The Educator Magazine U.K. May-August 2026 issue. - Magazine - Page 30
UK pupils missing out on school
trips despite proven wellbeing
and learning benefits, study finds
• A new nationwide study reveals that cost is the biggest barrier to school trips, cited by
82% of teachers and 77% of parents
• 77% of children say a school trip is their best school day ever, with attention levels rising
by 80% on trip days, compared with classroom learning
• Now, Hyundai Motor UK identifies how to optimise learning for children
A new study has revealed that school
trips boost children’s wellbeing and
engagement by 60%, yet rising costs
are preventing many pupils across the
UK from taking part.
The research has been conducted by
Hyundai Motor UK to mark the fourth
year of its Great British School Trip
programme, which provides vital funding
for trips to schools across the UK.
The new study reveals school trips can
deliver an 80% uplift in children’s attention, compared with a typical school day.
The experiment, conducted by behavioural scientist Dr Martha Newson, shows that
when learning moves beyond the classroom, children experience a noticeable
boost across a range of measures compared to a typical school day, including
increases in:
• Curiosity (+75%)
• Excitement (+71%)
• Memory-making (+70%)
• Interest (+66%)
• Inspiration (+62%)
• Happiness (+60%)
• Self-esteem (+40%)
The study measured children’s wellbeing
and engagement across classroom and
trip settings, using survey responses from
pupils to calculate Hyundai’s School
Experience Index, which highlights the
impact that experiences outside the
classroom can have on learning.
Dr Martha Newson, Behavioural Scientist
at the University of Greenwich, said: “By
measuring how the same children felt and
behaved on a normal school day versus
a school trip day, we found significant
uplifts in curiosity and self-esteem on trip
days, factors closely linked to engagement
and learning.”
However, funding and access to trips
remain a major challenge. Two-fifths of UK
children have either missed out entirely
or nearly missed out on these experiences
due to financial constraints, according to
parents, while teachers identify cost as the
biggest barrier, both for schools (82%) and
for parents (77%). At the same time, 81%
of parents say school trips are vital to their
child’s wellbeing.
Introducing the School Experience
Index (SE Index)
The nationwide study of thousands
of children, parents and teachers
identified what drives a positive school
day, forming Hyundai’s School Experience
Index (SE Index). Conducted both while
on a school trip and in the classroom,
this new metric combines wellbeing
and engagement into a single score,
helping schools measure how experiences
like school trips improve children’s
learning and wellbeing compared to a
typical classroom day.
Dr Newson continued: “Our research
means that we can see how the trip
impacted factors like wellbeing,
confidence, self-esteem and focus,
as we tracked the same pupils on both
regular and trip days across a range of
school trip types. The SE Index turns what
teachers have long observed into
quantifiable evidence. It’s designed to
support education providers to plan
experiences that will have the most
positive impact.”
Teachers also agree on what defines a
high-quality trip. In a poll of over 100
educators, 93% said trips should offer
new experiences, 91% prioritise learning
new facts and 89% value developing skills
beyond the classroom.
Hyundai’s Commitment to School Trips
Ashley Andrew, President of Hyundai
Motor & Genesis UK, commented:
“Hyundai’s Great British School Trip
programme is all about giving children
access to truly memorable learning
beyond the classroom, that they
may not have had otherwise.
And now, with the School Experience
Index, we’re able to give teachers rigorous,
science-backed data that they can use to
plan really impactful school trips.”
Since 2022, Hyundai’s Great British School
Trip initiative has invested over £3m in
bursaries to send over 200,000
children on school trips – reaching
almost a third (30%)1 of schools across
the UK. Building on these findings, the
programme will soon invite parents to get
involved and help bring more school trips
to life. To find out more about the
programme please see the full report
attached and to apply for bursary funding,
here.
