Question 1

Who or what is All Abroad! Bus?

Accepted Answer

All Abroad! Bus is an innovative global languages and culture ‘edutainment’ enterprise based in East Sussex, England, specialising in capturing, creating and delivering authentic cultural and language experiences from abroad to different settings in the UK, through original immersive 360º VR tours; interactive, multi-sensory activities and installations; creative, cultural and culinary workshops, and language tasks.

Question 2

Is All Abroad! Bus a bus?

Accepted Answer

For now, no, All Abroad! Bus is not an actual bus, although this was the original plan and it is still one or our aims.

At present, we operate like a real bus by travelling from place to place with our immersive experiences, with the delivery in a 'pop-up' format ie. we set up our experiences in a suitable venue on our customers' premises.

In the near future, we do hope to operate a real All Abroad! Bus bus - a physical embodiment of the project - which will travel from setting to setting and offer our immersive experiences on board the bus, for participants to come aboard and enjoy.

Get in touch if you are keen to learn more or join us on that part of the journey!

Question 3

Who are the experiences and workshops for?

Accepted Answer

Anyone and everyone! Just as travel, culture and language learning should be universal pleasures, so our experiences and workshops are designed to have broad appeal and to be as inclusive and accessible as possible.

We customise content, to optimise its impact on a whole host of different audiences in a variety of settings and we adapt our delivery to different needs and preferences, in terms of interactivity, the balance of education vs entertainment and how much language practice is involved. When we deliver our experiences in person, we encourage all participants to engage as fully and through as many senses as possible.

Our online experiences and educational resources are designed more with language learners in mind, whether in education or other settings but they can be accessed by anyone anywhere.

Question 4

How long does it last and how many people can take part at a time?

Accepted Answer

This is up to you! When we come to your location, you may decide to involve a number of groups to enjoy the experience for shorter periods of time (45-60 minutes is the typical time for a group of up to 30), or involve fewer groups, but with additional workshops over the course of a day, or days. With smaller groups, the timing could be different again. We work to your timescales, groups,  audiences and any needs and then customise our content accordingly.

Our immersive 360º VR tours in Oculus Quest headsets usually last a few minutes, whilst viewing online via a computer or tablet using Click and Drag software is interactive and of no fixed duration.

Question 5

How do the Experiences/visits work?

Accepted Answer

Whole-day visits: The main Experiences are designed to last up to an hour on average. When visiting schools, we typically set up in one space for the day (hall, classroom or other available space) and stay there whilst rotating classes come to us - either for the duration of a lesson, or we can work for a group for longer facilitating various linked creative, cultural or culinary workshops for deeper engagement.

The  360° VR tour needs its own space/corner, whilst other activities are set up in a carousel or for whole group interaction, depending on the particular Experience.

Half-day visits are possible outside of the last 2 weeks of main terms/last week of half terms, and depending on location.

Question 6

What activities and resources are included in an All Abroad! Bus Experience?

Accepted Answer

With our pop-up, in-person provision, we bring our experiences to customers at a convenient location on their own site, or in an independent venue, where the immersion happens using a combination of the following elements, tailored to aims, wishes and needs of settings and participants:

Our original immersive 360º VR tours, delivered through Oculus Quest VR headsets (lasting a few minutes) - with the option of  ‘Click and Drag’ 360º viewing software on a computer or tablet albeit less immersive;
Interactive, multi-sensory activities delivered through multimedia and elements that deliver sights, sounds, tastes, smells and things to touch; we really do encourage a hands-on approach here;
tastings of local food and drink, to try new food and flavours, with some food preparation opportunities;
prompts, worksheets and challenges for practising language skills, with a focus on speaking and role plays if required;
complementary activities and challenges 
optional creative, cultural or culinary workshops in line with the language, country or theme of the experience.

