Why book
'Adventurous Activity Days' with Woodlands Adventure for School Trips and Educational Visits?
Benefits
Our school trips provide the perfect opportunity for your pupils to grow and develop individually as well as together as a team. Education outside the classroom is key to developing well-rounded young people and creating a balanced curriculum, which is both self-evident and supported by OFSTED. By leaving the classroom and learning in an environment that is a complete contrast to their usual setting, pupils will gain practical skills and experience.
We have a range of activities which are ideal for teaching:
Teamwork
Social skills
Determination
Motivation
Resilience
Controlled and safe environment
Immersion into the outdoors provides the setting for self-discovery and improvement, boosting self-confidence. Our activities will challenge your pupils allowing them to learn about risk taking, self-motivation and resilience in a controlled and safe environment. Successfully tackling challenging activities will greatly increase their self-esteem.
Get to know your pupils
Whilst at Woodlands Adventure, your pupils may discover hidden talents and passions and will also develop transferable skills that will stay with them as they develop through their education and life. Our outdoor setting creates the perfect opportunity for you, as a teacher, to get to know your students better, building up their trust and respect.
Team building and school trips
Our trips provide an excellent start of year team building experience for Years 7 and 12. Joining a new school can be daunting and our bespoke programmes can be tailored to focus on team activities designed to encourage integration, communication and trust. Your pupils will develop their emotional and social skills by learning to rely on themselves and work as a team.
These school trips would also be ideal for an end of year experience, especially for those soon to be moving on to new schools or colleges or even leaving full-time education.
Supporting your curriculum
Our staff are fully qualified instructors for the NICAS (National Indoor Climbing Award Scheme). In addition, GCSE PE students following the Edexcel syllabus can have their scores accredited towards their GCSE attainment. For students registered under different exam boards or working towards other qualifications, such as BTECs or A Levels, we can provide the facilities and training for the practical elements of the course. This can include canoeing, kayaking, climbing or archery.
Inclusion
We take great pride in having the ability and facilities to work with anyone with any additional requirements or special educational needs. Our staff are well trained and have extensive experience in this area. We believe that everyone deserves the same treatment and opportunities. If you have pupils with additional needs, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss any requirements with you.
We can accommodate a minimum of 12 people to a maximum of 120 on activities.
Types of visit:
Full Day Visits
4 activities of your choice
Arrive at 09.30 to start your instructed activities with our qualified instructors at 10.00.
Break for lunch at 12.30 for 1 hour and restart your afternoon session at 13.30. Finishing at 16.00.
Half Day Visits
2 activities of your choice.
Arrive for the morning session at 09.30 to start your instructed activities with our qualified instructors at 10.00 to finish at 12.30. Or arrive for the afternoon session, ready to start activities at 13.30 to finish at 16.00.
Free showers are available in our new purpose built, modern day block. During your visit you will be based either in the sports hall or under our impressive stretch tent for the duration of your visit.
Day visits are flexible, if you need to depart earlier than 4 pm, please let us know we can adjust timings of lunch breaks in order to achieve this and ensure that everyone still gets the most from there day here.
Off peak half week residential visits and full day visits at discounted prices 22nd October 2024 to 29th February 2025
Current School Trip Offer
Special offers with discounted prices for bookings during off peak periods, please contact us for dates.
Choose from:
Half week self-catering residential visits for a minimum of 24 pupils to a maximum of 64 pupils with 6 fully instructed activities. Facilities include a central heated residential building, use of a heated sports hall and WI-FI, projector and screen. Up to 6 leaders free of charge with every group booking.
Or:
Full day visits with 4 fully instructed activities, minimum groups of 12 pupils with free supervising teacher places.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge Institute of Outdoor Learning Adventure Mark Adventure Activity Associates Paddle UK Centre
What activities are available during group visits?
