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Last updated: Dec 19th, 2025
Iceland is one of our most popular geography school trip destinations due to how closely it aligns with the geography curriculum. Recently, we spoke to Georgia Clark from Didsbury High School about her experience travelling to Iceland with her Year 11 students. As a first-time party leader with Rayburn Tours, Georgia has since led additional school trips to Iceland.
We wanted to explore the value of learning outside the classroom and why experiences like these are so important for students.
Didsbury High School has opened their Iceland trip to Year 11 GCSE Geography students. Due to the subject’s growing popularity, demand for the Iceland trip is already high and therefore limited to just the year group. Georgia believes that making it an annual event “gives parents the time to save up to send their children on to a once in a lifetime experience.”
“All of our trust schools go because it matches with the GCSE, but for us Iceland is the place that you pitch to students as to why you should be taking geography further, because you see real life working of their case studies, and their contacts are with them.” – Georgia Clark, Geography Teacher
“The students love human geography because it’s to do with people, and some really love the physical geography, but because it’s so abstract when they get to see it in real life, it brings all the pieces together for them. We have seen a massive impact in out GCSE results as the students who went to Iceland scored higher last year.”- Georgia Clark, Geography Teacher
Iceland is truly a magical place that fits with the geography curriculum, being outdoors and learning beyond the classroom can ignite a genuine passion for geography. As Georgia says, “even if the weather is bad, the magic of Iceland still comes through.”
Our Geography Development Manager Cath Rule explains, “a big part of Geography is visiting the sites and see it all in person. Field trips allow students to connect with what they study with the real world. I always say to the students ‘normal people look at these landscapes as a tourist, but we as geographers are going to really look at it and really think about it.’”
Geography school trips bring case studies to life and offer valuable opportunities for learning outside the classroom. An example of experiencing a case study first hand would be our extended Iceland itinerary includes a visit to the island of Heimaey. Here students can meet locals, witness the lasting impacts, and learn the powerful story of the 1973 Eldfell eruption. This fascinating island lets students walk through history.
Iceland isn’t just a geographical school trip, but it’s a destination that brings multiple subjects into one big learning experience. In addition to seeing geography in action, students can also explore the scientific and artistic aspects Iceland has to offer, making it a rich, cross curricular adventure.
We asked Georgia if any moments in Iceland that changed the way she viewed classroom learning. One experience she mentioned was visiting the basalt beach, renowned for its black sand, dramatic basalt columns and towering sea stacks.
“When we went to the basalt beach, you can see that taking the students outside and showing them, the real world makes so much sense. They learn about the rock cycle in year 7 and when they visit the beach in year 11, what they have learnt previously pieces together when experiencing the real world. For us this is what has changed our curriculum for field trips, how much students got out of seeing the world in real life. We have now added more field work in around Manchester into out general curriculum. It’s so important for geography students to be outside.”- Georgia Clark, Geography Teacher
For geography school trips, we offer expert Field Study Tutors who join school trips to enrich students learning whilst experiencing the great outdoors. Didsbury High School recently welcomed field study tutor Jason Reeves who truly brought geography to life.
“We had a Field Study Tutor to give the trip a bit more content and I would 1000% recommend any party leader to have one for their Geography trip. We come from a school where we are all human geographers and Iceland has so much to it, but I think it gives the students so much context. This year, our Year 11’s loved it – they didn’t leave Jason alone because he has so much knowledge and is detailed. The align with the specs and he was just a fountain of knowledge.” – Georgia Clark, Geography Teacher
As well as enriching students’ experiences, having a Field Study Tutor allows teachers to sit back, relax and unwind from their everyday teaching duties to discover new landmarks that might otherwise go unnoticed.
“Jason was able to find little stops to the tour that we didn’t know about. We saw some geothermal powerplants and hot springs we would have missed without him. Even on our 2-hour journey he would stop and give more information! Having him allowed us to take a break and enjoy the trip. It also makes the logistics a lot easier as someone else is doing it for you!” – Georgia Clark, Geography Teacher
Find out more here about our Field Study Tutors!
“Rayburn Tours were exceptional in detail, helping to tailor what we wanted to match the price. They gave all the exact recommendations, and advice for someone who has never done it before. It was so memorable and all the teachers that came on the trip have done other international ones and every one of them comes back time and time again and say, “I miss Iceland” and “I want to go back to Iceland it’s the best trip we have done”.- Georgia Clark- Geography Teacher
Want to experience a trip to Iceland like Didsbury High School? Speak to our experts and they will tailor the perfect tour to match your educational needs.
Chat to usGeorgia Clark is an experienced geography teacher at Didsbury High School where she inspires the next generation of geographers with her passion for the subject. She has a particular interest in human geography and wants to bring real-world relevance into the classroom through a variety of fieldwork experiences.
“The first year the school ran the trip we didn’t know if they could go due to the eruptions in 2023, and the students were in the moment saying “Oh the things that we are learning about is actually happening now where people are putting procedures in place, so it triggered future career conversations, and as a geography teacher, that’s what you’re in it for!
As a Geographer who has never been to Iceland before it was breath-taking because it has every component you have every spoke about, have ever learnt about in one location.”
Author
Marketing Executive
Arianna embarked on her journey at Rayburn Tours in 2022 as a Tour Coordinator arranging the logistics for concert tours across Europe and beyond. She has experience touring as a musician in an orchestra and has a deep appreciation for the life-changing moments these tours create. She is passionate about sharing these experiences with everyone, whether they’re part of a school group, sports team or music group.
In 2023, Arianna earned her master’s in marketing and digital communications, marking the beginning of her career in marketing at Rayburn Tours. Her project management skills are rooted from the operations department, while her creativity stems from a background in the arts. She firmly believes everyone should have the opportunity to travel on a tour, as it not only promotes personal growth, but also creates memories that last a lifetime.
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