Established 2020 · Serving Brighton & Hove
For Sussex state schools only
Funded educational visits · Sussex

Trips your governors
actually approve.

We run intimate 16-seater minibus trips for Sussex state schools, a properly bespoke journey, not a hire coach. Three in-house vehicles, with partner operators for larger cohorts. And every enquiry comes with a written assessment of the grants your school can actually claim, so the quote is already funded down and your approval paper starts from a net figure.

Request a funding assessment See the funding register
24h
Written
assessment
7
Verified routes
for Sussex
£0
To enquire ·
no obligation
PSV
Licensed ·
DBS-checked
Seven Sisters chalk cliffs and coastguard cottages, East Sussex
✶ Headline route
Free entry
+ travel
HRP Access Fund · Tower, Hampton Court, Kensington. Admission and facilitated session free; travel subsidy paid at a fixed band rate set by distance.

Verified funding, Sussex-eligible only.

Four headline routes, full register below
NATIONAL
Free + travel
HRP Access Fund
Admission + session free · Travel banded by distance · State primary, secondary, special
REGIONAL
£750 max
South Downs Outdoor Learning Grant
Schools with 15%+ FSM · Visits into the Park
REGIONAL
£400 per year
Weald & Downland Bursary
Sussex schools · FSM/PP/SEND criteria
NATIONAL
Free + travel
Royal Collection Trust
Free entry + travel subsidy · 30%+ PP schools

What passengers say about the driving

Independent reviews collected by Taxicode  ·  269 rated excellent  ·  none rated poor
4.8/5
306 reviews
Justin contacted us two days before the trip to confirm pickup and contact details. He arrived early and waited ’til we were ready and then we left bang on time. The return journey was equally well coordinated.
Andrew Vaughan
December 2023
All went very smoothly with both vehicles and in both directions. Thank you.
Glenna Watson
December 2023  ·  Multi-vehicle group
Very comfortable journey. Driver was on time and courteous.
Jennifer Winters
October 2023
On time and quick service.
Harvey Haydon
October 2023
These reviews cover all our minibus work, not school trips alone.
The register

Every route we've verified applies to Sussex state schools.

No "potential" funding. No grants that quietly exclude the south-east. Every row below links to the scheme operator's own published terms, and the figures are taken from them. Where a figure is a national maximum rather than the Sussex rate, we say so. Scheme thresholds change, so the written assessment re-checks current terms against your school's FSM, PP and SEND profile before you commit. Throughout this page: FSM is Free School Meals, PP is Pupil Premium, EVC is your Educational Visits Coordinator. Figures on this page last verified against the operators' published terms on 20 September 2026.

✱

These pots are finite, and they do run out.

Every route below is paid from a fixed annual pot and allocated first come, first served. When a scheme closes for the year it closes — nothing is held back for later applicants. A visit you start arranging in the summer term is applying behind every school that applied in the autumn.

