Woodhouse College used immersive travel, community engagement and cultural exploration to deepen learning and give students the space to grow. 100% of students said they would recommend the trip to friends.
On their recent visit to Morocco, Woodhouse College students experienced a combination of cultural immersion, practical learning, community engagement and personal development – giving them the opportunity to explore the world beyond their A-Level curriculum.
In July 2026, 24 students travelled to Morocco with Gapforce for a seven-day educational expedition, travelling from Marrakech into the High Atlas Mountains, then on to the coastal city of Essaouira before returning to Marrakech.
The itinerary was designed to give students very different perspectives on Moroccan life: from rural communities in the mountains, to traditional crafts and local business, to the history, architecture and culture of Morocco’s cities.
As Woodhouse teacher Harriet Parks summed it up, the trip was “exceptionally good” because it was both educational and social – with students gaining from the hands-on experience on multiple levels.
Learning by experiencing
A central part of the experience was time spent in Mezic, a rural village in the High Atlas Mountains.
Rather than simply visiting as tourists, students stayed in a local guesthouse and took part in community activities, visiting the local school and a women’s cooperative, a traditional tea ceremony and a waterfall hike. Cultural activities could also include learning about henna and traditional cooking.
For the Woodhouse students, painting the local school became a particular highlight.
Harriet described how the students gained “a great sense of achievement” from the task, while the wider experience of seeing how families live and contributing to the community helped develop their understanding of a very different way of life.
This is the value of experiential learning: students aren't simply being told about another culture. They are encouraged to participate, ask questions, adapt to unfamiliar circumstances and reflect on what they experienced.
The impact was clear in the student feedback. Three quarters said the expedition had directly helped them develop skills, perspectives and understanding of the wider world, with 88% rating the whole experience as ‘Excellent’.
Three destinations, three perspectives
The itinerary was designed to move students through varied environments, allowing them to build their understanding of Morocco through different perspectives.
From Mezic, the group travelled through the Atlas Mountains to Essaouira, stopping at a local argan oil cooperative to learn about production, the local economy and Moroccan traditions. They then explored the city's historic fortifications and Medina, the fishing port, Jewish quarter, craft centres and traditional thuya wood workshops.
Students had the opportunity to explore Essaouira more independently, giving them the chance to navigate new surroundings, interact with local people and practise skills such as negotiating in the souks.
For Rachel Foster, careers manager and trip leader at Woodhouse College, this was one of the most valuable aspects of the trip. She described how students were able to discover the city for themselves, navigate the town centre, visit shops and try bartering – experiences that were very different from their everyday lives in London.
The final stage of the trip brought the group to Marrakech, where students explored the souks and Medina before visiting landmarks including the Koutoubia Mosque, Bahia Palace and Medersa Ben Youssef.
For the students, these different settings made the learning memorable.
When asked which activities they found most educational or impactful, students mentioned the Essaouira tour, exploring independently, visiting cooperatives, learning about culture, the Morocco quiz and painting the school.
Pushing beyond your comfort zone
Educational travel can create something new for young adults outside the classroom. The trips put students in situations where they have to adapt.
Gaz Lloyd, our experienced Gapforce guide said of Morocco: “It’s such a good destination. The cuisine, culture and climate of Morocco couldn’t be more different than the UK. For students, these experiences change their perspectives and open their eyes. It’s a great first travel experience for these young adults.”
For Woodhouse College students, that meant everything from staying in more basic accommodation in the mountains to hiking in hot conditions, participating in unfamiliar activities and spending time away from the usual routines and distractions, and luxuries of home!
Rachel observed that some students initially had concerns about the more basic mountain accommodation and unfamiliar conditions, but that the experience encouraged them to participate and push themselves. She also noticed students “coming out of their shells” and joining in when they might not have done so at college.
Teacher John, who has travelled with Gapforce previously, saw a similar effect. He described students having to adapt to being “off grid”, negotiate relationships, make friends quickly and work together to find solutions – but within a carefully supported and safe environment.
John noted that students who arrived at the airport shy or unsure of one another had, by the end of the experience, forged friendships with people they might not otherwise have mixed with at college. He also saw students realising that they could be more independent, outgoing and willing to try something new.
Sharing experiences
A key trend in the student feedback was not simply what students learned about Morocco, but what they learned about each other.
All 24 students said they would recommend the trip to other students.
Their comments repeatedly highlighted friendships, community and the opportunity to meet people they did not previously know:
“The sense of community you build and identify outside of your usual environment.”
“I loved the painting and the sense of community all of us made even though we didn't know each other at all before the trip.”
“Experiencing new cultures and bonding with each other.”
For Rachel, this was also significant. She described the opportunity for students to understand relationships and dynamics within the group, to find their place and form close friendships as being as important as discovering a new culture.
Designed around the students
At Gapforce, we create educational trips with a clear itinerary that has a clear purpose.
Rather than offering a fixed sightseeing programme, we work with schools to create customisable itineraries shaped around the needs of teachers and students – complementing what students are learning at school while giving them opportunities to encounter those ideas and deepen their understanding in the real world.
For Woodhouse College, that meant creating an itinerary that provided multiple destinations and types of activity. Students encountered rural and urban communities, history and architecture, traditional crafts, local enterprise, community work and opportunities for independent discovery.
The result was a trip that connected different forms of learning while also creating opportunity for personal growth.
As Rachel explained, students had the opportunity to understand history and culture “through experiencing it rather than just learning it in a textbook.”
What did the students get out of it?
The feedback speaks for itself.
88% of Woodhouse College students rated the trip Excellent, and the remaining 12% rated it Good.
88% said the trip had exceeded their expectations.
100% said they would recommend the trip to other students.
Students felt that the experience had opened their eyes to another culture, helped them build relationships and given them memories and perspectives that would stay with them.
One student described the experience as “life changing and eye opening”; another highlighted the opportunity to experience a completely new culture while making friends at school.
More than a trip
For Woodhouse, Morocco offered much more than a week away from school.
It gave students the opportunity to encounter a different culture first-hand, participate rather than simply observe, experience unfamiliar environments, work together, build new friendships and discover skills and qualities they might not have recognised in themselves.
For teachers, it also demonstrated the value of creating learning experiences where curriculum understanding and personal development can happen at the same time.
Rachel concluded: “Morocco is probably the closest destination to the UK that offers something so different in terms of culture, language and climate. And for that reason it’s a perfect destination.”
John also summarised his key takeaways from the trip:
“For us as members of staff, it’s incredibly enriching to see how the students grow as people and develop, to take them out of their comfort zone in a way that feels safe and reliable. One of the best things I’ve seen is the relationship building that happens.”
Could a hands-on educational trip complement your students' learning?
At Gapforce, we work with teachers to build bespoke, educational school trips for secondary school students, combining subject-related learning with cultural, real-world experiences and opportunities for personal development.
Whether you want students to explore history through the places where it happened, understand economic and social issues through direct experience, investigate culture and communities, or simply develop greater confidence and independence, we can work with you to create an itinerary around your objectives.
Talk to Gapforce about creating your school's next educational adventure.
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