A new study has revealed that school trips boost children’s wellbeing and engagement by 60%, yet rising costs are preventing many pupils across the UK from taking part.
The research has been conducted by Hyundai Motor UK, to mark the fourth year of its Great British School Trip programme, which provides vital funding for trips to schools across the UK. The new study reveals school trips can deliver an 80% uplift in children’s attention, compared with a typical school day.
The experiment, conducted by behavioural scientist Dr Martha Newson, shows that when learning moves beyond the classroom, children experience a noticeable boost across a range of measures compared to a typical school day, including increases in:
Curiosity (+75%)
Excitement (+71%)
Memory-making (+70%)
Interest (+66%)
Inspiration (+62%)
Happiness (+60%)
Self-esteem (+40%)
The study measured children’s wellbeing and engagement across classroom and trip settings, using survey responses from pupils to calculate Hyundai’s School Experience Index, which highlights the impact that experiences outside the classroom can have on learning.
Dr Martha Newson, Behavioural Scientist at the University of Greenwich, said: “By measuring how the same children felt and behaved on a normal school day versus a school trip day, we found significant uplifts in curiosity and self-esteem on trip days, factors closely linked to engagement and learning.”
However, funding and access to trips remain a major challenge. Two-fifths of UK children have either missed out entirely or nearly missed out on these experiences due to financial constraints, according to parents, while teachers identify cost as the biggest barrier, both for schools (82%) and for parents (77%). At the same time, 81% of parents say school trips are vital to their child’s wellbeing.
Introducing the School Experience Index (SE Index)
The nationwide study of thousands of children, parents and teachers identified what drives a positive school day, forming Hyundai’s School Experience Index (SE Index). Conducted both while on a school trip and in the classroom, this new metric combines wellbeing and engagement into a single score, helping schools measure how experiences like school trips improve children’s learning and wellbeing compared to a typical classroom day.
Dr Newson continued: “Our research means that we can see how the trip impacted factors like wellbeing, confidence, self-esteem and focus, as we tracked the same pupils on both regular and trip days across a range of school trip types. The SE Index turns what teachers have long observed into quantifiable evidence. It’s designed to support education providers to plan experiences that will have the most positive impact.”
Teachers also agree on what defines a high-quality trip. In a poll of over 100 educators, 93% said trips should offer new experiences, 91% prioritise learning new facts and 89% value developing skills beyond the classroom.
Hyundai’s Commitment to School Trips
Ashley Andrew, President of Hyundai Motor & Genesis UK, commented: “Hyundai’s Great British School Trip programme is all about giving children access to truly memorable learning beyond the classroom, that they may not have had otherwise. And now, with the School Experience Index, we’re able to give teachers rigorous, science-backed data that they can use to plan really impactful school trips.”
Since 2022, Hyundai’s Great British School Trip initiative has invested over £3m in bursaries to send over 200,000 children on school trips – reaching almost a third (30%)1 of schools across the UK. Building on these findings, the programme will soon invite parents to get involved and help bring more school trips to life. To find out more about the programme please see the full report attached and to apply for bursary funding, here.
