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For most of the students from South Wigston High School who travelled to Valencia in May 2026, this was the first time they had ever been on an aeroplane.
South Wigston High School sits in South Wigston, Leicestershire, an area where economic deprivation runs deep and opportunities to travel abroad are rare. Of the school’s 816 students, 30% are on Pupil Premium and 31% are eligible for Free School Meals. For the group of 14 to 16 year olds selected for this Turing Scheme study visit, a five-day trip to Spain was not just a school trip. For many, it was the first time leaving the country at all.
The group travelled to Valencia from Wednesday 6 May to Sunday 10 May 2026, organised by IBD Partnership Group under the Turing Scheme.
A first flight, and a first taste of the world
Ashley, one of the accompanying teachers, recalled the moment the trip became real for the group, somewhere over the English Channel.
“The highlight from the Turing Scheme was hearing how excited our learners were on the aeroplane, as this was a first time for some of them. I heard one of our learners on the aeroplane say ‘this is the best thing, I’m taking in all the views’.”
Ashley, Teacher
For Eva-Mae, one of the students, the flight itself was the part she had been most nervous about beforehand.
“The plane, but I like planes now.”
Eva-Mae (14), Student
That short sentence captures something the structured learning objectives of any project can struggle to measure. A worry that existed before departure simply stopped existing by the time the group landed. That is what a first international experience can do, and it is exactly the kind of outcome the Turing Scheme is designed to create for students who would not otherwise get the chance.
Two days at a Spanish school, and new friendships
At the heart of the programme were two full days spent at a partner school in Valencia, where South Wigston students joined lessons, took part in collaborative activities, and played sport alongside their Spanish peers, including sessions of Colpbol, a sport unfamiliar to most of the group on arrival.
Ashley described what stood out most about this part of the trip:
“I loved how our learners and the Spanish learners interacted with each other, they all got stuck in and made new friends.”
Ashley, Teacher
For Charlie, another student on the trip, the people he met were one of the two things that stayed with him most.
“Friends I made from Spain, as well as the new fruit I tasted.”
Charlie (15), Student
New friendships and new fruit might sound like small things side by side, but for a 14 year old experiencing both for the first time on the same trip, they are exactly the kind of details that make an experience real rather than theoretical. Cross-cultural exchange works best when it happens through ordinary moments like these, not just structured activities.
The City of Arts and Sciences, the Oceanographic, and the Old Town
Beyond the school partnership, the programme included visits to some of Valencia’s most striking landmarks. The City of Arts and Sciences and the Oceanographic aquarium brought science, marine biology and environmental themes to life in a way that connected directly to what students study in geography and science lessons back home. A walking tour of the Central Market and Old Town added history, architecture and culture to the mix.
Ashley summed up the impact of the city itself simply:
“The sights and views around Valencia were breathtaking. I enjoyed Valencia and I’m hoping to go back in the future with my own children and family, so they can experience the Spanish culture.”
Ashley, Teacher
That a teacher leaves a school trip already planning a return visit with their own family says something about the quality of the experience, and about Valencia itself as a destination for group study visits.
Why this trip mattered
South Wigston High School’s approach to selecting participants was deliberate. Teachers, school counsellors and pastoral staff identified the students who would benefit most, prioritising those on Pupil Premium and Free School Meals, students from underrepresented backgrounds, and first-generation university aspirants. The selection process focused on motivation and personal development rather than academic attainment, ensuring that financial circumstances or learning needs did not exclude the students who needed the opportunity most.
SEND students were supported throughout with tailored provision coordinated by the school’s SENCO and pastoral team, with detailed risk assessments and additional staff support in place to ensure every student could participate fully and safely. Readiness to travel funding covered costs that families would otherwise have struggled to meet, including travel documentation, while pre-trip workshops helped build confidence and familiarity with Spanish culture ahead of departure.
Without that combination of financial and pastoral support, a trip like this would simply not have been possible for the students it was designed to reach. That is the gap the Turing Scheme exists to close, and it is why projects like this one matter well beyond the five days themselves.
A trip that delivered on every aim
The original goals of the project were to connect classroom learning to real-world contexts, develop cultural awareness and global citizenship, build employability skills like communication and teamwork, and foster confidence and adaptability. Across two days at a partner school, visits to some of Valencia’s landmark attractions, and the everyday experience of navigating a new country, every one of those aims was met, and in many cases exceeded.
But the moments that will stay with these students are simpler than any learning objective. A first flight that turned out to be the best part of the trip. A new friend from Spain. A fruit they had never tried before. These are the small, human details that turn a funded mobility project into a genuinely transformative experience, and they are exactly what IBD Partnership Group works to make possible for schools across the UK.
If your school is interested in a Turing Scheme or Erasmus+ study visit for your students, get in touch with the IBD team. We have been delivering international mobility projects for UK schools since 2005.
