School trips and enrichment experiences bring learning to life. They create those memorable moments when abstract concepts suddenly click, when wonder takes over, and when children see the real-world relevance of what they’re studying in the classroom. But with budgets tighter than ever and enrichment opportunities increasingly out of reach for many schools, how can we continue to offer these vital experiences?
The good news? There are brilliant, cost-effective options available, and some of them might be closer than you think.
The Enrichment Challenge
We all know the statistics. The Sutton Trust reported that 50% of senior leaders had cut educational visits in 2023—more than double the previous year. Transport costs are rising, admission fees are climbing, and many schools are left wondering how to provide those experiences that truly enrich the curriculum without emptying their already stretched budgets.
But enrichment doesn’t have to mean expensive coach trips to distant attractions. Some of the most impactful experiences can happen right on your doorstep, or through innovative approaches that bring the experience to you.
Free and Low-Cost Visit Ideas
1. Veolia – Waste Management and Recycling
Veolia offers free school tours at specific facilities across the country, complete with lesson plans and worksheets. If you’re lucky enough to have one nearby, these tours are genuinely fascinating. Children get to see firsthand what happens to our waste and recycling, making those PSHE and geography lessons about sustainability far more concrete.
2. Pizza Express
Running since 1999, Pizza Express school visits are polished and professional. Children visit the kitchen, learn about food hygiene, discover where ingredients come from, knead their own dough, and make individual pizzas to take back to school. All completely free. It’s a fantastic DT and science experience rolled into one delicious package.
3. RSPB
In partnership with Aldi, the RSPB brings trained educators directly to your school. They work with you in your school grounds for 90-minute sessions covering topics like Giving Nature a Home, Bioblitz, and Big Schools Birdwatch. Currently available in 17 cities across the UK, with free resources available on their website.
4. English Heritage
With over 400 sites offering free visits for self-led school groups, English Heritage is a history coordinator’s dream. They even offer free familiarisation visits so you can plan the exact experience you want. Bookings need to be made at least seven days in advance, but with so many locations, there’s bound to be something accessible for your school.
5. RNLI
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution offers free visits to locations across the country, or they’ll send a volunteer to your school. The outreach team teaches children about rescue work and, crucially, about water safety. With resources for ages 3-18, this is perfect for geography, PSHE, and science curricula.
6. Local Libraries and Records Offices
Often overlooked, local libraries are wonderful places to visit. You’d be surprised how many children have never been to a library. With temporary exhibitions, free events, and the simple joy of choosing a book, a library visit can be magical. It’s also perfect for a walk with parent helpers, building community connections while supporting literacy.
In larger towns, you may be able to find your local records office. As dull as this sounds, they hold some of the most fascinating documents, maps and censuses that will spark a level of curiosity in your pupils that you would never have guessed. I have found the staff to be very accommodating of school visits, and they go out of their way to bring the historical artefacts to life. I would highly recommend investigating this one.
7. Fire Station and Emergency Service Visits
Many local fire stations accommodate small groups for station tours and run community fire safety workshops. These visits are brilliant for PSHE, understanding people who help us, and making safety education memorable.
Hidden Gems: Local Resources You Might Be Missing
Your Local High Street
Don’t underestimate the educational potential of your own high street. For history, it’s perfect for enquiries about how buildings, the town centre, and its use have changed over time. Children can sketch architecture, compare old photographs with current streetscapes, and interview shop owners about changes they’ve witnessed.
For computing, particularly with EYFS and KS1, the high street is full of digital devices keeping our towns running: self-service checkouts, parking meters, cashpoints, card readers, digital displays and even crossing points. It’s a perfect way to make computing curriculum relevant and visible.
Secondary Schools, Sixth Form Colleges, and Universities
This is one of the most underused resources available to primary schools. Your local secondary school, college, or university likely has:
- Science labs far better equipped than most primary settings
- Design and technology facilities with tools and equipment you simply can’t access elsewhere
- Sports halls and gymnastics equipment
- Drama studios and performance spaces
- Art rooms with specialist materials and equipment
These institutions are often within walking distance or a short bus journey away, and many are keen to build relationships with feeder primaries. It’s not just about accessing facilities; it’s about raising aspirations, building familiarity, and creating transition pathways. The cost? Usually minimal or free, especially if you can establish an ongoing partnership.
A New Approach: Bringing the Experience to You
While trips out of school are valuable, sometimes the most practical solution is to bring the experience to your pupils. This is particularly true for those hard-to-reach topics where the subject matter is simply too far away, too expensive, or too abstract to make traditional visits feasible.
That’s precisely why EduPeopleVR was created: as an affordable, high-impact, and sustainable solution to the increasing costs associated with enrichment and educational visits.
Rather than one class visiting a planetarium for £1,000+, our VR workshops can transport up to six classes to Mars, inside a volcano and back to Ancient Rome (all without leaving your school grounds). For schools in rural areas or those where transport costs are prohibitive, immersive technology offers access to places no coach trip could ever reach.
Our curriculum-aligned workshops draw on nearly 15 years of primary teaching and curriculum leadership experience. We are based in Darlington and predominantly serve schools across the North of England, but we also travel extensively to schools right across the UK.
It’s not about replacing real-world experiences—it’s about making the impossible possible, and doing so in a way that’s practical and affordable.
Making It Work for Your School
The key to successful enrichment on a budget is:
Plan ahead: Many free experiences need to be booked well in advance. Build them into your long-term curriculum planning.
Think local: The best experiences are often closer than you think. What’s in walking distance? What partnerships could you build?
Be creative: A high street can be a history lesson. A local green space can be a science lab. Your playground can become a maths trail.
Consider alternatives: When the real thing is too far or too expensive, look for innovative solutions that bring the experience to you.
Share the load: Partner with other schools to share transport costs or to make free visits more sustainable for the organisations offering them.
Final Thoughts
Enrichment shouldn’t be a luxury available only to schools with healthy budgets. Every child deserves those moments of wonder, those connections between classroom learning and the real world, those experiences that stick with them long after the lesson has ended.
With a bit of creativity, some local partnerships, and a willingness to look beyond traditional trip models, we can continue to offer rich, memorable experiences that bring learning to life—without breaking the bank.
Ready to Explore Your Options?
If you’d like to find out more about how VR workshops could support your curriculum, or if you’re looking for practical, affordable enrichment solutions for topics like Earth and Space, Ancient Egypt, or the Human Body, we’d love to hear from you.
Contact us to discuss your school’s needs
Visit our website to see the full range of topics available
Serving Darlington, North Yorkshire, Tees Valley, County Durham, and across the UK
Let’s make enrichment accessible for every child.
