Planning your visit

The planning stages normally needed to be followed are:

1. Obtain approval to prepare the visit subject to satisfactory preparation.

2. Obtain final approval from Local Education Authority (LEA) or governors, and parental consents.

3. If possible, attend an inspection weekend in Barcelona. Contact other schools who have used our services to assess the risks and suitability of the venue. Request a copy of our risk assessments.

Final preparation

• Information to and from parents.

• Briefing evening (meet the supervisors). Brief pupils.

• Deposits/full payments by parents.

Detailed advice based upon best practice is provided in the menu on this page.

Ten  booking steps

• Seek approval of the proposed visit in principle.

• Check the dates are available on our calendar.

• Book dates provisionally online. The online booking system automatically calculates a price. Please save a printed copy of the quote. We will reconfirm.

• Complete provisional details and pricing on our online booking form.

• Gather the necessary information for a first contact letter to parents.

• The following general information should be first given to parents:
   

  • dates of the visit;

  • visit's objectives;

  • mode(s) of travel including the name of any travel company;

  • details of accommodation;

  • details of the activities planned and of how the assessed risks will be managed;

  • approximate price;

  • our cancellation policy in case of individual student withdrawals;

  • the need for a valid passport, form E111 and for those pupils whose national or immigration status require it, a visa .
    

• Gather the necessary information to complete your organisation's formal visit approval form.

• Book flights if necessary.

• Send us a completed booking form by fax.

• Arrange for a 15% deposit to be sent.

Pricing

We recommend that you set the price based upon a conservative estimate of student numbers. Refunds are easier to give than the sending out of a letter requesting more money. Remember to include the cost of U.K. school-airport transfers, if required, and travel insurance. Many schools have an in-house insurance policy that will cover the requirements of the trip at no extra cost. With an average class-size group, the whole trip price is unlikely to exceed £350 or so, whether travelling by coach or air.