This report is based on original survey data collected directly from UK teachers through the Only for Teachers platform. All insights and findings are unique to our community.
Published: 4 February 2026 | Source: Only for Teachers original survey data.
The educational value of learning outside the classroom has long been a cornerstone of the British school experience. However, as we progress through 2026, the pragmatism of school budgets and the reality of teacher capacity are reshaping the landscape of off-site visits. While the current government’s curriculum review continues to champion “rich and broad” experiences, our latest survey suggests that school trip logistical barriers – specifically financial and administrative ones – are becoming increasingly difficult to overcome.
The rise of curriculum-linked school trips
In an era of high-stakes accountability and tightened budgets, the ‘just for fun’ trip appears to be a thing of the past. Our data shows a clear professional shift: 48% of practitioners now cite a ‘direct curriculum link’ as the primary driver for trip approvals. While ‘general cultural enrichment’ still holds significant weight at 43%, the necessity of justifying a trip’s academic value to senior leadership teams (SLT) is higher than ever.
This shift reflects a broader trend in UK education policy where every hour out of the classroom must be rigorously defended against progress data. Interestingly, only 3% of teachers reported that ‘end-of-year rewards’ were the main driver for approvals, suggesting that the traditional ‘social’ trip is being phased out in favour of essential GCSE or A-Level field studies.
Navigating school trip logistical barriers and rising costs
The most significant threat to the future of off-site visits is undoubtedly financial. The cost-of-living crisis continues to cast a long shadow over school communities, with UK school trip costs becoming prohibitive for many families. According to our findings, a staggering 71% of teachers identify the ‘rising cost of transport and accommodation’ as the single biggest barrier to booking more frequent visits.
This financial pressure is leading to a tangible reduction in opportunities. While 56% of planned trips went ahead as intended, 44% of teachers reported that at least some of their planned visits over the last 12 months were either cancelled or significantly scaled back because parent contributions were insufficient. For 9% of respondents, the situation is even more complex, with over half of their planned trips falling through due to financial barriers.
The unseen burden of teacher workload residential trips
Beyond the balance sheet, the human cost of organising these experiences is often overlooked. The teacher workload that residential trips entail is substantial, often involving hours of “hidden” labour. Our survey reveals that 50% of teachers spend more than 11 hours of their personal or unstructured time on the administration of a single residential—covering risk assessments, logistics, and parent communications. For nearly 28% of practitioners, this figure exceeds 20 hours.
This administrative burden is compounded by a growing recruitment crisis for off-site staff. Securing off-site visit volunteer ratios is a significant headache for 81% of the profession, who describe finding volunteers as either ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ difficult. With staff already stretched thin, the willingness to take on the 24/7 responsibility of a residential trip is understandably waning, especially when it encroaches so heavily on personal time.
Conclusion and professional takeaway
The data for 2026 paints a picture of a profession that still deeply values the concept of ‘learning beyond the classroom’ but is being squeezed by economic and administrative realities. The shift toward curriculum-linked school trips is a survival strategy in a system where time and money are scarce.
The clear professional takeaway for teachers is that trip viability now hinges on early financial transparency and streamlined admin. To protect these experiences, schools may need to move toward long-term ‘trip cycles’ that allow parents more time to save, alongside a more robust, centralised approach to risk assessment that reduces the burden on individual classroom teachers.
We encourage all teachers to share their views in next week’s survey, ensuring your voice remains at the heart of the national conversation.
Join the conversation by participating in next week’s survey to ensure your professional voice shapes the UK education debate.
Our Methodology
About This Survey
All insights published on OnlyForTeachers come directly from teachers across the UK. Each week, we run original surveys on topics that matter most to educators — from classroom practice and workload to wellbeing and policy changes.
Who Takes Part
Participants are active UK teachers who have registered with OnlyForTeachers. Every response remains fully anonymous.
How We Collect Data
Our surveys are designed and distributed weekly through the OnlyForTeachers platform. Questions are short, relevant, and built to capture honest opinions efficiently. Each survey typically runs for one week, and responses are gathered using secure, GDPR-compliant forms.
Data Integrity
We ensure one response per teacher, prevent duplicate entries, and apply basic data cleaning before publishing results. No weighting or external adjustments are made — what you see reflects the real voices of UK teachers.
How We Analyse & Publish
Responses are aggregated and summarised by the OnlyForTeachers research team. Results are published exclusively on our website and social channels and are original to this community. When relevant, we also feature selected teacher comments to add qualitative insights.
Use of Insights
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