THE HEADTEACHER of Bablake School has won a national accolade for his commitment to getting children out of the classroom and out on school trips.
The annual School Travel Awards are organised by School Travel Organiser and aim to highlight those who create inspiring educational visits for children as well as the attractions and providers.
Andy Wright, who won the School Trip Champion Award, said: “I was very lucky to go on a number of trips myself as a pupil and they’re some of the things I remember most about my time at school, seeing the wider world.
“School trips broaden horizons and allow you to see pupils in a different context and build special relationships.
“I have been fortunate enough to take students to some bizarre places in the world like Albania and Uzbekistan – it’s developing those practical skills like how you get around a country – those are skills that are transferable to all sorts of situations.”
Mr Wright, who has more than 20 years’ experience of running trips in a variety of schools, is committed to providing opportunities that make a difference to the students and staff involved.
He has led trips to Pakistan for UK schools and was part of the leadership team on a project that worked with disaffected young people in the Midlands for a year, culminating in a week-long residential in Wales.
Mr Wright has also been involved in organising hockey tours to Spain, Greece and Malta, history trips to the World War One battlefields and to Auschwitz, as well as taking thousands of pupils on Duke of Edinburgh trips.
The award was presented by Olympian Katharine Merry during an online ceremony last week.
To watch the awards ceremony, click here.
