Schools across the country are cancelling trips to visit museums, theatres and other central London attractions as a result of the recent terrorist attacks in the capital and Manchester.



Both primary and secondary school pupils have been affected by the clampdown, with trips to attractions including the Science Museum, Tower of London, British Museum and National Gallery among those cancelled.

Headteachers have sent out letters to parents explaining, in some cases, that all trips to London are being suspended until further notice, citing disruption to public transport and the increased armed police presence in the capital as reasons for concern.



I personally want to carry on as usual, but it’s a whole different matter when you’re talking about your kids

Schools in the UK are also briefing pupils and parents about their emergency procedures to keep students safe, including evacuations, terror drills and lockdowns.

Though many parents who responded to a Guardian call-out were relieved their children’s trips had been cancelled, others accused schools of overreacting and objected to their children losing out on valuable educational experiences.

Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called on parents to respect their school’s decision. “Our advice to schools concerned about planned trips to London is to review and amend risk assessments as necessary, and to talk to parents to gauge their views.

“Where school trips go ahead, parents who are concerned can withdraw their children. If schools choose to cancel trips, we would ask that people respect that decision, which will have been made after full discussion and in light of the individual circumstances.”

While visits to London are worst affected after the attacks in London Bridge and Westminster, school trips into Manchester have also been called off following the bomb attack on the Manchester Arena last month, and one school has even cancelled its annual visit to a theme park.

School trips to London from overseas are also likely to be affected. One mother in France said her son’s trip from his school in Versailles to the Science Museum, planned for Thursday, may be cancelled. Her other son’s trip to the Louvre in Paris tomorrow has already been called off.

“I can understand the concern on the part of the schools,” she said. “I personally want to carry on as usual, but it’s a whole different matter when you’re talking about your kids.”

Among UK schools cancelling trips was the Young Dancers academy, an independent day school in Shepherds’s Bush, west London, which has called off a visit to the Science Museum planned for election day. Parents have also been informed that pupils are to be banned from going to the nearby Westfield shopping centre at any time for the rest of the term.

An email from the executive director, Kerry Williams, written the day after the London Bridge attack, said: “The school has an emergency procedure in place but we will be seeking advice from [the police] as to whether any further procedures should be implemented.

“After the horrific events of last night, we are sure you will agree that putting extra safety precautions in place is the sensible step to take.”

One parent, who asked to remain anonymous, said the school had talked to pupils on Monday. “Lots of the children were concerned, so they tried to put them at ease, saying the likelihood of being involved in an attack was small. They said we must continue with our lives and carry on, but at the same time they are taking steps like this.”

Nower Hill high school in Pinner, London, has cancelled a number of year 7 and year 8 trips to the University of Westminster, British Museum, National Gallery and Neasden temple among others. A French exchange trip to the Science Museum has also been called off.

In a letter to parents, assistant headteacher Cathie Serrao said: “Due to the inevitable transport disruptions and increased armed police presence that could cause anxiety amongst the children, and after careful consideration of all the risk involved, we have decided to cancel the trips listed below.

“Whilst we work very hard at building resilience in our students, we feel that due to the ongoing investigation and election this week, the risk is too high to allow these trips to continue.”

The British Museum and Science Museum confirmed that a number of schools had cancelled in the wake of the terror attacks. Even schools located in the centre of London are calling off visits – a Kensington school cancelled a trip to the nearby Natural History Museum because of security concerns.

One mother said: “While part of me feels it’s rather ironic the trip has been cancelled, given the school is located just minutes from the museum, another part of me is happy the children will be kept within the confines of the school building.”



Many parents were supportive of school decisions to cancel trips. One parent at an east London school where all trips into the capital have been cancelled said: “Overall, I think schools should not plan trips to London any more as long as there is a terrorist threat, especially when taking the kids on the tube as our school does.”

A young visitor at the Science Museum, which has also had school trip cancellations. Photograph: Graham Turner/The Guardian

A mother in Lancashire, whose school cancelled a trip to visit the Houses of Parliament, said: “I understand and completely support the decision to cancel the trip.” A father in south London said he was relieved his daughter’s school had cancelled a trip to the National Portrait Gallery after the Manchester bombing.

Other parents expressed concern that planned trips were going ahead. Jennifer Bier, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, said: “Ours hasn’t been cancelled, but I think many people would rather it was. I don’t know how I feel. My son doesn’t need to go to the Science Museum in this current climate, but why should he miss out?”



Heather Whicker, of Walthamstow, east London, said her children had lost out twice as a result of the terror attacks. “My twins (year 3) were due to visit the Tower of London a few days after the Westminster attack. It was cancelled. The trip was rearranged for 26 May, but was then cancelled again due to the Manchester attack and raising of [the terrorism threat level] to critical.

“I was disappointed. A risk-averse approach limits enrichment and implies that the terrorists have won. I feel this even though I was only 60 metres away from the Westminster attack and heard it. My children were also very disappointed.”

One father in Warwickshire, furious that his daughter’s day trip to London had been cancelled following the latest terror attack, said: “I am totally against the cancellation of the trip. There is probably more risk at a pony-riding party she has been invited to, compared to a trip to London.”