One of the first things that needs to be done when organising a school sports tour is to get approval and sometimes that is easier said than done!
In order to do this you will need to reassure your Senior Management Team (SMT) of three things:
Getting approval for a sports tour can be harder than for say a French trip as some staff will assume that there isn’t much to gain from a sports tour, but that’s where they’d be wrong!
Start by stating the sporting benefits which include extra practice, the chance to experience different coaching and style of play and the benefits of team bonding.
Next move onto other cultural benefits. Some students may not have had the chance to travel before so this is a great opportunity for them to experience different cultures. Other students may have never been away from their parents so it will help them to develop their independence and take on more responsibility looking after themselves and their belongings.
Finally, there may also be educational benefits such as the opportunity to practice language skills or visit historical attractions.
SMT will need to know what measures you have put into place and how you plan to ensure pupils safety whilst on your sports tour. This can often be a laborious task for party leaders however by travelling with a reliable tour operator with many years experience working with school groups a lot of the hard work will be done for you. To find out more about what Club Europe do to ensure your groups health and safety, view our Safety Management system here.
If you need additional guidance then just ask your account manager and they will be able to send you our helpful document on ‘Demystifying Risk Assessments’.
You will also need to justify your choice of tour operator to your SMT.
You’ll need to show your chosen company have financial protection, eg. ABTA/ATOL protection, meaning in the unlikely event that the operator goes out of business you will be able to continue your trip as planned or get your money back.
You’ll also need to show evidence that they are experienced and will prioritise the health and safety of your students. A good way to show this is by choosing a company that is part of the School Travel Forum (STF) as they are required to adhere to a rigorous Code of Practice and Safety Management Standards. Read more about being a member of the STF here.
As always if you are travelling with Club Europe for your sports tour and have any other questions then feel free to give us a call on freephone 0800 496 4996.
Take a look at our short film on how to get approval from your SMT.
Our sports tours
