Beyond the risk assessment: EVC Marie Towns on creating educational visits that matter

When Marie Towns first became an Educational Visits Coordinator (EVC), she saw the role largely in practical terms: making sure risk assessments were completed, learning objectives were clear, transport and budgets were in place, and visits could run safely.

Over time, watching pupils respond to experiences outside the classroom changed that perspective. In conversation with Rayburn Tours, Marie reflects on how educational visits can have an impact far beyond the classroom.

“But over the years I’ve kind of seen it as very, very different,” says Marie, now an EVC at St. Edmunds College. “And [trips are] where all the children really come to life and they really show us who they are.”

A quiet pupil might find their confidence. Someone who is anxious might discover they are more resilient than they thought. Friendships can form between pupils who might never normally spend time together.

“I do believe that trips can answer so many questions for children,” Marie says. “And you can’t get the same thing from an exam paper.”

Start with the experience

The most valuable part of a visit is often the experience itself; the moment when pupils encounter something they could never have discovered from a textbook or worksheet.

During one trip to Norway, a pupil saw a glacier for the first time and turned to Marie. “I didn’t realise the world was like this.”

The comment stayed with her. “They just thought it was like their little community around their school,” Marie recalls, “and they didn’t realise that you could walk on a glacier in Norway.”

It is these moments that can give a trip its lasting impact: seeing somewhere new or suddenly understanding that the world extends far beyond what pupils know.

Plan early, and plan together

Creating those experiences takes careful planning behind the scenes.

At St. Edmunds, the school looks around 18 months ahead, gathering ideas from staff before considering costs, providers and dates. Giving families plenty of notice also allows more time to plan for the financial commitment involved.

Coordination can make a difference too. Without it, pupils can end up having to choose between trips simply because they are scheduled at the same time.

“One thing we’ve noticed is trips aren’t competing for each other,” Marie says. “So the same kid might go on a lot of trips, but if you don’t coordinate when trips are going out, a kid could miss out on a trip because they want to go on both.”

Don’t do it all yourself

The EVC role can involve a huge range of considerations, but Marie believes responsibility for getting things right should not sit with one person.

Safeguarding, learning support, finance, senior leadership and teaching staff can all bring different knowledge to the planning process – from identifying a pupil’s individual needs to finding ways to make a trip more affordable or accessible.

“If it’s just one person, it’s very difficult for them to solve all the problems,” Marie says. “And it shouldn’t be that person. It should be a community getting together, as a collaborative group.”

Make the experience part of learning

“We try not to make a trip one subject,” Marie says.

A visit to a zoo, for example, could bring together biology, geography and environmental studies, while also creating opportunities to explore culture, communication and personal development. A historical visit might inspire art, while unfamiliar environments can encourage empathy, independence and confidence.

The learning does not necessarily end when pupils return to school. Taking time to evaluate a visit can help staff understand what worked, what could be improved and what impact the experience had.

“It’s something that gets forgotten because you come back the trip and you’re like, oh, thank goodness I can have a rest,” she says.

Remember what pupils remember

For all the planning involved, it is often the simplest experiences that stay with pupils long after the paperwork has been filed away.

“We don’t remember from school what our favourite worksheet was,” Marie says. “But I bet we can remember our favourite journey, our favourite trip or an experience we had.”

Those memories might be of a place, a new friendship, something tasted for the first time or simply the moment a pupil stepped outside their comfort zone and realised they could do it.

“Those are the moments that make staff and students feel excited,” Marie says. “It might make them a little bit nervous out their comfort zone, but they overcome it. And they’ll feel so proud of themselves. They will get so much more out of a trip, because that classroom door is opened to a world they probably have never seen.”