Meet the TripPA team

We’re a family of teachers, technologists and passionate trippers building smart tools to enable brilliant school trips, without the admin overload.

Our co-founder, Amanda.

Amanda
Valentine

Co-Founder

  • Experienced teacher and trip leader of 13 years
  • Passionate about UX design and digital adoption
  • Favourite place in the world = Egypt!
Rich Valentine, Co-Founder.

Rich
Valentine

Co-Founder

  • Teacher, HoD and trip leader of 15 years
  • Advocate for learning beyond the classroom
  • Favourite place in the world = Patagonia!
James Valentine, our CTO

James
Valentine

CTO

  • Seasoned tech consultant and systems architect
  • Loves bringing bold tech ideas to life
  • Favourite place in the world = Marlow!

We’re on a mission to reduce teacher admin and help more students experience unforgettable trips

We know how much work it takes to plan a trip. We’ve been there! TripPA cuts down admin time so teachers can focus on education, not spreadsheets.

Amanda, our founder

A note from Amanda

At TripPA, our journey commenced amidst discussions among Heads of Department, seeking an answer to a pivotal question: ‘What one thing could ease teacher workload?’ As a Head of Department, I delved into our profession’s challenges, hoping to uncover a remedy. Yet, it became clear in these discussions that while no singular solution existed, trip planning emerged as a critical area for improvement.

In my research into the issues surrounding the organisation of educational visits, I stumbled upon Hyundai’s research findings, revealing a disheartening statistic: 61% of teachers were less inclined to organise school trips than five years ago. This decline highlighted the potential loss of invaluable learning experiences for our students and ignited a desire to address this growing issue.

Witnessing firsthand the complexities and escalating costs of trip planning, I was spurred into action. It was this fusion of frustration and determination that birthed TripPA, a platform envisioned to simplify and enrich the trip planning process, dismantling unnecessary barriers. Drawing insights from fellow educators and harnessing the technical acumen of my brother James, a systems architect (and voiceover artist!), TripPA emerged as a commitment to transform trip planning into an enjoyable, efficient, and collaborative experience for all involved.

What we stand for

Integrity Comes First

You can rely on us to do the right thing; we’ve baked trust into every decision.

No Learning Curve

Teachers are busy. We’ve stripped out anything that gets in the way, so everything just works.

Safety & Security

From cloud infrastructure to access control, TripPA protects every user at every stage.

Built for UK Schools

TripPA isn’t adapted from something else. It’s built from scratch in the UK, for the UK education system.

Created by Teachers

We’ve planned the trips, done the paperwork, and know the pain points. That’s why we built TripPA.

Ready to make school trips simple?

Discover how TripPA helps schools plan, manage, and run visits with confidence, all in one place.