Poor pupils miss out on school trips, warn MPs

The Children, Schools and Families Select Committee said the "steep decline" in the amount of time children spent outside was "shocking".

In a report published today – Transforming Education Outside the Classroom – the cross-party group of MPs urged ministers to ensure school trips did not become the preserve of pupils from private schools, suggesting subsidies should be available for low-income families.

Health and safety concerns from state schools had been a "significant barrier to school trips", they said.

"The delay in getting revised health and safety guidance in place is disappointing," the report said. "Without a further drive to both ease concerns about litigation and root out the use of health and safety as an excuse for curtailing provision, the effort and funding that has been put into promoting learning outside the classroom will be wasted."

The MPs suggested all pupils should be entitled to at least one school trip each term under the national curriculum and they urged ministers to provide enough funding to support learning outside the classroom.

Labour MP Barry Sheerman, committee chair, said: "The steep decline in the amount of time children are spending outside is shocking."

The MPs acknowledged the Department for Children, Schools and Families had set up the independent Council for Learning Outside the Classroom in 2009, but said concerns continued over the Government's support for school trips.

The committee also suggested that the education watchdog Ofsted include the provision of school trips in its inspections regime.