WATO has received a letter from the Welsh Government Minister for Education which confirms that:
“I fully understand and appreciate the importance of outdoor learning for our children, and the impact that this unprecedented situation has had on the school travel and educational visits sector. With the introduction of the new curriculum, outdoor learning is an integral part of education going forward.
The guidance relating to travel for education settings and students is inevitably a complex matter at this point in time. Whilst the measures taken in Wales to tackle the transmission of Covid-19, alongside those across the UK and in other countries across the world, are gradually moving towards greater mobility and opportunities for safe travel. The Welsh Government’s travel guidance for education settings and students remains as set out here: https://gov.wales/coronavirus-travel-guidance-education-settings-and-students-html.
“We are aware that the Department of Education advice for schools in England has recently changed to allow non-residential domestic trips. We anticipate that Welsh Government guidance as it relates to domestic trips for educational settings will evolve broadly in line with the easing of restrictions for the population as a whole. The issues relating to overseas trips are clearly more complicated.
“Following the easing of measures over the weekend in Wales, we are reviewing our position on residential trips for schools and I will write to you again to confirm the position shortly.”