Every visit is tailor made to suit your requirements. We have lots of fantastic activities to choose from which include our assault course, zip line, archery, vines and bridges, kayaking, canoeing, raft building, high ropes, bouldering wall, climbing, abseiling, team building, monkey tree climbing, circus skills, urban Frisbee golf, bush craft, fire lighting, shelter building, nature days, mini beasts, pond dipping, orienteering, Geo cache, Altatl, artificial caving, mini medics, woodlands or river-lands explorer using GPS and walkie talkies or tomahawk throwing.
If you have a particular theme or something specific in mind, please call us to discuss your requirements in further detail.
Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?
Curriculum topics available: Personal development and resilience, Team building, Diversity and Inclusion.
Outdoor learning is experienced by every visitor here at Woodlands Adventure. As well as acquiring new skills whilst participating in activities, our visitors learn about themselves, each other and the outdoors.
Learning in an outdoor learning environment contrasts greatly with the classroom. It is an approach to teaching and learning through the many varied activities and experiences we offer. In high quality outdoor education, young people are engaged at a level that matches their own abilities and development, whilst providing them and their group with stretch and challenge opportunities.
The invaluable transferable skills learned when participating in outdoor education include:
Outdoor learning skills include:
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Resilience
• Challenge and risk-taking
• Self confidence
• Motivation
• Teamwork – leading and supporting
• Learning skills
• Environmental awareness
Leaving the classroom and participating in a more active and practical approach to acquiring new skills also nurtures enquiry, experimentation, feedback, reflection, review and co-operative outdoor learning. Visits also offer the chance to find inspirational new ways to learn new skills, absorb information and put it all into practice. All these skills are therefore invaluable to young people as they develop through their education and life.
Woodlands Adventure we have an abundance of wildlife living among the woodland environment, this subject is delivered through activities such as mini beasts, pond dipping and nature themed days.
Our nature studies sessions, especially enjoyed by our younger visitors, include many different elements that teach you all about the local wildlife and surroundings as well as environmental awareness. We offer:
Pond-dipping
See what you can catch from our lake, using the nets provided, then try to identify your catch.
Mini beasts
Search under logs and through the undergrowth to see how many species you can find.
Tree and plant identification
Identify the trees and plant around you taking leaf and bark rubbings as you go.
Nature walk
Discover the world around you whilst exploring our woodlands.
Stream walking
Put on your wellies and splash your way through our network of streams, seeing what you can discover on they way
This can be incorporated into many elements that we offer such as whittling, fire lighting, shelter building, tree and plant identification, navigation by nature, cordage, water purification, wild food from trees, handling saws and knifes, woodland art or preparation and cooking of food such as hot chocolate, popcorn, Banach, smores, jacket potatoes, twisters, bread sticks and more.
We can provide the facilities and training for the practical elements of the course. This can include canoeing, climbing, kayaking, raft building, assault course and many of our other activities. Each key stage is different so please provide us with the subject that you require and we can tailor make your visit to incorporate this if required.
Curriculum topics available: Healthy Living, Teamwork and resilience, Mental health and awareness, Diversity and Inclusion.
Our team building sessions have been tailored to teach the importance of working together and supporting each other, whilst aiming to build confidence and communication skills.
These exercises take the form of various initiative tasks some of which are set in our designated team building area with others incorporated into our assault course. They will challenge you physically and mentally, working together as a team.
Specific tasks are introduced to enable each individual within the group to take the role of team leader.
Some of our tasks are called:
The spiders web – negotiate the spiders web without being caught!
The crocodile swamp – find your way through without being eaten!
The cauldron – move the cauldron with disturbing the witches’ brew!
The toxic barrel – retrieve the barrel without spilling the toxic contents!
The instructor will issue the team with instructions and the boundaries within which the team must work.
The team will be debriefed by the instructor on its performance, both as a team and as individuals.
Curriculum topics available: Kayaking, Canoeing, Raft Building, Kata Kanuing.
As an approved British Canoeing Union Center, we can provide the facilities and training for the practical elements of this course. This can include canoeing, kayaking or raft building
Curriculum topics available: Autistic Spectrum, Emotional and Behavioural Disorders, General Learning Difficulties, Dyslexia Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia, Deafness, Visual Impairment, Physical and Mobility, Fully Wheelchair Accessible, Partially Wheelchair Accessible, Disabled Toilet Access, Social Skills, Raising Aspirations.
