About Us

Blue Stamp Travel

Blue Stamp Travel are a family-owned business, run by ex-teachers and school leaders with an extensive knowledge of school trips and what it takes to make a school trip successful. We care about the students who travel with us and recognise the value of school trips and the life-changing experiences that they can bring when delivered in the right way. We also understand the importance of working with parents/carers and with students directly where necessary.

Our team is made up of well-travelled, talented linguists who always have the students’ interests at the heart of their work. Their personal relationships with employers and language school partners are what makes the Blue Stamp Experience a special one – both in the office for the team, and for students who travel with us.

Formed in 2018, Blue Stamp Travel are developing on an already well-established relationship, we inherited and grew the diverse range of work placements and language school partnerships to the offer we have today.

We are particularly proud of the accreditations that we have with FEDELE, FLE, IALC and International House as well as being active members of and reference checked agents by the Study Travel group (ALPHE). Whilst highlighting the quality of the work of Blue Stamp Travel, these accreditations also give Blue Stamp access to a wealth of support and knowledge.

Blue Stamp enjoy sponsoring ISMLA, the Independent Schools’ Modern Languages Association.

Blue Stamp Travel are ABTA and ATOL accredited ensuring peace of mind for our customers that deposits and payments are secure.

Our Values

Personal Service

From before you book until you have returned home, and beyond, we offer personal service from our dedicated team. This includes 24/7 contact during your trip to support you.

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Good Value

Travelling abroad may not always be cheap, but because we have done the hard work, we know we can provide you with an experience that will be well worth the investment. Whether it is a work placement, language course or staying with a host family, we know it will be an enjoyable and unforgettable experience that will benefit your language skills well into the future.

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Education

Coming from an education background, we know the importance of educational trips. Our trips are designed to deliver educational outcomes. As well as developing language skills, we aim to promote independence, confidence, workplace-specific skills, communication and other key skills sought after in employment.

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Safety and Wellbeing

Our first priority in planning any trip is the safety and well-being of our students and staff. This in turn leads to enjoyable experiences. This starts with ensuring our Safety Management System reflects the latest best practice and that it is applied by all our staff.

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Removing the burden of organising trips for schools and teachers

We understand teaching is a full-time job without the extra burden of arranging trips. We provide trips for schools with minimum administration for teachers – we take care of everything through our online portal and keep teachers informed throughout.

For schools that cannot offer trips of their own, we provide the opportunity for students to travel independently of their schools on our mixed group school trips.

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Equality

We welcome students from all backgrounds to travel with us. We pride ourselves on providing a friendly, accessible service for all students. Equality is more than an Equality Policy document at Blue Stamp Travel.

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Management Team

Steve Manderson

Managing Director

Originally from Hampshire, Steve attended the University of Nottingham and qualified as a teacher in 1998 from Loughborough University before teaching in Nottingham for 21 years including 8 years as Assistant Headteacher at a high achieving (OFSTED Outstanding) 11-19 secondary school. Having travelled or led 50 weeks of Outward Bound, skiing trips, international tours, music excursions, Duke of Edinburgh and history trips, it seemed a natural progression to venture into the travel industry bringing with him a wealth of knowledge of the world of education. With a passion for learning outside the classroom and providing opportunities for young people, Steve can advise teachers and parents about the benefits, and challenges of organising trips as well as the way to make the most of your experiences.

Steve holds an enhanced DBS and is trained in Child Protection as well as GDPR.

Vicky Manderson

Director of Operations

Originally from Nottingham, Vicky attended Ripon and York St John University before returning to her home city. Teaching in Nottingham across primary and secondary phases for 22 years, Vicky is committed to fostering talent and providing enrichment for young people. She taught Music to a broad spectrum of students, those new to Music studies and those on the world stage and has led individuals and groups performing across the country and abroad. Vicky has a wealth of experience in orchestrating and logistics in order to bring together large teams of people to deliver outstanding results.

Vicky holds an enhanced DBS and is trained in Child Protection as well as GDPR.

Operations Team

Our Operations Team is the backbone of Blue Stamp Travel, ensuring trips run smoothly from start to finish. With a focus on safety, efficiency, and memorable experiences, we handle everything from logistics to customer support, aiming to provide exceptional experiences for students and travellers worldwide. Dedicated to delivering excellent service, we strive to make each journey interesting and exciting for both students and educators alike.

Natalie Vitoria

Operations Manager

Becca Prior

Operations Assistant

Katie Cirulis

Operations Assistant

Placement Team

Our Placement Coordinators are a dedicated team of experienced professionals with a passion for helping students succeed in their international placements. With in-depth knowledge of employers and work opportunities across France, Germany, and Spain, our team builds and maintains strong networks to connect students with the best opportunities available.