  • HRP Access FundPlaces are limited and allocated first come, first served.
  • South DownsOne grant per school per funding year, first come, first served.
  • Weald & DownlandApplications close 28 days before the visit date.
Check what's still open for your school Written assessment in 24 working hours · free, no obligation
We hold vehicles up to 12 months ahead, so booking early costs you nothing
Midweek trips October to April may take a further 15% off the transport
Funding routeContributionEligibilityOfficial scheme
HRP Access Fund for Schools
National · Annual · Tower, Hampton Court, Kensington
Free + travel
Admission and session free; travel paid as a fixed band amount. £2,100 is the far-distance maximum, not the Sussex rate.
State-funded primary, secondary or special schools and units. Covers admission for up to 105 pupils plus a facilitated session. The travel subsidy is a fixed payment banded by distance and group size, not a refund of your fare:Band 1Band 2Band 3Band 4Band 5≤35 pupils£0£475£850£1,350£1,67536–105 pupils£0£625£1,150£1,875£2,100Sussex is close to London and sits at the low end. We confirm your band against HRP's travel banding map, and the current application window, before quoting. Places are limited and allocated first come, first served, so apply in advance.
 hrp.org.uk/schools ↗
South Downs Outdoor Learning Grant
Regional · Annual · SDNP Authority + Trust
Up to £750
15–24.9% FSM: £300 transport + £250 provider (£550). 25%+ FSM: £500 transport + £250 provider (£750).
State-funded schools and colleges with 15% or more pupils eligible for Free School Meals. The visit must take place in the South Downs National Park, provider-led or self-led. The grant does not fund a provider travelling out to your school, but schools located inside the Park are still eligible to apply. One grant per school per funding year, first-come first-served.
 southdowns.gov.uk ↗
Weald & Downland Museum Travel Bursary
Regional · Hampshire, Kent, Surrey, East & West Sussex
Up to £400
Per school/college per year · Travel only, not entry/workshop · Reimbursed after visit
Status being reconfirmed with the Museum (Sep 2026). We verify this one is still open before it appears in your quote.
Schools in Hampshire, Kent, Surrey or Sussex meeting at least one criterion: 10%+ FSM, 10%+ PP, Special Measures, SEND, or demonstrable pupil deprivation. Apply at least 28 days before visit.
 wealddown.co.uk ↗
Royal Collection Trust Access Scheme
National · Windsor Castle, Royal Mews, Holyroodhouse
Free + travel
Complimentary admission plus travel subsidy · Max 2 classes per visit, once per year
Priority to schools with 30%+ Pupil Premium (England), or in areas of high multiple deprivation. Any school may apply for one visit per academic year.
 rct.uk/learning ↗
UK Parliament Education Visit
National · Free programme, no Sussex travel subsidy
Free visit
Tour + workshop free. Travel subsidy covers Bands B and C only; Brighton is Band A and does not qualify. We check your constituency band at assessment.
Any state school can book a free guided tour and workshop in a committee room. The visit and teaching programme are entirely free; the separate travel subsidy is geographic and excludes London and the south-east.
 learning.parliament.uk ↗
Westminster Abbey Schools Programme
National · Next to Parliament · Pairs as a full day
Free tour
Free guided tour for schools with 30%+ FSM. Self-led visits open to all schools.
All UK schools may book self-led visits (adults free on agreed ratios). Schools with 30% or more pupils eligible for Free School Meals qualify for a free guided tour. KS1 through KS5, covering RE, History, English, STEM and the arts.
 westminster-abbey.org ↗
National Museums, Free Schools Programmes
National · V&A · NHM · Science · Tate · BM · NG
Free entry
+ occasional workshop subsidies depending on venue
Every national museum runs a free state-school programme. Some venues (V&A, NHM, Tate) have separate travel grant pots for schools outside London that we check individually at enquiry.
 kidsinmuseums.org.uk ↗
Pupil Premium, Enrichment (DfE)
Internal budget · Applied by school
Per pupil
Applied from your existing PP allocation
Where a trip demonstrably closes the attainment gap or broadens experience for PP-eligible pupils, PP budget can lawfully fund it. We supply a DfE-aligned rationale note for your PP statement of intent.
 gov.uk/pupil-premium ↗
Why this list is shorter than others. A lot of "school trip funding" lists you'll see online include schemes that sound applicable but aren't. Sussex Community Foundation excludes schools outright as statutory bodies. Parliament's travel subsidy covers Bands B and C only, and Brighton is Band A. We've left those off deliberately. The routes above are the ones a Sussex state school can actually claim against, each linked to the operator's own published terms.

