Celebrations took place in London last week as Carisbrooke College's history trip to Vietnam took home the award for 'My Best School Trip' at a glittering 5-star ceremony. The national awards - organised by School Travel Organiser Magazine - saw representatives from schools across the UK make the journey to the Royal Lancaster Hotel hoping to be recognised for their efforts in taking students and their learning out into the real world.

The ceremony, hosted by broadcaster, tennis star and Strictly Come Dancing sensation Annabel Croft, also recognised the best attractions, museums and trip providers from across the country. However, it is the coveted 'My Best School Trip' trophy that directly awards schools and staff members for their successes in providing potentially life-changing experiences outside the classroom for learners. The winning school also receives £2,000 prize money to help fund a school trip of their choice.

Trip organiser and Mandarin teacher Joe Briscoe was at the ceremony to accept the award and said: "It is really wonderful that industry experts and travel professionals have acknowledged the experience that our students had out there and the efforts that staff made to make the whole thing a reality. Vietnam was a long way from home, but the students all outdid themselves, both in behaviour and maturity but also in stepping up to deal with a very different culture and environment. To know that our learners were part of a trip that has been nationally recognised as a world class learning experience is something for us all to be proud of."

30 students from Carisbrooke College, Medina College and The Island VI Form attended the trip to Vietnam in October 2023. They embarked on a 10 day adventure, travelling from the north to the south of the country. Some of the highlights included visiting the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, exploring the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the 17th Parallel, journeying up the Mekong river while avoiding snakes and giant spiders and spending a night with a local family deep in the rainforest.

You can read more about the award ceremony on the School Travel Awards website here.