Flight Free Schools is a project for schools to reduce or eliminate the use of air travel for school trips.Â
Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge is a Gold-level Flight Free School and has been flight-free since 2020.
The decision to stop taking flights
The college decided to stop taking flights because it was the quickest and most effective way to reach their carbon reduction targets. An analysis of the college-wide carbon footprint showed that flights for trips made up 11% of the college’s overall emissions, which is more than electricity use or gas use over the course of a year. Removing flights from trips made sense as an easy way to significantly reduce emissions.
Replacing long-haul trips with travel closer to home
- The PE department used to fly to Boston, Massachusetts. They now go to Manchester, which the Head of PE says aligns more closely with the curriculum.Â
- The Art department used to fly to Berlin and Amsterdam, and they now go to Paris by train, or take the coach to Amsterdam.
- The French department used to fly to Marseilles, and now they take the train to Paris.
- The Spanish department used to fly to Santander, but they now take the coach.
The benefits and challenges of switching to flight-free trips
Most departments have adapted well, and found close-to-home locations that work well for their trips. Many have found that taking the coach is simpler and less stressful than flying.Â
Replacing long-haul trips with short-haul coach travel has enabled more students to take part, especially those from low-income backgrounds.
It has been a significant challenge for the Spanish department, because UK-Spain is a long overland journey. At first, the department took the ferry from Portsmouth to Santander, but the 48-hour ferry journey was extremely challenging for the students, so they now take the coach all the way. It’s a 24 hour coach journey which is tiring for the staff and the students, although they mostly find it enjoyable.