One to watch, not to write off. The Ernest Cook Trust's Outdoor Essentials Grant was postcode-restricted in its last round (BB, CA, FY, LA, PR; GL, SN, BS, BA20–22; LE), which excluded every Sussex postcode. The Trust now states the next round is anticipated in January 2027 and will be UK-wide: £500 for primary and special schools, £1,000 for secondary. Sussex schools are expected to qualify. If your visit falls in summer term 2027 or later, we flag this in your assessment so you can apply when the window opens.
What if a grant doesn't come through? Fair question, and most quotes dodge it. Ours marks every contribution either confirmed or pending, and shows you the gap you'd carry if a pending one fell over. Nothing gets called confirmed until the scheme has said so in writing. Worth knowing: the South Downs pot is one award per school per year, first come, and the year ends 31 March, so a summer trip can land in a pot that hasn't opened yet. We'll tell you which year you're in before you book. We won't put a number in your governors' paper that we can't back up.
The process

Enquiry to governor-ready quote in four moves.

Designed around how schools actually approve visits: a defensible paper trail, a net cost figure, and documentation your EVC and business manager can sign off without chasing.

01
Initial enquiry
Submit the form with destination, year group, pupil numbers, and a rough FSM / PP indication. About ten minutes.
~ 10 minutes
02
Funding assessment
Written assessment identifying which of the seven verified routes apply to your specific school and trip, with realistic contribution figures and deadlines.
24 working hours
03
Costed quote
Itemised: gross transport cost, each funding route with source, net cost to school, per-pupil figure, and a risk assessment template.
48 hours after Step 2
04
Confirm & deliver
Secure internal approval using our paperwork. We confirm the booking, handle grant submissions you've authorised, and run the transport.
Up to 12 months ahead
The catalogue

Destinations with verified funding routes for Sussex schools.

Every card below has at least one confirmed Sussex-applicable funding source, with the actual scheme named and the realistic maximum stated. Not exhaustive, if your department has somewhere else in mind, request an assessment.

London & National Heritage
04 destinations
Tower of London exterior
Free entry + travel

Tower of London

HRP Access Fund · KS2 · KS3

Yeoman Warder-led tour and Crown Jewels, linked to KS2 monarchy and KS3 Tudor units. Under the HRP Access Fund: admission free, facilitated session free, plus a travel subsidy paid at a fixed band rate set by distance from the palace. Sussex sits at the low end of that scale, so we confirm your band with HRP before quoting.

SchemeHRP Access Fund
AdmissionFree
SessionFree
Travel subsidyBanded by distance
EligibilityState / special schools
Official page ↗·Request assessment →
Hampton Court Palace with costumed interpreters
Free entry + travel

Hampton Court Palace

HRP Access Fund · KS2 Tudors

Tudor state apartments, Henry VIII's kitchens, Great Hall. Strong curriculum alignment for KS2 Tudors. Same HRP Access Fund: admission and session free, plus a distance-banded travel subsidy, in one application.

SchemeHRP Access Fund
AdmissionFree
SessionFree
Travel subsidyBanded by distance
EligibilityState / special schools
Official page ↗·Request assessment →
Natural History Museum Hintze Hall, South Kensington
Free entry

South Kensington Museums

V&A · NHM · Science

Three national museums, each running free school programmes. V&A, NHM and Tate each have separate travel grant pots for schools outside London that we check individually at enquiry.

SchemeNational free programme
AdmissionFree
SessionVaries · often free
Travel grantsVenue-specific
CurriculumScience, Art, History
NHM schools ↗·Request assessment →
House of Commons chamber, UK Parliament
Free visit

UK Parliament + Westminster Abbey

Parliament Education + Abbey schools · Y5+

Free guided Westminster tour, workshop on democracy or law-making, Q&A in a committee room. Pair it with Westminster Abbey next door for a full day: self-led visits are open to all, and schools with 30%+ FSM get a free guided tour of the Abbey.

Parliament tourFree
Abbey self-ledOpen to all
Abbey guided tourFree · 30%+ FSM
Journey~1h 30m
CurriculumCitizenship, RE, History
Parliament ed ↗·Abbey schools ↗·Request →
Local & Outdoor Learning
04 destinations
Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, East Sussex
Up to £750

Seven Sisters & Birling Gap

SDNP Outdoor Learning · KS2 Geography

Fieldwork on coastal erosion, chalk geology, cliff-top habitats. Ranger sessions and transport funded by South Downs Outdoor Learning Grant, £300–£500 transport + £250 provider, depending on FSM tier.

