As part of our offer for schools, we can arrange complimentary travel for classes to take a trip by train along their line, giving them the opportunity to put their learning around rail safety and confidence into practice.

We are teachers. We understand the demands that the curriculum puts on schools and appreciate that it is not always easy to engage in opportunities that do not link to the curriculum. Therefore, we are committed to providing a meaningful experience for schools, that can link with curriculum objectives. We combine our free rail education trips with free activities, locations and events in order to make the trips accessible to all schools.

The benefits of a rail familiarisation trip with Platform:

• Raise cultural capital for students through out-of-school experiences
• Build on the rail safety aspects of our workshops in a real-life scenario
• Increase confidence leading to independent travel and future sustainable and healthy travel choices
• Develop life skills through journey planning and management
• Promote sustainable travel as a viable option for school trips in the future

Who is this for?

It is our belief that all young people should have the opportunity to try train travel, and so we are not selective about which educational establishments or what age groups we work with.

What if my students have additional needs?

At Platform, we are committed to offering an entirely inclusive experience, and will do everything possible to support students with additional needs. There is an experienced, qualified SENCo on the team, and there is the option for us to work with travel mentors within the train operating companies. At the point of booking with us, we will encourage you to share any individual needs of students, allowing us to devise a plan that makes the day accessible.

Where can we go?

The scheme area covers Worcestershire, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and Bath and North-East Somerset – please see our interactive map for a clear picture of the areas we can work with!

See answers to more frequently asked questions here.

Get inspired by reading about some of our recent trips here.

 

And don’t just take our word for it…

“This is our 4th year working with Platform. Our Y3 have benefited from the preliminary workshop, train travel and sustainable transport workshop. Our current Y6 children, the first year group to travel with Platform, still talk about their trip and the things that they discovered. Many of our children have never previously travelled by train. Thank you Platform, especially Tom and Sophie, for providing a valuable learning experience for our children.”

– Alison Petticrew, Elmbridge Primary School

“This was the most well organised trip we have participated in. The team was knowledgeable and enthusiastic. The children gained so much knowledge about rail safety and how to use trains. Many of our children have never left the village or travelled by train so this experience has been invaluable. The historical knowledge of Tom and Imogen has really enhanced our Viking topic. We will be recommending this to other schools!”

– Helen Russell, Down Ampney Primary School

“Tom from Platform visited our school first to deliver a rail safety workshop. Our students were very engaged and couldn’t wait for their train journey with him. Communication before the train journey was excellent. The train journey itself was very informative and the students are feeling a lot more confident about travelling on the train!”

– Demi Wooldridge, Wyre Forest School

“I have completed 3 visits with our Y1 classes, & I can honestly say that this enrichment experience has been the most meaningful opportunity I have had the pleasure to be involved with, in my 23 year career. I would like to share my heartfelt thanks for the following things. The amazing communication from Ellie and Sophie for the week. The level of detail in the pre-travel safety presentation & itinerary-it really felt like a bespoke package The preparedness & confidence of the staff- resulting in calm school staff who had previously been very nervous! The helpfulness & welcoming responses of all GWR staff in Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads. The high quality resources that were provided by Platform- these were completely age appropriate and enriched the experience. The flexibility of the staff in making the visit right for each group of children. EVERY child benefitted from this experience in different ways Every member of staff was up skilled in some way. Most empowering is the realisation that with the right knowledge and planning, even the most daunting task can be successful and even enjoyable! Without doubt, this experience improved the life experiences of a significant number of children. Over 50% of the year group went on a train for the first time! This would not have been possible without the passion, organisation and funding behind this initiative. Thank you so much for having this vision and making this valuable opportunity accessible and so enjoyable.”

– Liz Hancock, Beechcroft Infant School

“Absolutely fantastic experience. All staff were organised, prepared and friendly with the children and adults. Perfectly organised and kept to time during both the workshop and when meeting us at the train station too. An absolutely wonderful experience for our learners and a great sigh of relief to work with such a well prepared group of people!”

– John Feeley, Worle Village Primary School