Battlefields 2023
A breakdown on the Battlefields PowerPoint. The full PowerPoint can be found at the bottom of the page.
Travel Company - NST
Established 1967 - over 45 years’ experience
Government recommended health and safety policy
ABTA and ATOL protected - your payments are insured
Insurance cover and 24-hour medical assistance cover
Tour Objectives
On our tour, students will:
- Review the nature of trench warfare and what we can learn from warfare in terms of social, political and technological change.
- Develop an appreciation of the impact of warfare
- Reflect on how and why WW1 should be remembered
Coach Safety
- Close supervision, in pre-allocated groups of 1:10, at embarkation and disembarkation.
- Children arranged in pre allocated groups of 10 with individual staff responsible for supervision.
- Exit and enter bus as a group- MJO to count on and off.
- Planned service station stop – see below.
- MJO will do final count before coach moves off.
- In France & Belgium staff seated at fire exit of coach as per EU law.
- MJO Seat belt check before departure at each point.
- No children move while coach in motion.
- Travel Sickness sat at the front facing outwards.
Coach Information
- Company Name: Skills Group
- Address: Belgrave Road, Bulwell, Nottingham, NG6 8LY
- Telephone Number: 0115 977 0080
- OOH Telephone Number: 0115 977 7424
Coach Times - From National
- Tuesday 17th October.
- Meet at 03:10am.
- Coach arives at 03:15am.
- Coach departs 03:45am.
Service Station & Coach
- Single occupancy coach for our trip.
- Remains with us for the duration (look after it!)
- Includes boots off before embarking post field trips (bag for life with boots in)
- exit of coach: hazards, timing, phone number, buddies, risks of car park.
- Buddy system established in student-students remain in these pairs at service stations.
- Students to have MJO (school phone) number on their phones in case of separation.
- Clear meeting point prior to exiting service station’s for coach.
- Staff monitor students around service station – distant.
- Staff allocated group of 10 to register before embarking coach at service station.
- MJO final count before departure from service station & BSU second count
Ferry Crossing
- Close supervision on vehicle deck
- "Rules” established and participants briefed especially re open deck area (not permitted in dark or if sea rough).
- Remain in pairs (buddy system - each responsible for named other(s).
- Establish a specific seating area / meeting point and have a member of staff there throughout crossing.
- Explain the ferries emergency procedures (term muster station etc) to the group.
- Plan arrangements for docking reminding group of numbered stairway to coach deck.
- Careful head count before disembarkation
Risk Assessments- key points-safety first
Risk Assessments- key points-Medical
Insert Day 1 itinerary- 1915 Battle of Passchendaele (Belgium)
- 18:30 meal at Hotel.
Accommodation Hazards
Day 2 Itinerary- 1915-17 Battle of Ypres (Belgium)
- 08:00 breakfast
- 09:00 depart for the day
- 09:30-10:30 Tyne Cot Cemetery
- 11:00- 11:30 Langemark Cemetery
- 12:00-14:00 Sanctuary Wood
- 14:30-15:30 Lunch in Ypres. Chocolate Shop!
- 16:00 Flanders Field Museum
- 18:00 meal at Hotel
- 19:00-20:00 Last Post Ceremony (Ypres)
What will we see & do? Day 2
Hazards
Safety Precautions

Day 3 Itinerary- 1916 Battle of the Somme (France)
- 07:00 breakfast
- 08:30 depart for the day
- 10:30 Newfoundland Park
- 13:00 Thiepval Memorial
- 13:45 Depart to Calais
- 18:20 Arrive Dover
- 23:30 est arrival Hucknall
Travel tips - money
We recommend that students take £10-20 & Euros 10-20 with them on the visit.
Expenditure:
COVID-19

Travel tips – Packing/kit list
Passport- to be handed to Mrs Westwood on boarding the coach Tuesday morning.
Clothes should be comfortable, practical and non-offensive.
A waterproof and warm coat
Wellington or hiking boots (in a separate bag for life).
Towels and Toiletries
Rucksack or day bag
Bottle for water
Entertainment for the coach (note that electronic equipment not covered by insurance- “home insurance”? )
Medicines (travel sickness)
Pyjamas
Not allowed; Sharp objects, Cigarettes, Alcohol, Drugs.
*Towels NOT provided by accommodation.
Locate My Trip
Locate my trip - live updates on your group’s tour location with NST’s trip tracker
Locate My Trip is the easy, convenient way for your school to follow your group’s location whilst on tour, and has been specifically designed to provide reassurance to both parents and teachers.
Watch our short Locate My Trip video here – https://www.nstgroup.co.uk/locate-my-trip-app
Academy Sanctions apply
Students have permission to miss Period 1 on Friday 20th October due to the late arrival on Thursday night.
FAQs Insurance- cancellation
Cancellation, Curtailment or Change of Itinerary What is the excess amount? The excess is £25 per person, or £50 per person for winter sports.
Does ‘Death in Family’ cover extend to parents/grandparents/ guardians? We do not define, but any death that forces an insured person to cancel or curtail is acceptable.
If a family member or an individual is diagnosed with a serious medical condition, and they no longer want to travel, are they covered? Yes, if a serious illness forces a person to cancel or curtail, they can make a claim
FAQs – insurance - belongings
Are electronic items covered? Electronic gadgets are specifically excluded, as the items should be insured under home/contents insurance.
Is cover for lost Documents e.g. passports and travel documents (including student documents to re-enter the UK) included? Yes, cover is up to £1,500 per person and includes accommodation, sustenance, additional travel and documents etc