SchemeSDNP Outdoor Learning
Grant (15–24.9% FSM)£550 total
Grant (25%+ FSM)£750 total
Journey~35m
CurriculumGeography, Science
SDNP grant ↗·Request assessment →
Royal Pavilion, Brighton
Local heritage

Royal Pavilion, Brighton

Brighton Museums · KS2 · KS3

Regency-era palace with workshops for KS2 history and KS3 art/design. Short local journey, PP-funded enrichment with a supplied DfE-aligned rationale note is the usual funding approach.

SchemeBrighton Museums + PP
WorkshopsSubsidised rates
Journey~15m
FormatHalf day
CurriculumHistory, Art
Brighton Museums ↗·Request assessment →
Weald and Downland Living Museum, Sussex
Up to £400

Weald & Downland Museum

Singleton · KS2 history

Reconstructed historic buildings across 40 acres. Tudor life, medieval crafts, Victorian domestic work. Museum's own travel bursary: £400 per school per year for Sussex schools meeting FSM/PP/SEND criteria. Apply 28 days ahead.

SchemeW&D Travel Bursary
Travel bursaryUp to £400
Entry + workshopLow per-pupil
Journey~1h
CurriculumHistory KS2
Weald & Downland ↗·Request assessment →
Fishbourne Roman Palace mosaic
Low cost

Fishbourne Roman Palace

West Sussex · KS2 Romans

Largest Roman residence north of the Alps. Mosaics, archaeology workshops, Roman finds handling. Perfect fit for Y4 Romans unit. Low per-pupil session fees; Pupil Premium rationale usually applied.

SchemePP enrichment
Session feeLow per-pupil
Journey~45m
FormatFull day
CurriculumHistory KS2
Fishbourne ↗·Request assessment →
Aspiration, Arts & Bespoke
03 options
University of Brighton
Free visits

Sussex & Brighton Universities

Widening participation · Y9–Y11

Campus visits for KS4 (and ambitious KS3) cohorts. Both universities run free WP programmes: taster lectures, student ambassador tours, Q&As. PP-funded for schools where aspiration is a PP priority.

SchemeWP + PP
Campus visitFree
Journey15–30m
FormatHalf / full day
CurriculumCareers, aspiration
Sussex WP ↗·Request assessment →
Chichester Festival Theatre
Subsidised

Chichester Festival Theatre

Learning matinees · KS3 · KS4

Education matinees at subsidised rates, plus optional pre/post-show workshops. Particularly valuable for GCSE English Lit set texts and Drama coursework. Typically funded from PP where applicable.

SchemeCFT learning rates + PP
Ticket rateSubsidised
Journey~45m
FormatHalf day matinee
CurriculumEnglish Lit, Drama
CFT learning ↗·Request assessment →
Somewhere else illustration
Bespoke

Somewhere else?

Any UK destination · Funding check included

Residential, museum outside this list, sporting fixture, university open day, coastal field site, request an assessment. We'll check every verified Sussex-applicable route and tell you the realistic net cost.

AssessmentFree · no obligation
Turnaround24 hours
CoverageUK-wide
Fleet3 × 16-seater + partners
RateFrom £320 half-day · from £495 full day, per 16-seater
Advance bookingUp to 12 months
Request assessment →·Or email us ↗
For the approval chain

Documentation for Heads, EVCs and Business Managers.

Approving a visit isn't the trip, it's the paperwork behind it. Our quote pack compresses that work: financial case, compliance documents, risk paperwork, one bundle, so the sign-off conversation is short.

