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Choosing the right travel experience is an important decision. Whether you're considering a Gap Year Leap, a School Expedition or an Under-18 Adventure, you'll naturally have questions about how it all works, what students gain from the experience and how we keep participants safe and supported.
We've gathered the answers to our most frequently asked questions below. If there's anything else you'd like to know, we're only a phone call or email away.
Group sizes vary depending on the destination and school requirements.
Most expeditions are designed to balance educational value, meaningful project work and effective supervision. We can accommodate both smaller groups and larger year-group expeditions, depending on the programme.
Throughout every expedition, we ensure group sizes remain manageable and conducive to learning, participation and safety.
Safeguarding is embedded throughout every aspect of our expeditions.
We conduct comprehensive risk assessments covering accommodation, transport, activities, project work and medical provision. All programmes are designed in line with recognised industry standards and best practice for overseas educational travel.
Schools receive detailed risk assessment documentation, emergency procedures and supporting information to assist with their own approval processes.
Our approach is designed to allow students to experience challenge and adventure while operating within a carefully managed framework of support and risk management.
Student safety and wellbeing are our highest priorities.
All expeditions are supported by experienced UK and in-country staff who remain with the group throughout the programme. Students are never left to navigate activities, travel or project work alone and have access to support 24 hours a day.
Our leaders are carefully selected for their experience working with young people and are responsible for ensuring students are safe, supported and fully engaged throughout the expedition.
The Leap's expeditions are project-led rather than destination-led.
While many school trips focus primarily on where students travel, our programmes are built around carefully selected conservation organisations, NGOs and social enterprises that are addressing real-world challenges. Students work alongside professionals and local communities, gaining insight into issues such as conservation, sustainability, community development and social enterprise.
This creates a more meaningful experience, combining adventure and cultural immersion with practical learning, personal development and real-world relevance.
Traditional school trips often focus on visiting a destination. A Leap expedition is built around working with real conservation organisations, NGOs and social enterprises that are tackling genuine environmental and social challenges.
Rather than simply observing, students actively engage with projects, professionals and communities, gaining first-hand insight into how change happens on the ground.
This creates a richer educational experience, helping students develop practical skills, broaden their perspectives and better understand the complexities of global issues. The result is an expedition that combines adventure with meaningful learning and real-world relevance.
Universities and employers increasingly look for evidence of initiative, resilience, teamwork, communication skills and real-world experience.
Leap expeditions provide opportunities for students to develop these qualities through meaningful project work, cultural immersion and shared challenges. Students gain practical examples they can draw upon in personal statements, interviews, EPQs and future job applications.
Many schools also choose to incorporate our Diploma in International Volunteering, which carries UCAS points and provides a structured framework for reflection and skills development.
Most importantly, students return with greater confidence, independence and a stronger understanding of themselves and the world around them.
Every Leap expedition is designed to help students develop the transferable skills that universities and employers value most.
Working alongside conservationists, community leaders and social entrepreneurs encourages students to strengthen their communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving and adaptability. Living and travelling as part of a team also helps build resilience, independence and cultural awareness.
These skills are developed through real experiences rather than classroom exercises, giving students meaningful examples they can use in future applications and interviews.
Yes. Students have the option to complete the Diploma in International Volunteering, delivered in partnership with the Centre for Global Citizenship Studies (CGCS).
The qualification is regulated at Level 3 and carries 16 UCAS points. Students complete a combination of pre-departure learning, in-country application and post-expedition reflection, allowing them to demonstrate both academic engagement and practical experience.
For schools, the Diploma provides an excellent way to link expedition learning to wider educational outcomes while helping students strengthen future university applications.
The Diploma in International Volunteering is designed to help students turn their expedition experience into a recognised qualification.
Students complete a series of structured modules before, during and after their expedition, exploring topics such as leadership, communication, global citizenship and personal development. They then apply this learning through their project work overseas and complete a final reflective assessment.
The qualification encourages students to think critically about their experiences, identify the skills they have developed and articulate these effectively in university, apprenticeship and employment applications.
The Diploma is accredited through the Centre for Global Citizenship Studies (CGCS) and carries 16 UCAS points.
We conduct comprehensive risk assessments, including:
No. Two teachers can join the trip for free – minimum 12 students.
A minimum of 12 students is required to run the expedition.
Yes. Our Leap experiences help develop leadership, teamwork, and resilience—all valuable for UCAS personal statements. The optional CGCS Diploma in International Volunteering provides extra recognition by earning 16 UCAS points and is available for £395 per person, payable to The Leap.
Our school expeditions are designed for students aged 16 to 18. The best time to go is after GCSEs or in Year 12 (first year of sixth form).