We set everything up for you, and a linguist facilitator introduces and oversees the session, and encourages participation. Usual staff at each setting should attend with participants (eg. teachers, carers), especially for any who have additional needs. Where possible, additional native/fluent speakers will attend to further encourage engagement and chat with participants - whether through us and/or through your own community.

With our online options, we offer: 
Cloud-based access to our original interactive 360º VR tours, using Click and Drag software;
downloadable resources and ideas for customers to recreate their own immersive experiences at their location;
online, bilingual or English-only creative, cultural and culinary workshops, virtual tours and language exchanges, by language, country or theme.

Question 7

Can anyone watch our 360° VR films in VR headsets?

Accepted Answer

All Abroad! Bus 360° VR films are designed to be suitable for children under 12, as we believe that general guidelines for Oculus Quest headsets do not apply to our films which create a virtual experience through 360 degrees of immersion.

Our films offer:
An immersive, not interactive, experience;
Content specifically filmed to avoid motion sickness
Short durations (typically 5-7 minutes) to prevent eye and neck strain
Offline playback, as the headsets are not connected to the Internet

For any visual or sonic content that may be intense for some children, we provide the option to view the films on an iPad instead, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable experience for everyone.

Question 8

Does All Abroad! Bus plan and organise everything?

Accepted Answer

Yes! All the creation of materials, planning, organisation, set-up, facilitation and clearing-up is taken care of by us.

As our customer, we only ask that you:
Make time to discuss dates, logistics and any needs with us at the time of booking ideally by phone so we can ensure the chosen experience will be suitably customised for you;
Ensure that the venue is available on the agreed date, at the agreed time and for the agreed duration of the event;
Make payment in advance (unless a funded booking), usually no later than 7 days in advance; 
Have any staff in attendance who would usually be present at that time with those who are participating, to support any needs for those who are usually assisted and to manage any behaviour;
Provide some short feedback afterwards.

Question 9

How far do we travel?

Accepted Answer

We are based in the Lewes district of East Sussex and at present, we are focusing our whole-day in-person visits on locations in East Sussex, Brighton and Hove and parts of West Sussex, Kent and Surrey in the UK. Half-day visits are also available in person, but only in the Lewes district of East Sussex.

Nevertheless, we are committed to bringing our immersive cultural experiences from abroad to communities everywhere, wherever there is demand, on the understanding that there will be additional travel (and subsistence) costs and it may require multi-day bookings in an area or at a location.

Meanwhile, our online experiences and workshops can be accessed from anywhere in the UK, indeed the world, with access to the Internet and a computer or tablet.

Question 10

Which languages do we offer?

Accepted Answer

For now we are focusing on French, German and Spanish-language experiences because these are the languages that we know well and they are the key languages taught at secondary schools in the UK.

However, we hope to add other languages in the near future and please get in touch to express your interest in or ability to help with other languages, whether they are spoken widely or are minority, home or community languages.

Question 11

How much does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Our prices are extremely competitive and in order to fulfil our mission of widening participation, our pricing may vary by type of setting - whether privately or state-funded, by number of participants, by distance and by addition of optional linked workshops. Please get in touch or use the booking enquiry form for us to discuss this further.

Customers who are unlikely to be able to self-finance our in-person visits can either allow us to assist with a letter to encourage contributions from their community or join our waiting list for funded visits as soon as our All Abroad! Enrichment fund allows the next visits to be offered.

Question 12

What payment or funding options are available currently?

Accepted Answer

1. Direct Payment: Customers can pay for our services independently.

2. Fundraising Support: We assist customers by providing a template letter to request contributions from their community that cover some or indeed all of the cost of our services - eg. reaching out to parents and carers for a few pounds each as a contribution to our visit to their child's class at a school. PFTAs (Parent, Friends, Teachers Associations) or customers' other supporters may also be willing to contribute to this enrichment opportunity, or organise a specific fundraising activity for which we are happy to share some themed ideas.