For the Headteacher

A defensible approval

For the EVC / Trip Lead

Less admin, more lead-time

  • Risk assessment template pre-populated with vehicle & route info
  • EVC briefing notes tailored to the destination
  • Evolve-compatible documentation where your LA requires it
  • Parental letter with per-pupil figure pre-calculated
  • Named contact for trip day, one person, not a call centre
For the Business Manager

Clean financials

  • Itemised quote with VAT status clearly stated
  • Invoice terms aligned to standard LA schedules (30-day)
  • Grant contributions reconciled against the trip ledger
  • Pupil Premium rationale note where PP funds are applied
  • Annual summary on request for budget planning
Rates

What your school actually pays.

Every tile leads with how much of the trip the grants cover. The gap between the two figures underneath is money we identify, evidence and apply for on your behalf, in writing, before you commit to anything. These use published scheme rates and the same arithmetic as the worked examples below.

Illustration only

Every price on this page is for demonstration purposes only and is not a quote, an offer, or a guarantee of funding. The figures show how a typical Sussex trip is costed using scheme rates published as at 20 September 2026. Your own rate depends on distance, timings, vehicle numbers and availability; your grant depends on your school's FSM and PP profile, the scheme's current terms, and whether its pot is still open. The only binding figures are the ones in your written quote.

Half-day
96% of the trip funded
Trip total £570 · school pays£20
£1.67 per pupil · 12-pupil group

Transport £320 plus the £250 ranger session. The South Downs grant covers £300 of the transport and the £250 provider fee outright at 15–24.9% FSM — £500 transport at 25%+.

  • Up to 16 seats, driver included
  • South Downs, Seven Sisters, Weald & Downland, Sussex campuses
  • We apply for the grant, you approve the paperwork
Seven Sisters example · 12 pupils + 3 staff
Most booked
Full day
Free admission + facilitated session
Vehicle, all in£495
£31 per seat · 16 seats, London and back

Historic Royal Palaces admits your group and runs the session for nothing. Travel is unfunded below 36 pupils — at 36 or more the band pays £625, which is the cohort tile.

  • Tower of London, Westminster, the national museums
  • Your driver stays with the group all day, including the return leg
  • No coach park walk, no shared vehicle, no 7am pickup
Free admission confirmed with HRP before we quote
Full cohort
42% of the travel funded
Trip total £1,485 · school pays£860
£18 per seat · 48 seats, three vehicles

48 seats clears the 36-pupil threshold, so the HRP travel band pays £625 against the £1,485. Admission and the facilitated session are free on top, for up to 105 pupils.

  • Three in-house 16-seaters, drivers included
  • One total price for the group, not a per-vehicle rate
  • Two classes travel together and arrive together
Larger cohorts: partner vehicles quoted on top
15%

off the transport for midweek trips, October to April

Those are our quietest months. If your visit runs Monday to Friday between October and April we can usually take a further 15% off the transport line — on top of every grant your school qualifies for, not instead of it. On the half-day above that is £48 off the £320; on the full cohort, £223 off the £1,485.

Subject to vehicle availability · confirmed in writing in your quote, never assumed

Included with every booking, at no extra cost

  • Written funding assessment in 24 working hours, free and no obligation
  • We identify, evidence and submit the grant applications
  • Risk assessment template, EVC notes and parental letter supplied
  • PSV-licensed operator, DBS-checked drivers
  • 269 independent Taxicode reviews rated excellent, none poor — across all our minibus work, not school trips alone
  • Book up to 12 months ahead, one named contact throughout
What moves the price. Distance, total time on the clock, and how many vehicles your cohort needs. These are starting rates for Sussex pickups, not a fixed tariff, and a long or unusually timed day will sit above them. What does not move it: the funding assessment is free and carries no obligation, whether or not you book the transport. The funded figures are worked illustrations, never a quoted price — see the note above the tiles.
Worked examples

Four scenarios, with the figures shown.

