Blog

The DfE promised to review its advice against schools taking overnight trips stating that UK residentials could resume from as early as Easter 2021. The DfE’s advice, which was updated before the approval of the UK’s first COVID vaccine, could make residential school trips a real possibility for primary schools this summer.

The DfE promised to review its advice against schools taking overnight trips stating that UK residentials could resume from as early as Easter 2021. The DfE’s advice, which was updated before the approval of the UK’s first COVID vaccine, could make residential school trips a real possibility for primary schools this summer.

Ready when you are We have updated our group safety and wellbeing protocols so that you can still enjoy an incredible trip, with the same activities and quality learning experiences, but with extra COVID-19 precautions. Follow this link to find out how you can book and travel with confidence. GUIDE FOR GROUPS WITH AN UPCOMING TRIP The guide below explains current travel advice and summarises the options for groups with an upcoming booking. Please note that

Outdoor Classroom Day celebrates and inspires outdoor learning and play The day involves thousands of schools around the world taking lessons outdoors and prioritising playtime. Last year over 2.3 million children worldwide took part, more than 580,000 of those were in the UK and Ireland. This day recognises the benefits of outdoor learning including: Improving children’s health Engaging them with learning Creating a greater connection with nature Teaching critical life skills such as resilience, teamwork and

A real life account of before and after the 'fall of the berlin wall' and what it was like living in west berlin - by COGO Travel's Sharon  From very early on I have always been interested in Germany. Having grasped the basics of the language at school, a school trip would certainly have given me the incentive to expand my knowledge of the language and explore more of the history in particular berlin, a city I now know

From School star to stage star - meet lucy newton - performing arts specialist at cogo travel  At school Lucy realised very early on that her strengths lie in drama, singing and dance. Like many students with dyslexia she struggled with traditional core curriculum subjects but excelled in the performing arts. Lucy’s talent was recognised by her teachers at an early age and she was encouraged to develop her ability, often taking the lead role in school productions. Lucy

When Sammi left school in July 2004 she wasn’t entirely sure what she wanted to do but opted for a BTEC National Diploma in Travel and Tourism at college. As part of the course she attended a 4 day tour - Business-of-Travel-Tourism-Conventionin December 2004, which is exclusively run for colleges by COGO Travel (formerly The Travel Adventure). Whilst on this tour a key part of the programme is focused on a morning seminar, featuring talks

One school trip and that was it!  Following a trip with school to the Science Museum in London, the start of Mark’s future career was born. At the age of just 11 years old, Mark embarked on a school trip to London, prior to this he had always been interested in playing with Meccano and making Airfix models. They were seen very much as toys, something to keep him entertained and fill his spare time. He never

A short weekend trip to the former capital of Poland, Krakow promised a humbling reminder of the atrocities of World War Two; however I discovered much more than I had bargained for. Krakow is an underrated Eastern European gem with a festive city culture and delicious food. Krakow has an unmistakably rich history steeped in war time culture memorials which is evident in the older district of the city Kazimierz. I would very much recommend a walking tour of this

Sophie was on a trip to the World War I Battlefields recently and wrote a really interesting account of her visit which we thought we'd share with you :) Looking back at my family history, I have found that I have four ancestors, whom were brothers, that were all killed during the 1st World War. Sadly, three of them died on the same day, October 12th, 1916, around Flers where the first British tanks were deployed earlier that month. One

How does physical activity influence classroom engagement? Get outdoors and into the fresh air!! We sometimes hear people say, "I'll feel better after some fresh air," and guess what...they're right! Fresh air really does leave us feeling more refreshed, relaxed and healthy! That's why we're so determined here at COGO Travel to get as many young people to get active in the great outdoors, in a classroom without walls! So, go on, have a look

At COGO Travel we pride ourselves in providing brilliant residential educational breaks for our customers.  Within each of our tailor-made trips we outline the potential learning outcomes, but strongly believe in both teachers and children having a key part to play in creating the right trip for their individual group with us, to ensure they maximise the value and take-homes from their residential. Wherever the destination or style of residential, we aim to benefit children with new

“I’m more interested in arousing enthusiasm in kids than in teaching the facts. The facts may change, but that enthusiasm for exploring the world will remain with them the rest of their lives.” – Simon Seymour How do we create enthusiastic learners? Naturally, this is easier in primary schools than secondary schools; younger children tend to have more inquisitive minds and zest for learning. Untarnished by the pains of adolescence in secondary school.  However, igniting

