Many UK students have been on short trips to London. They may have travelled with a specific purpose to see a show, explore a museum, or enjoy a performance. The busy and congested nature of the metropolis can mean the idea of an extended excursion in London could be exhausting. But in actual fact, when you navigate past the hustle and bustle with a smart plan, the city will reward students for the time they invest in longer school tours.
Incomparable International History
There are very few cities around the world that have such a long, colourful and continuous history. There are even fewer that have been dedicated, for quite some time, to preserving this history. But what makes London stand out for young learners is the way it has collected, both purposefully and incidentally, strands of history from around the world. The British Museum alone is a mammoth testament to the cultural past of human civilisation. Yet even the streets of London, with their many immigrant neighbourhoods and communities, will repay time invested into them with revelations of an internationally influenced past.
The Face of Change
A city so old naturally has many tales to tell, but students who take school tours to London can explore the predominant narrative that has long marked this giant beehive of human flurry – that of change. London has always been changing, more often than not at a rate distinct from any other city in Europe. From Roman times to the Enlightenment, and from the Hundred Years War to the Battle of Britain, climactic and cataclysmic events have shaped the city even as the smaller, daily transformations of social progress and erosion mark the very walls, streets, and monuments across it.
Fine Art and Design
The achievements of art and design need time to be savoured. In London, the prevalence of this creative feast is not restricted to museums and galleries such as the Tate. When students on school tours stroll alongside the Thames they will be able to appreciate, with an educated eye, the various themes and epochs of architecture and design evident in the houses, cathedrals, bridges and monuments around them. The more time students have to enjoy this process the more rewarding it will be.
Brilliant Performance
London has a proud tradition of performance. While it is not always easy to grab a seat at the Barbican Theatre, for many ages past, the plethora of theatres, sideshows and public performance places have been open to the enjoyment of passers-by and patrons. Moreover, students who visit on school tours will be made acutely aware of how the tradition of theatrical and musical performance in London has shaped culture and art around the world, making an indelible mark on the creative process of generations everywhere.
Angela Bowden works for EST (Equity School Travel), the UK's largest educational travel company, providing school tours and itineraries for secondary schools, primary schools and colleges. Tours with EST can also encompass a wide range of other learning opportunities in worldwide destinations.