Illustrative, using scheme rates published as at 20 September 2026. Grants are fixed amounts, not a percentage of your bill, so a funded trip does not always land at zero. Where a line reads "Pupil Premium", that is your own budget being applied, not new money from outside the school, and we show it separately for exactly that reason. Your actual figures depend on pupil numbers, journey length, and FSM/PP profile. Use these as the shape, not a quoted price. Transport costs shown are indicative retail rates.

Year 5 · Tower of London

Primary
Brighton · 18% FSM

Two Y5 classes, 58 pupils + 6 staff. Brighton to Tower Hill, return. Four-vehicle group, three in-house 16-seaters plus one partner-operated minibus. HRP covers admission and the facilitated session outright. The travel subsidy is a fixed band payment, not a match to the transport bill, and Sussex is close to London, so the band is low. Band 2 shown; we confirm the exact band with HRP before quoting.

3 in-house + 1 partner minibus (full day)£1,980
Admission + session (58 + 6)£0  ·  HRP
HRP travel subsidy (Band 2, 36–105 pupils)−£625
Net cost to school£1,355
£23.36 per pupil · 58 pupils + 6 staff

Year 3 booster group, Seven Sisters

Primary
Hove · 22% FSM

Small cohort of 12 pupils plus 3 staff. One 16-seater, properly bespoke. Half-day fieldwork at Birling Gap with ranger-led coastal geography. 22% FSM falls in the SDNP lower tier (15–24.9%), which caps the transport element at £300.

1 × 16-seater (half-day)£320
Ranger-led workshop£250
SDNP grant (transport, capped)−£300
SDNP grant (provider)−£250
Net cost to school£20
£1.67 per pupil · 12 pupils + 3 staff

Year 3 · Weald & Downland

Primary
Worthing · 15% FSM

Full Y3 cohort, 28 pupils + 4 staff. Two 16-seaters, half-day Tudor workshop and site exploration. W&D travel bursary covers most of the transport; a modest Pupil Premium enrichment allocation (with our supplied DfE rationale) closes the gap.

2 × 16-seater minibuses (half-day)£640
Workshop + entry (28 × £8)£224
W&D travel bursary−£400
Pupil Premium enrichment (school's own budget)−£464
Net cost to schoolMet from PP budget, not new money£464
£16.57 per pupil · 28 pupils + 4 staff

Year 10 · Sussex campus visit

Secondary
Portslade · 32% PP

Y10 aspiration cohort, 28 pupils + 4 staff. Two 16-seater minibuses, half-day local. Campus visit, taster session, student ambassador tour. Free under University WP programme; transport funded from Pupil Premium under a supplied DfE rationale (aspiration strand).

2 × 16-seater minibuses (half-day)£640
Campus visit + workshops£0  ·  WP
Pupil Premium contribution (school's own budget)−£640
Net cost to schoolMet from PP budget, not new money£640
£22.86 per pupil · 28 pupils + 4 staff
Request a funding assessment

A written assessment, not a call-me-back.

Complete the form and we respond within 24 working hours with a written assessment of every verified funding route that applies to your specific trip, with realistic contribution figures, eligibility confirmation, and application deadlines.

If you want to proceed, a costed quote follows within 48 hours. No phone call required at any stage.

What you receive, every enquiry, no exceptions

  • Written funding assessment (email + PDF)
  • Every verified applicable route named
  • Realistic contribution figure per route
  • Eligibility checked against your FSM/PP profile
  • Application deadlines flagged
  • No obligation. No sales call.
Prefer to email or call directly? bookings@16seatertravel.co.uk
Serving Brighton & Hove, East & West Sussex
I.
School details
These bands match the real scheme thresholds: SDNP cuts at 15% and 25% FSM, Westminster Abbey at 30% FSM, Royal Collection Trust prioritises 30%+ PP.
II.
Your details
Only used if we need clarification. No cold calls, ever.
III.
The proposed trip
IV.
Approval & accessibility
V.
Consent
24-hour written response.
No sales call. No obligation.