Alongside our commitment to providing high quality school residential trips full of adventures, activities and fun for all, we actively believe that there are incomparable benefits of school residential trips.  In order to evidence this belief, we have looked into a wide range of quantitative research on the subject.  It is clear that school residential trips can foster improved social interaction and help build classroom relationships.  School residential trips require pupils to take part in residential activities

What are the real benefits to your pupils when you take them on a school residential trip? Here at COGOTravel we’re exploring some of the top results from extensive industry research and reports undertaken and complied over the last decade. This time we are focusing inspiration and aspiration as one of the benefits of school residential trips. Perhaps this benefit is not the most obvious, but as we have discovered, it is one that is highly prevalent and

 At COGO Travel we are keen to share and shout about the benefits of school residential trips! We’ve already written about how school residential trips can encourage inspiration and aspiration and how they can improve relationships and social interaction with pupils. This time, we bring to you a piece on how school residential trips can encourage and foster independent pupils.  We had the opportunity to submit a question on the wonderful Monday night primary educational

Mental Health for years has been a hidden topic and only recently discussed openly in relation to young people, with many shying away from considering the importance of psychological health development alongside academic performance. It’s amazing how at school we encourage healthy living through PE lessons, regular sports days and discussions on diet, yet mental health, despite being such a growing phenomenon amongst school age children, is often left to cower in the background.  However, with the

A residential school trip is an experience that the majority of pupils in the UK have or will experience during their schooling years and for many it can be a rite of passage. However, whether you are a teacher organising one for the first time or a parent experiencing sending a child away for the first time on an educational break, the prospect of school activity breaks can be daunting. You’ve heard the stories, you may vividly remember

‘With half of their time spent at screens, the next generation will be poorly equipped to defend the natural world from harm’. The Guardian states the above in a recent article entitled ‘If children lose contact with nature they won’t fight for it.’ Shockingly, 11 - 15year olds in Britain now spend, on average, half their waking day in front of a screen. With this statistic in mind, The Guardian quite rightly question who will

At COGO Travel we are always looking for new ways to improve our residentials and ensure we are offering high quality experiences linking to the national curriculum. With over 24 years experience in organising educational breaks across the UK and Europe, we pride ourselves in being able to offer brilliant residentials and encourage learning outside the classroom.  At the beginning of the year we asked teachers to share their experiences and opinions on what makes a brilliant residential

Here at COGO travel, we are focused on adventure and outdoor education and if we’re honest, you couldn’t describe us as technology experts. However, with the increase of technology in today’s society, its use is undoubtedly increasing in schools and the lives of young people. There are of course both positive and negative impacts of this, so it would be extremely amiss to ignore this trend that has such a large impact on

Spending quality time outside is great for all of us, yet it is a particularly wonderful opportunity for families to re-connect, relax and get away from the distractions of home, work and school. However, if you’re thinking of grabbing your wellies and taking the family out for a stroll, we suggest you give it a fun and educational twist…you guessed it, make it into a nature trail! You don’t have to venture

Whilst much of the purpose of our educational breaks are for children to take part in activities with their peers, let off some steam, learn valuable skills through play and develop personally. Another core part of the school trip is to ensure children get to spend some quality time outdoors. Our experience has shown us how valuable this time is for pupils and the how important spending time outdoors is. Yet, we seem to read all too frequently on

Our Butlin’s centre is based inside the Blue Flag beach resort of Skegness, and provides non-stop school trip fun. Offering a full set of adventure activities in a modern and safe environment, the facilities and activities are exceptional, including Splash Waterworld, a traditional fairground, and an abundance of evening entertainment, such as Aladdin Rocks and disco nights. But what are the education benefits of heading to Butlin’s Skegness on your next school trip

ON A TRIP TO SANTANDER, OUR VERY OWN SHARON HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO SPELUNKING! HAVE A READ BELOW, SOUNDS FANTASTIC!! Now, exploring caves is very interesting but try “Spelunking“! So, I went exploring caves in Santander. WOW was that interesting. Amazed at seeing drawings dating back 19,000 years ago and only discovered in 1903 in Cava Covalanas & seeing in Cava Cullalvera the deepest group of rock art in Northern Spain with a series of figures