Our staff have received the necessary training needed to provide the appropriate level of care and assistance to our visitors with special educational needs. We want participants to enjoy the opportunities and experiences we can provide at Woodlands Adventure and Outdoor Learning.
We work with many charitable organisations to provide tailored visits. We liaise with group leaders about additional requirements and educational needs of the group, ensuring that the appropriate equipment, staff numbers and skill levels of our staff are all in place on the day.
Please get in touch with us to discuss your specific requirements. We will be delighted to see you at Woodlands Adventure and Outdoor Learning.
What size groups do you cater for?
Group day visits from 12 to a maximum of 120 children
Camping visits from 15 to 120
Residential visits from 30 to 64 plus 8 teachers
Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?
The sports hall and main building can be used when not occupied
Is there first aid on site?
Our staff team are first aid trained, have radios with them on the activities and access to a telephone should an ambulance be required. First aid kits are checked regularly and are located at various first aid stations around the site. In addition we also have a defibrillator located in the main office.
We do recommend that residential and camping groups have a first aid trained member of staff and their own first aid kit with them for when the young people are not on activities with our Instructors.
Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?
Our staff have received the necessary training needed to provide the appropriate level of care and assistance to any visitor with disabilities. We want all participants to have the same opportunities and experiences at Woodlands Adventure disabled activity centre.
We work with many charitable organisations to provide tailored visits to Woodlands Adventure. We liaise with group leaders about additional requirements of the group, ensuring that the appropriate disabled friendly equipment, staff numbers and skill levels of our staff are all in place on the day. There is no barrier to the use of any of our facilities.
We have a dedicated hoist as well as slide boards to enable your group member to fully participate in our activities. Disability hoists and slings are also available on request.
Please get in touch with us to discuss your specific requirements regarding disabilities. We will be delighted to see you at Woodlands Adventure.
Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Our staff have received the necessary training needed to provide the appropriate level of care and assistance to any special educational needs visitor. We want all participants to have the same opportunities and experiences at Woodlands Adventure.
We work with many charitable organisations to provide tailored visits to Woodlands Adventure. We liaise with group leaders about additional requirements and educational needs of the group, ensuring that the appropriate equipment, staff numbers and skill levels of our staff are all in place on the day. There is no barrier to the use of any of our facilities.
Please get in touch with us to discuss your specific requirements. We will be delighted to see you at Woodlands Adventure outdoor activity center for special educational needs.
Anything else?
Accreditation and awards
LOtC Quality Badge
NICAS
BAYC Affiliation
British Canoe Union Approved Center
Adventuremark
Institute of Outdoor Learning
Association of Mountaineering Instructors
Who are Woodlands Adventure?
Woodlands Adventure & Outdoor Learning is owned by Birmingham Boys and Girls Union, who are one of the oldest children's charities in Birmingham, founded in 1906. (Charity number: 1120499).
We offer full days and half days of fully instructed activities to all groups from all backgrounds. Our instructors are experienced in instructing activities for groups of young people with special educational needs and disabilities, ensuring that our facilities and fantastic activities are open to everyone to experience and enjoy.
Our staff team are fully qualified, first aid trained and enhanced DBS checked. Their training is regularly updated and assessments are carried out on a regular basis, both in house and by independent technical advisers.
Special rates for schools outside of peak season
Day visits from £31.50 per pupil to £89.50 per pupil for a half week residential on selected dates
Special offers with discounted prices for bookings during off peak periods, please contact us for dates.
Choose from:
Half week self-catering residential visits for a minimum of 24 pupils to a maximum of 64 pupils with 6 fully instructed activities. Facilities include a central heated residential building, use of a heated sports hall and WI-FI, projector and screen. Up to 6 leaders free of charge with every group booking.
Or:
Full day visits with 4 fully instructed activities, minimum groups of 12 pupils with free supervising teacher places.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge Institute of Outdoor Learning Adventure Mark Adventure Activity Associates Paddle UK Centre
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