The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust is one of four Providers of the TIPD Study Visit Programme, with 300 places per annum on offer. The Programme is entirely funded by the DfES (www.teachernet.gov.uk/tipd). The other Providers of the Programme are: -

British Council (www.britishcouncil.org/tipd)
The League for the Exchange of Commonwealth Teachers (LECT) www.lect.org.uk
The Best Practice Network. www.bestpracticenet.co.uk

The Short Study Visit strand is just one element of the programme and is now in its fifth year of operation. It aims to continue providing teachers with opportunities for international study visits, enabling those involved to experience good practice, carry out research and share information with a network of other participants. It is also hoped that the programme will enhance international understanding and give teachers first hand experience of other educational systems, allowing them to acquire an understanding of world class standards and the methods by which they are achieved.

Some 8,000 teachers have participated in the programme since May 2000, visiting such countries as South Africa, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, France, Sweden and Hungary. Feedback has been extremely positive, and has given many a teacher a new insight and broader outlook on their own teaching and school ethos.

More comprehensive details about the programme can be found by clicking on the corresponding links on the left of the page. A copy of the prospectus is also available for you to download, together with copies of the official application forms.