Best Turing Scheme Trips for 2024/2025
Secondary schools across the United Kingdom will have now found out if their Turing Scheme application for the 2024-2025 academic year was successful or not.
The scheme, funded by the UK Government, has now replaced the Erasmus+ programme and it aims to promote student mobility and strengthen links with international institutions.
It offers once in a lifetime opportunities for students to experience trips they wouldn’t have otherwise had access to. Recent figures show that the majority of students that benefit from the scheme are from disadvantaged backgrounds.
A figure from the Sutton Trust states that cuts to trips have doubled between 2022 and 2023, going from 21 per cent to 50 per cent.
The decline of study trips will be detrimental to the confidence and learning experience of students up and down the country, and the importance of putting learning into context cannot be overstated.
Students who struggle to engage with traditional teaching methods can discover lifelong passions when learning outside of the classroom.
Using a specialist travel management company like Diversity Study Trips means that Turing Trip itineraries can be tailored to meet the specific needs of the school and budgets.
They often involve volunteering and community work, which can be equally as enriching for students as tourist activities.
Headteachers and decision-makers at schools will now want to know what destinations are available to their students.
Here is a list of the top 4 Turing Trip destinations:
- Thailand
For those who study Religious Education, Thailand can be a mesmerising location in which the country’s spiritual and cultural heritage can inform and inspire students. A typical itinerary would begin with a flight to Chiang Mai, Thailand’s second largest city. The Chiang Mai Cultural Centre exhibits the region’s development through the ages, and the Chiang Mai Islamic Community Centre and Mosque allows students to engage with the Imam to learn about the presence of the religion in Thailand. Students can visit the oldest Sikh temple in Chiang Mai, the Gurudwara, as well as a Hindu temple to learn about the impact of both religions on Thai culture. A pilgrimage along the Monks Trail to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of Chiang Mai’s most sacred temples, is not to be missed either.
2. Berlin
A study trip to Berlin will enable business students to probe innovative and exciting companies from sustainable fashion to drone technology. The opportunity to meet personnel from these exciting businesses and ask questions has the potential to inspire future careers, and a new insight into life after education. Alongside this, Berlin is a city steeped in rich history and culture, so students won’t want to miss out on the museums either, with the German Museum of Technology and the German History Museum being popular choices. Walking tours are a great way to get to know the city, as students can stroll through the government district, discover the Gendarmenmarkt and learn all about the development of the city in the Nikolai quarter.
3. Morocco
Diversity’s life-changing Turing Trip to Morocco is a Socio-Cultural Centre Construction project, allowing students to contribute to the development of essential community infrastructure whilst experiencing the rich cultural heritage of Morocco. Students will work alongside communities to build a socio-cultural centre to serve as a hub for education, cultural exchange and community development. Day one of the trip will include a traditional Moroccan meal in Marrakech before being transferred to the village in which the students will be working. Orientation sessions will be organised to ensure everyone is familiar with the community, and a welcoming meal will allow students to speak to the villagers. As the volunteer work commences, students will build walls, assist in the fields with irrigation systems, prepare concrete and much more.
4. Cambodia
Cambodia is a vibrant location to broaden your students’ cultural awareness with new education opportunities and to learn about sustainable practices. Once arriving in Siem Reap, students will enjoy one night in the city before travelling to the Trei Nhoar community to settle in before an evening cultural experience strolling through the rice fields. Language sessions, community work, bamboo basket weaving lessons, and carpet creation from recycled materials are amongst the many activities students will participate in whilst building relationships with the local villagers they are working with.
Diversity Study Trips operates in 82 countries across the globe, and the dedicated team is built up of ex-teachers and travel experts alike. The team aims to make it easy for trip leaders to provide their students with the life-changing benefits of educational and meaningful travel.
The ‘Safe Hands’ policy reassures parents and teachers alike that the safety and wellbeing of students is Diversity’s top priority.
To speak to a member of the Diversity team about the Turing Scheme, visit the website for more information.
