Student Supervision, Safety and Welfare

Sending your child abroad, especially for the first time, means entrusting them for a few days or weeks to people who will become their point of reference away from home. For this reason, in inMalta Under 18 programmes, supervision and independence are not organised in the same way for everyone. A 12-year-old has very different needs from a 17-year-old, and the rules vary according to age and the programme chosen. In fully supervised programmes, students are looked after throughout the day, take part in activities with the group and are not allowed to leave the accommodation independently. In programmes designed for older teenagers, we gradually introduce greater freedom while maintaining Group Leaders as points of reference, clear rules and specific return times. Our aim is not to prevent young people from becoming independent, but to allow them to experience independence in a way that is appropriate for their age.

Group Leaders: a point of reference in Malta

In programmes managed directly by inMalta, Group Leaders are not present only during excursions. They stay in the same accommodation as the students, accompany the groups during the activities included in the programme and are the students’ first point of reference throughout their stay. Parents can also have their mobile phone contact details. This is particularly important when a young person is abroad: they may need help with a practical matter, feel unwell, have a problem with their room or school, or simply need to speak to an adult. Having our staff based directly in Malta also allows us to liaise with schools, accommodation providers and local suppliers whenever necessary.

Supervision changes according to age

We do not believe it is appropriate to apply the same rules to a child and to a teenager approaching adulthood. This is why our programmes provide different levels of supervision. Experience inMalta for younger students is fully supervised. Students aged 9 to 13 are not allowed to leave the Salini Resort independently, take part in activities and excursions as a group and are supervised by international leaders and inMalta Group Leaders. For older students, Experience inMalta gradually introduces greater independence. At 14 and 15, activities are normally part of the programme and students may only go out independently if authorised by the parent who made the booking. At 16 and 17, students may leave the resort independently, while always respecting the established return times. Summer Camp inMalta, designed for students aged 13 to 15, also provides a highly supervised format: students may not leave the Campus independently unless specifically authorised by a parent, and activities form part of the programme. Summer Club inMalta, designed for students aged 16 to 18, provides partial supervision. Group Leaders stay at the Campus and accompany students during activities and excursions, but students may go out independently and have free afternoons, evenings and one free day to manage with greater independence.

Clear rules even as independence increases

Independence does not mean an absence of rules. In programmes where students are allowed to go out independently, they must still respect the established times. For Summer Club inMalta, students must be back in their rooms by midnight from Sunday to Thursday and by 1:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Once they have returned to the Campus, students may use the common areas, but they must be in their rooms by the specified time. Similar rules apply to Experience inMalta students who are authorised to leave the resort independently. Published return times are midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 1:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. In this way, the greater independence given to older teenagers remains part of an organised system that is clearly understood by both students and their families.

No independent outings for younger students

The situation is completely different for younger students. In Experience inMalta programmes for students aged 9 to 13, participants are not allowed to leave the Salini Resort independently. Free time is organised and managed, and students take part in activities as a group. Even when they use resort facilities such as the swimming pool and common areas, they remain within the same complex where the Group Leaders are also staying. For this age group, having the school, rooms, restaurant, swimming pool and leisure areas within the same complex also significantly reduces the need for daily travel.

Summer Camp: small groups and shared life on the same floor

The organisation of Summer Camp is also designed around a group structure. Students live at Campus inMalta and are organised into small groups. Group Leaders stay in the same accommodation and take part in the students’ daily life, as well as accompanying them during activities. The school and accommodation are located within the same Campus, so students do not need to take buses or travel to other areas of the island to attend lessons. Many aspects of everyday life are also shared. Students use the kitchen/living area on their floor, prepare some meals together with the Group Leaders and spend part of their free time in the common areas. The Campus also has a 24-hour reception.

Experience inMalta: school, accommodation and restaurant in the same resort

Experience inMalta also reduces daily travel by bringing many services together within the same complex. Students stay at the Salini Resort and attend European School of English lessons directly within the resort. The restaurant and swimming pool used by students every day are also located within the same complex. On arrival, students are given an initial show-around: they are shown the indoor and outdoor areas and are given information about schedules, procedures for accessing the restaurant and how to take part in activities. This initial introduction helps students find their way around and understand from the very beginning how their daily routine will be organised.

Identifying students during activities

On arrival, students receive a personal ID badge with their name and an identification lanyard. The badge must be worn during lessons, group activities and excursions. It is also required when using organised buses for transfers. It may seem like a simple detail, but in programmes involving many young people, it is one of the tools used to make students belonging to the groups immediately identifiable.