3. Funding: Customers who are under-resourced and unable to participate through self-financing nor able to raise sufficient funds from their community or supporters are invited to join our waiting list for visits funded fully or partially by our All Abroad! Enrichment fund - money received in from sponsors, backers, donors, grants and ‘Pay it Forwards’ for the purpose of enabling wider participation in our provision.

Funded visits come up on a first come, first served basis and those at the top of the list will be notified as soon as the next funding is available and a visit can be confirmed.

4. Pay It Forward for Others: Customers or others are always invited to pay forward contributions for others to benefit from our provision in the future. This contribution can be specific to a recipient or sector, or more general but will certainly have a positive impact on settings and communities lacking resources.

Question 13

What is the All Abroad! Enrichment Fund

Accepted Answer

The All Abroad! Enrichment Fund is our funding pot that receives in money from sponsors, backers, donors, grants and ‘Pay it Forwards’ contributions for the purpose of enabling wider participation in our provision and the enrichment we provide with it. At present, the fund will only be used for in-person visits.

Contributions to The All Abroad! Enrichment Fund are welcome from anyone and everyone, with sponsorship and partnership opportunities welcomed!  Monies received in are held in a holding account until there are sufficient funds to cover the cost of a visit (at our minimum rate). At that time, we will review any conditions, ie. whether monies received are for a specific beneficiary or sector before offering fully-funded visits to the next customer on the waiting list* and proceeding to make a booking with them.

*Currently, state-funded schools and care settings can request to join the waiting list for a funded visit, whether fully-funded or partially-funded (ie. to top up own financing or community contributions).

All Abroad! Bus will maintain clear and accurate records of all contributions received in and funded visits paid out, to ensure full accountability and transparency which will be shared in an annual report, whilst ad hoc and customised reports will be prepared for specific campaigns or sponsorship deals.

*Funded visits will initially be offered to state-funded schools vs. other beneficiaries on a 3:1 ratio, to motivate and hopefully inspire the maximum number of  school-aged language learners, benefitting in particular those who have limited or no opportunities to travel abroad.

Question 14

How can I fund or contribute towards widening participation in All Abroad! Bus provision?

Accepted Answer

If you are a customer making a transaction:

When we invoice you for our visit or online access, we will invite you to ‘Pay It Forward’ which allows you to make a discretionary contribution to our All Abroad! Enrichment Fund, which releases funding to the next recipient on the Waiting List once the basic cost is covered.

For potential sponsors, partners, grant-givers, donors and contributors:

please see our Support Us page or get in touch to discuss.

Question 15

Is All Abroad! Bus a charity?

Accepted Answer

No, All Abroad! Bus is not a charity, it is a creative and educational enterprise with a strong social purpose, innovating, adapting, evolving and keeping its independence and control to be able to work with companies, brands, organisations and individuals who can help us to deliver our mission and achieve our vision.

Question 16

How can I get involved?

Accepted Answer

Participate: If you would like us to bring our provision to you, browse Our Experiences to find out more and then make a booking enquiry - alternatively you can make a booking enquiry here.

Come aboard...
1. Support us by sponsoring us, partnering with us, contributing to our All Abroad! Enrichment Fund or volunteering!

2. If you would like to join our pool of facilitators, linguist helpers, educational or creative collaborators, as a purveyor of food or other products abroad, local guide or as a partner in any other role, Collaborate with us!

3. Sign up to our Mailing List and follow us on social media to keep informed about new Experiences, news, tips and upcoming events.

Tell people about us! @AllAbroadBus !!

Question 17

Are facilitators and helpers DBS checked?

Accepted Answer

All facilitators and helpers working with under-18s or vulnerable people will be DBS-checked, with an Enhanced DBS check for our lead facilitator when visiting schools.

Anyone dealing with food will additionally have at least basic training in safeguarding and food hygiene.

Question 18

Does All Abroad! Bus have public liability insurance?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have a rolling £10 million public liability insurance policy.

Bringing global languages and cultures to life, wherever you are.

Frequently asked questions