Our coordinators carefully match students to placements that suit their needs, ensuring they make the most of their time abroad. Whether it’s a short-term placement or a longer-term internship, we support students in enhancing their ability to communicate and work effectively in an international environment. With personalised support and expert advice, we help students gain invaluable experience, broaden their horizons, and advance their language skills.

Hélène Gvozden

French Placement Coordinator

Will Burn

German Placement Coordinator

Katie Cirulis

Spanish Placement Coordinator

Digital and Marketing Team

An essential part of any successful, modern business and a fundamental part of Blue Stamp operations, our marketing colleagues are key for shaping our social media presence, managing marketing campaigns, and developing our classroom resources. Along with our IT developers, they are responsible for much of what travellers see before they choose to book with us and during their trip preparations.

Digital Marketing Coordinator

Web Development & Reporting

BSpoke Software

Babel, our unique travel platform for travellers, parents/carers, teachers and group leaders has been collaboratively designed, implemented and maintained by our good friends at BSpoke Software. Working with BSpoke ensures that not only are trips administered efficiently and robustly, but critically, data is also secured in conjunction with best practices for GDPR.

Group Leaders

Blue Stamp Group Leaders travel with Work Experience trips. They are our hands-on experts in the destination cities in which we work. They are skilled linguists, experienced travellers and are used to working with young people. Our Group Leaders are DBS cleared or have the international equivalent. We work with many group leaders. Some of whom are here:

Nottingham Trent University

We are proud of our work in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, hosting post-grad and second-year business and arts students. We value their contribution to our team while they are with us and are proud of the connection that we have with the Univeristy having retained 3 interns to join the team on a permanent basis in recent years.

Our Accreditations

ATOL

Air Travel Organisers Licence

ATOL

For your complete peace of mind, the air tours and flights arranged by Blue Stamp Travel are ATOL-protected by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Protection extends primarily to customers who book and pay in the United Kingdom.

Some of the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. However, ATOL protection does not apply to all holiday and travel services listed on this website.

This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each holiday and travel service offered before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to:

www.atol.org.uk/atolcertificate.

Find out more about ATOL’s “Peace of Mind” protection when you book with Blue Stamp Travel.

Our ATOL membership number is 11909.

If you would like further clarification on Blue Stamp Travel’s ATOL protection, please contact us or visit the ATOL website.

Teachers or educators may want to refer to the ATOL Guidance for Schools.

ABTA

Association of Bonded Travel Agents

ABTA

Blue Stamp Travel are a Member of ABTA which means you have the benefit of ABTA’s assistance and Code of Conduct. We provide financial protection for your money when you buy a package holiday. If you buy other travel arrangements such as accommodation only this protection does not apply.

ABTA Members are reassured that financial protection is at an adequate level to meet their insolvency requirements in the event of their financial failure as defined by The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018.

You can confirm that we are a member of ABTA by using their Find a Member page.

Our ABTA membership number is Y6725.

For further information about ABTA, the Code of Conduct and the arbitration scheme available to you if you have a complaint, contact ABTA, 30 Park Street, London SE1 9EQ. Tel: 020 3117 0500 or www.abta.com

Groupment FLE

Ecoles de français en France

Groupment FLE is an accredtiting body that ensures the quality of provision and service of French Language Schools in France. Blue Stamp Travel are proud to be a recognised agent of FLE, demonstrating that we meet the standards of thier partner schools.

IALC

International Association of Language Centres

The International Association of Language Centres (IALC) offers reassurance to our customers that they are booking with an approved provider. We are proud to hold this accreditation and value the partnerships that we have with our excellent language schools across France, Germany and Spain.

ICEF Agency Accreditation

International Consultants for Education and Fairs

Established in 1960 in Germany, ICEF (International Consultants for Education and Fairs) are a business to business organisation for the international education industry. They provide opportunities for agencies such as Blue Stamp to meet high-quality providers.

IH

International House

Founded in 1953, International House provide reassurance of the highest quality by offering accreditation and inspections. IH are a global network of over 140 affiliated private language schools in 45 countries, spanning every continent.

International House provide reassurance of the highest quality by offering inspections and accreditation.

Study Travel

StudyTravel Ltd is a network for language schools, agents, and partners such as insurers, travel planners and support services related to our fantastic industry.

Being a reference checked agency highlights our high quality relationships with language schools, with whom we value our partnerships and that they vouch for our work in preparing students and school groups for their time abroad.

FEDELE

Federación de Escuelas de español en España

FEDELE are a federation promoting the study of Spanish as a foreign language, in Spain. They work with over 100 schools offering reassurance to students with their accreditation. As a partner agency we benefit from close working relationships with member schools.