English Literature School Trips

Why arrange an English literature school trip?

Bring literature to life

An English literature school trip offers your students the opportunity to better understand the context in which the texts they are studying were written.

For example, if your students are studying WW1 poetry, the opportunity to learn more about life on the Western Front for the soldiers will help deepen their understanding of the poems.

They can visit the trenches and learn more about the terrible conditions that soldiers had to put up with while also being under constant threat of attack.

At the In Flanders Fields Museum, they’ll discover the stories of individual soldiers. And at the many war cemeteries and memorials throughout the area, they’ll be able to pay their respects, while also taking in the scale of destruction.

They’ll also be able to visit Talbot House, where soldiers went for some relief from the horrors of the frontline. Here, your students will be reminded that most of the soldiers were normal men from diverse backgrounds who had been thrown into war.

You can even visit the very places where some of the poems were written. 

For example, your students will see beyond the words of their study pieces to the sentiment behind them with visits to places like the Essex Farm Dressing Station in Ypres, where John McCrae wrote In Flanders Fields after the death of his friend, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer.

The poem has become synonymous with the sacrifice of soldiers, so a visit to the WW1 battlefields of Belgium and France will certainly allow your students to gain a deeper understanding of the inspiration behind it.

And in the Somme, you can follow in the footsteps of Wilfred Owen, or visit key locations from Sebastian Faulks’ Birdsong.

Encourage their passion for literature

An English literature school trip can bring the words that your students have been studying to life, whether that’s by showing them the context in which a piece was written, or by seeing it performed on stage in the West End.

For the latter, school trips to London are a very popular choice, as we can arrange for you to enjoy a theatre performance of the play you’re studying, as well as a backstage tour of one of the capital’s most prestigious theatres.

By taking a trip to see the play you’re studying performed on stage, the words will be lifted right off the page. Your students will never forget these experiences – encouraging a lifelong passion for literature.

Your trip could also provide your students with practical experiences of the text that they’re studying. They’ll have learnt more about the context in which the piece was written and they’ll have physically explored the text, helping to develop their responses to exam questions.

Enjoy the trip as much as your students

Originally founded by former teachers, and with many former teachers still among us, we understand the value of English literature school trips and how to make them successful.

Your trip will be completely tailor-made, to ensure that it meets your specific requirements and learning objectives. And we’ll be on hand throughout the process to answer any questions you have.

In fact, we’ll be with you every step of the way, from now until you return home at the end of your trip. While abroad, you’ll be able to reach us with just one phone call, at any time of the day or night. And, with this comprehensive level of support while you’re away, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy the experience as much as your students.