Over 30,000 UK children to take part in Millfield’s Ultimate School Trip

As schools look to reopen in England on Monday 8 March, tens of thousands of secondary school children from over 300 schools across the UK have had the chance to travel to Australia, Iceland, Japan and Italy for free as part of a virtual school trip of a lifetime.

The Ultimate School Trip, which was organised by Millfield School in Somerset, is open to students from all over the country. Registrations include schools in Guernsey, Northamptonshire, Kent, Greater Manchester, Wales and even Nepal.

The project is the brain child of Millfield’s Deputy Head Alexandra Haydon, who is hosting the Australia and Iceland legs of the trip: “With the UK in lockdown, school operating online, school trips grounded and holidays a dream away, we wanted to give students across the country the chance to be a part of a globe-trotting virtual experience that takes them somewhere new, sparks their curiosity, makes them think about sustainability and, importantly, providing a little escapism and inspiration.”

Alongside Mrs Haydon, Millfield’s Headmaster Gavin Horgan and Assistant Head (Academic) Adam Guttridge, are leading the Japan and Italy parts of the trip.

The ‘trips’ to Australia, Japan, Italy and Iceland give students the chance to explore the Great Barrier Reef in Australia or take part in a cooking lesson with an Italian chef, with guided tours and tutorials with experts from across the world, including an indigenous river guide and a glacier expert in Iceland.