One Day in London - what do you do? 

I started my teaching career in north London, and have never forgotten talking to a group of year 10 students who had lived in the area for all or most of their lives but confessed that they had never been to either the city or the west end.

I was shocked, and I determined to set about changing that situation, but that left me with the problem – where to start? What do you show students of London who are not familiar with the key parts of the capital?

It is the same problem no matter whom you are taking into London – there is just so much to see and do. My view, for what it is worth, it to fit in enough to knock them out, but not so much that they get overloaded. The point is that if you go to the British Museum you know the students are going to be knocked out by the sight that greets their eyes with that amazing roof and the endless streams of people. After that there is only so much they can take in.

Likewise if you go to the Stock Exchange you can do the Tower Bridge Experience, the Coca-Cola Education Centre, or Sambrook's Brewery – but (in my view) one shouldn’t miss the opportunity to do something quite different – like the London Eye, for example, or a West End play (Wednesday afternoon matinees or an evening show if staying overnight.)

Or as an alternative you could take them on a cruise along the river seeing Parliament, Tower Bridge, Docklands, and all the way down to Greenwich if you want. Or again, there are theatre workshops where students will practice their drama skills.

My point is that you can put a lot into a day or two in London, but the way I found of making it really successful (and I have continued arranging the trips since moving out of London) is to make it varied. Tate Modern is amazing, but after that you don’t need another gallery (in my view). Better to walk across the famous footbridge and see St Pauls and the city.

Read more about Equity School Travel's School & College tours to London