Considering recent events, we have reviewed our safety and support procedures and will continue to review them going forward. Travel as we know it has changed, however, one thing that has not changed is the way we prioritise the health and safety of every one of our customers. It is your basic right as a traveller to feel like you can relax on tour knowing everything is taken care of.

We also understand that you and your parents are going to have lots of questions, so please do not hesitate to contact us, should you wish to know more. In the meantime, here are the some of the ways that we support you.

Safety FAQs

Certificates and Accreditations

At Next Generation Travel, we are absolutely committed to every aspect of safety on your tour and we hold all the trade body licenses including ATOL, ABTA, STF and LOtC so you can be confident that your trip is safe in our hands.

You can download our latest School Travel Forum certificate here.

You can download our latest Quality Badge for Learning Outside the Classroom here.

Our expert team will support you from start to finish. When it comes to operating tours we have tonnes of experience and our gut instinct is to always do the right thing. This is reflected in us being the proud holders of the following awards:                                                  

Customer Service Excellence accreditation

We have held this award since 2013. We are the only school tour operator to hold this accreditation which means we are regularly assessed by an independent body on meeting set criteria.           

Investors in People

WST are an Investors in People organisation meaning we demonstrate a commitment to the development and success of our people. We were delighted at the end of 2021 to receive the IIP GOLD status. 

Safety & External Audits

Every year, an external auditor reviews all of our health and safety procedures. Our latest audit was in February 2021 with Argent. Yet again for the tenth year running we have had NO RECOMMENDATIONS to help improve the way we control our safety management and quality provision.

Take a look at our Safety Management System Policy Document for more information 

School Travel Forum

Our chairman David Craven was instrumental in setting up the School Travel Forum to raise standards in educational visits – it is now recognised as the safety & quality standard mark you can trust. As a full member of the School Travel Forum, WST adhere to a rigorous Code of Practice and Safety Management Standards that meet the requirements of DCSF guidelines and are externally verified each year.

With more than 300 years combined experience in the school travel industry, the team here at WST are proud of our safety conscious environment and proactively review and improve our school trip safety procedures continually. We also have the experience and knowledge to recommend the most suitable accommodation and transport providers for your age of students, and your learning objectives.

Further information on the School Travel Forum:

STF Website

STF Safety Management Standards

STF Demystifying Risk Assessment

 

What happens if I have a problem on tour?

Very few of our tours have problems because every effort is made, and checks put in place, to ensure your tour plan is flawless. However, if an issue does arise, we are here to help. Our team of experienced tour consultants will be on hand during office hours (08:00 – 17:30 hrs) to support you whilst on tour, AND outside of office hours as well.

We have 24 hour emergency response cover for issues that need to be addressed urgently. Our emergency duty officers are fully briefed on all groups that are travelling and have access to all of your tour planning details, which means you have complete peace of mind whilst on tour, should the need arise to call us.

Brexit FAQs

Following the United Kingdom’s departure from the European Union on 31 January 2020 there have been a number of changes which will affect groups travelling with us to the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein.

We have picked out those changes we think are relevant for our customers.

Click here for Brexit FAQs

Key Safety Checks

At WST we are absolutely committed to every aspect of safety on your school tour. Our school trip safety checks include:

  • Our Safety Management System is established and maintained to conform to the requirements of the School Travel Forum.
  • We provide a 24-hour emergency helpline should you require any urgent assistance
  • We have specialist staff who are fully trained auditors
  • All accommodation used by WST undergoes a safety audit prior to use and every 3 years thereafter
  • All coach companies that we work with both in the UK and overseas will have completed our standard audit
  • We specify that coaches used should be no more than 5 years old
Fair Pricing Policy

You’ll find no hidden surcharges. Our pricing is transparent and honest. In your quotation and provisional booking letters we will tell you what is and is not included in your price. We also fairly estimate any future rates, not falsifying prices to create ‘cheap deals’.

Our approach is always to protect against currency fluctuation by buying currency as bookings confirm. Once your tour has been booked you will see no adjustments to your tour price because of currency.

Insurance

The WST insurance policy has £10 million public liability cover. You can be assured that this exceeds the requirements of UK County Councils.

Click here to see our list of insurance policies

Useful Links & Information
"You will be pleased to know that our trip with you, will be the first one, out of our many Easter trips, that we will have resolved fully and in a position to refund the parents! Please do thank all your team on our behalf! We are not currently booking future trips until at least the govt remove their advice for schools not to travel, but rest assured that we will certainly look to work with FHT again in future. "
Royal Grammar School
"Throughout the whole experience I had everything supplied, explained and sorted bang on specification without any problems at all - a wonderful service. The amount of worry, work and messing around you saved me, dealing with Sharon, is worth every penny."
Trafford College, Amsterdam
"My tours are always well planned and I am kept informed at all times of changes or details. Even when I have to change details it is never too much of a problem, Carole is always excellent, friendly and willing to help. I would not travel with anybody else!!"
St. Aloysius College, WW1 and New York
"I particularly like the fact that you show a genuine interest in the school and in the experience the students get from each visit. Helen has been an absolute pleasure to work with and I will certainly be using you for all educational visits for the foreseeable future."
South Bromsgrove High School, Ypres
"You ‘bend over backwards’ to help and are patient when things are not going to plan. Your professionalism always puts my mind at rest!"
Royal Masonic School for Girls,

Find out more today!

If you’re interested in booking a Next Generation Travel trip for your school or youth group, talk to our expert team today


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