Arrival in Malta and airport assistance

Not all students necessarily travel as part of an organised group. When an individual arrival programme is chosen, students are welcomed on arrival in Malta. After leaving the baggage reclaim area, they meet the leaders responsible for welcoming them and are then accompanied to the accommodation included in their programme. Travel conditions also include specific procedures for minors travelling using an airline’s Unaccompanied Minor service: these cover both receiving the minor from the airline on arrival and handing them back to the airline for their departure journey. This also allows families who do not choose an organised group departure to arrange their child’s arrival in Malta according to the procedures established for the programme.

Sea activities and programme organisation

Many of our study holidays include sea activities and water sports. JetSki, kayaking, SUP, parasailing, snorkelling, boat trips and other experiences are included in the programme taking into account the age of the participants, weather and sea conditions and supplier availability. For this reason, the schedule is not considered fixed. If wind, sea conditions or other operational circumstances make it impossible to carry out an activity as planned, the programme may be changed or the activity rescheduled: students’ safety always comes first. For us, following a schedule established weeks in advance at all costs can never take priority over the actual conditions in which an activity is to take place.

When a student does not take part in an activity

Participation in activities is also managed differently according to age. For younger students and Summer Camp participants, activities normally form part of the programme. Where applicable, a parent may nevertheless request that their child be excused from an activity. For 16- and 17-year-old Experience inMalta students and Summer Club students, activities may instead be optional. This does not mean that a student simply “disappears” from the group. When there is a reason not to participate, the student must inform the Group Leaders so that they know the student will remain at the accommodation and can continue to be their point of reference.

Communication with parents

When you entrust your child to inMalta, we never lose sight of the fact that while they are having an experience abroad, you are at home. This is why, in supervised programmes, Group Leaders are a point of reference not only for students but also for their families. Parents can have their mobile phone numbers, and certain decisions concerning the level of independence granted to younger students, such as permission to go out independently when the programme would not normally allow it, require authorisation from the parent who made the booking. This means that the rules established before departure can also take into account the level of independence each family considers appropriate for their child, within the limits of the programme.

Homestay: an option that requires greater independence

Host family accommodation is different from programmes in which inMalta Group Leaders stay in the same accommodation as the students. Students live with a host family and must travel to school and to the designated meeting points for activities. For this reason, we particularly recommend this option for students aged 14 to 17 who already have a good level of independence. During activities organised by the school, students join international groups and are supervised by the leaders assigned to the programme; in their everyday routine, however, they must be able to manage their journeys between their host family, school and meeting points. The choice between resort, Campus and Homestay is therefore not simply about the type of room or accommodation: it also determines the level of independence required from the student.

Insurance cover

Protection during a stay abroad also includes insurance. inMalta’s published terms and conditions require an All Risks insurance policy when booking a package, specifically designed for students and guests staying in the accommodation offered. The cover also includes third-party liability insurance. However, it is important to distinguish insurance cover from an absolute guarantee: conditions, limits, exclusions and reimbursement procedures are those established by the specific policy taken out. The published terms specify, for example, that All Risks cover may not apply to damage considered intentional rather than accidental. For this reason, the insurance policy terms should always be read together with the package terms and conditions before departure.

Supervision does not mean the same thing at every age

When comparing two study holidays, simply seeing the word “supervision” is not enough. It is important to understand exactly what your child will and will not be allowed to do. A 12-year-old on Experience inMalta cannot leave the resort independently and takes part in activities with the group. A 14- or 15-year-old on Summer Camp cannot normally leave the Campus without the Group Leaders. A 16- or 17-year-old on Experience inMalta may have greater independence and, according to the programme rules, may go out independently while respecting the established return times. A 16- to 18-year-old on Summer Club has even more free time and partial supervision: Group Leaders live in the same accommodation, manage the activities and remain a point of reference, but they do not accompany students at every moment of the day. These differences are not secondary details: they are part of the way each programme is designed.

Protecting them while allowing them to grow

A study holiday is often one of the first occasions when a young person spends a significant period of time away from their family. For younger students, it means gradually learning to manage their room, their schedule, their personal belongings and everyday life with others, while remaining within a fully supervised programme. For an older teenager, it may mean learning to go out with friends, respect a return time, communicate where they are and make small decisions independently. This is why we do not think of supervision simply as the constant presence of an adult beside a young person. We see it as a system of rules, trusted adults and different levels of independence, designed according to age and the programme chosen. The aim is to allow your children to experience Malta, meet young people from other countries, use English, have fun and gradually become more independent, knowing that throughout their stay there are adults and an organisation they can turn to.

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