Learning Outside the Classroom: a powerful advertising message

Most parents have fond memories of the school trips they went on, which is why they are always impressed to see just how many times the school minibus has been used each month.

The school minibus is not only a vehicle that transports students from A to B and back again but it is also an extraordinarily powerful advertising message to parents of students in your school and to those who are thinking of sending their child to your school.

Now I know that normally when I  say “advertising message” in relation to minibuses people think of the logo and name of the school painted on the side of the bus.  And that, of course, is a fair place to start.

But there is a second issue that can have even more impact than the logo on the side of the minibus.  For if on your school website you log all the school trips that your minibus or minibuses have been used for, you can then use that list as a statement to the parents of just how involved your school is in Learning Outside the Classroom.

Of course, just putting up the log of all the trips each month is not enough by itself, for you also have to direct potential parents to that point on your website and you have to let them know the benefit for each trip.

So you will need to have a page that says, “Learning Outside the Classroom” and a link to it from the home page.

This simple device works as a way of impressing parents because most people do see “Learning Outside the Classroom” as a highly beneficial concept.

This is because what most of us remember most positively about our own school days are the days that stand out – and that often means the days that were different, the days when we left the school and went elsewhere.

So your log might well include the date, the name of the group (eg Year 10 history students), the place visited, and the reason for the visit.

That’s all it has to be – although you might well want to write a brief introduction at the top of the page about why Learning Outside the Classroom is such an important part in your school’s educational policy.

Obviously you need a school minibus which is modern, safe, and itself a positive advertisement for the school – which is why Benchmark focuses on leasing minibuses. The policy means that you don’t have to collect the money for the minibus from years of fundraising.  All you have to do is ensure that you have the monthly leasing fee available – and then you can proceed.

Benchmark has created a Facebook and Twitter page especially for teachers where we post and tweet a constant stream of activity and location ideas for whatever it is you or your colleagues wish to achieve by undertaking learning-outside-the-classroom.

To get notifications of school trip activity and location ideas, and how LOtC can be used to benefit your students’ learning and development, follow us on Twitter @MinibusLeasing or like our Facebook page – Benchmark Minibus.

For more information about Benchmark Leasing you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944, or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk .

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