Safety and Support

Safety and support on a school expedition

Most teachers who talk to us ask us two things. Will my students be safe? And how much of this is going to land on my desk?

The first comes down to who your students travel with, how we stay in contact and what happens when something changes. The second is everything we do to make an expedition manageable for you, from the first conversation to the day your students land back home.

Running overseas school expeditions since 1987 means there’s very little we haven’t seen or planned for. The safety and support that go into a World Challenge Expedition are a large part of what makes schools come back to us each year.

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How we manage school expedition safety

World Challenge manages safety professionally so students can experience real challenge and development with confidence.

Our safety and operational systems have been built and refined by a team that has spent decades running school expeditions around the world. Every expedition is designed to meet the requirements of BS 8848, the British Standard for organised ventures outside the UK, alongside World Challenge’s own established safety and operational procedures.

We do the heavy lifting on expedition risk management and risk assessment, so your school isn’t starting from scratch. Students travel with a trained Expedition Leader, who’s with them throughout. In each country, they’re met by support teams on the ground who live and work there.

Students trekking through the forest in the Mai Chau valley, Vietnam

Every team carries a satellite tracker and more than one way to reach us, including satellite messaging where there is no mobile signal. That gives our 24/7 Operations Centre visibility of a team’s progress at key stages and a route to reach them, including on expeditions where the school has chosen to travel without phones.

travellers making high five over sunrise

Healix, our medical partner, gives our Expedition Leaders access to doctors and nurses by phone at any hour, anywhere we operate. They can prescribe remotely, arrange payment at clinics worldwide, and where medically recommended, organise a doctor or nurse to accompany a student home.

A,Person,Is,Carefully,Packing,A,First,Aid,Kit,In

Safeguarding and training

Our people and the safeguarding and training behind them

You and your students travel with a trained Expedition Leader whose job is to provide strong support and sound judgement throughout. Most of our Leaders come from outdoor, youth work, teaching or medical backgrounds.

Every UK-based Leader holds an enhanced DBS check, and the few who live outside the UK have the equivalent background checks from their own country. We know schools expect the same standards of us that they apply to their own staff.

Leaders are matched to your group at least six months before departure, so you know who is taking your students long before you go. Before anyone leads for us, they must pass our two-day Potential Leader Course, with refresher training and updates provided each year.

Behind them is an experienced support team with specialist training in operations, safeguarding and incident response, including named Safeguarding Leads.

What our Expedition Leaders bring:

Relevant outdoor and mountain leadership, or equivalent qualifications
A current outdoor first aid qualification
At least 10 weeks’ youth work experience, including some in a residential setting
Experience leading adventurous activities and working with young people
A proven track record in maintaining safety standards and managing incidents
Training in health, wellbeing and emergency response

Safeguarding and support across World Challenge:

Named Safeguarding Leads with regularly renewed training
First aid and mental health first aid training across teams supporting expeditions
DBS and other appropriate background checks for Expedition Leaders and relevant staff

OUR ACCREDITATIONS

Peace of mind for schools and parents. All of our accreditations earn their place.

For schools in England and Wales, the UK’s Department for Education (DFE) and Welsh Government recognise the Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge. Many local authorities and academy trusts accept it in place of some of their checks on us, which means less paperwork for you. For parents, our ATOL cover protects payments on bookings made in the UK.

World Challenge is a member of the Expedition Providers Association, the industry body for UK expedition providers. Every expedition is designed to meet the requirements of BS 8848, the British Standard for organised ventures outside the UK, alongside our own established operational and safety procedures.

What World Challenge support looks like for a school

We manage the complex details behind the scenes, so teachers can focus on the impact and outcomes for their students rather than travelling as a tour manager.

It starts a long time before departure. You’ll have a named contact from your first conversation, and once your expedition is confirmed, we hand you over to your School Account Manager, who supports you through the build-up to departure and is there again when you return.

We do the heavy lifting on safety planning, operational risk management, insurance arrangements and expedition support. That means less for schools to manage, and we give a clear picture of what stays with you.

Your dedicated School Account Manager
Preparation and training for you and your students before departure
Flights, logistics and itineraries
Student and parent presentations delivered by us
Clear information to support school approval
Parent payments handled for you (currently UK only)
Participant information managed
Risk management documentation
Insurance while students are travelling
Expedition planning before departure, with support throughout the journey

So while your students are encouraged to step up, schools are supported every step of the way.

Our World Challenge expedition to Morocco was genuinely one of the most rewarding school trips I’ve been part of. Seeing our students grow in confidence, independence and resilience as the expedition unfolded was incredibly special. From finding our way through Marrakech and working alongside a local community, to challenging ourselves in the Atlas Mountains, we shared experiences and created memories that I know will stay with us for years. World Challenge gave our students the opportunity to discover what they’re capable of. A huge thank you to everyone at World Challenge and in particular Jess, our Expedition Leader!

Teacher, Saint Felix School, Morocco school expedition

The World Challenge model offered our pupils an exceptional experience. The planning of the trip is handled by experts, the communication with our parents has been regular and informative, and the organisation has been seamless. Our pupils have been suitably challenged in unique and inspiring locations, and unlike other school trips, the pupils are all expected to take on leadership roles throughout the trip. Would highly recommend.

Teacher, Shiplake College, Borneo school expedition

World Challenge is an outstanding provider of challenging and exciting experiences for young people. The expeditions are well organised and offer a variety of experiences from challenging treks to valuable and worthwhile initiatives. Be prepared for an immersive and eye opening journey outside of your comfort zone.

Teacher, Vandyke Upper School, Vietnam school expedition

World Challenge trips inspire personal growth by giving students meaningful opportunities to explore the world, broaden their perspectives, and better understand their place within a global community.

Teacher, Woodward Academy, Eswatini school expedition

World Challenge exceeded our expectations, seamlessly relocating our 27-person trip to a new country just two weeks before departure due to unforeseen political tensions. Their support before and during the trip was unparalleled.

Methodist Ladies’ College, Teacher