Ideal projects would focus on environmental or conservation projects.
Eligibility: no known restrictions
The UK Government, through the Department for Education have a 'Nature Park Grant' that offers schools an opportunity to request up to £10,000 to enable them to support outdoor education that allows children to connect with nature, such as the purchase of fieldwork eqipment.
Eligibility: lower-tier local authority assessed as a category 1 levelling up area and LSOA in category 1
Marine conservation charity, Sea Changers have made available grants of up to £2,500 for school groups. These grants are designed to help you carry out marine conservation related activities. You would be a good candidate for funding if your trip or project looked at the various threats and challenges, and identified ways to reduce negative impacts, on coastal environments or species in the UK.
Eligibility: no known restrictions beyond meeting the learning objectives
Creative Ways to Fund School Trips Without Traditional Fundraising
Every teacher knows that finding funding for school trips can be a challenge, especially with tight budgets and competing priorities for spending what little money they schools does receive. While cake sales and sponsored walks are popular, thinking creatively about how to raise money can open up new opportunities to make trips more accessible for all pupils in your school. Let's think of some more ideas to fund your desired school trips.
Alternative Funding Ideas
- Partner with Local Businesses: Many businesses are happy to sponsor school trips in exchange for publicity or community goodwill. Approach local shops, restaurants, or companies for support.
- Grant Applications: Research and apply for grants from educational trusts, charities, or local government schemes specifically designed to support school trips. We have provided a list of many of the more popular schemes above.
- Crowdfunding: Platforms like GoFundMe allow schools to reach a wider audience, including past pupils, community members and parents, who may be willing to contribute small donations online.
- Skills Based Fundraisers: Host events that showcase pupils' talents. This could be in the form of an art exhibition, a music concert, or even a mixed talent show. Charging admission or selling tickets to friends and family could raise some much needed funding that could be used for a school trip.
- Recycling: Ask pupils and their families to collect recyclable items like bottles, cans, or old electronics. The amount you will receive when you cash them in may be small, but it will all add up, especially if you have a large school and you can drum up enough support to start collecting.
- Parent-Led Workshops: This one is a bit left field, but how about organising a workshop run by parents who can share skills such as cooking, crafts, or languages, and charge a small fee for attendees.
- Corporate Matching: Similar to partnering with local businesses above, try to find a company who will offer to match employee donations or fundraising amounts, thus doubling the money you raise.
Tips for Success
The best chance of success, you should clearly communicate the purpose of your fundraising efforts to pupils, parents, and the community. Involve pupils in planning and running of your fundraising event to give them a sense of ownership and increase their enthusiasm. Make good use of social media and school newsletters to promote fundraising activities and celebrate the prgress you are making - perhaps use a target and progress chart in the school reception that all visitors can see. By combining multiple smaller fundraising events over time you can soon start to generate money towards that next school trip.
Get school trip offers by email
Unsubscribe at any time, we won't share your email with anyone else, just send you all the best offers and ideas for your next class trip!
Subscribe
