Cumulus Outdoors Tented Village - Corfe Castle School Trip
Corfe Castle BH19 2PX
Residential Trip Residentials South West
1. We hold the LOtC Quality Badge, the AALS licence, the Adventure Mark and the BAPA certification and we are an Approved Activity Provider for the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze, Silver and Gold Expeditions and Gold Residentials. These all mean that we have been assessed to provide a safe educational visit for your students. We will meet your visit expectations, aims and outcomes; all necessary documentation, policies, protocols, and procedures are in place, and you do not have to spend additional time ensuring the provision meets the school's requirements for the visit.2. We are extremely fortunate to be able to provide all of our outdoor activities within the stunning landscapes found in South Dorset in the Isle of Purbeck. The area is the eastern gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site - walk along the South West Coast Path and pass the magnificent Old Harry Rocks, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Surrounded on three sides by sea water, coastal Purbeck boasts some of the best sea views and spectacular scenery along the whole of the south coast. Due to the outstanding geology and palaeontology, the Dorset (and East Devon) coastline has been listed as a Natural World Heritage Site and Jurassic Coastline.
3. Our team will work with you to include a fantastic selection of adventurous activities not offered on your average school residential! For example, coasteering, mackerel fishing, waterpark and tunnelling to name a few!
4. Activities are led by experienced, friendly instructors incorporating our "Challenge by Choice" ethos, so your pupils will only ever attempt something there are totally comfortable with. However, with instructor support, people often achieve more than they thought possible!
5. Our tented villages are located in unbeatable sites along the shores of Poole Harbour, deep in the Dorset countryside. We are lucky to be able to provide wide open spaces for students to embrace the outdoors and experience some quality time with their peers.The tented villages are close to Corfe Castle but hidden away from the hustle and bustle of daily life so staff and students can both unwind and immerse themselves in nature.
There really is no better place for a tented village school residential experience! Please note, the tented village residential experience runs during the Summer term time only.
6. We deliver closed DofE expeditions for schools and DofE units covering training days, practice and qualifying expeditions. We supply staff and equipment and work with schools to deliver a package to suit their specific requirements.
7. NEW! We can offer a range of residentials to suit your aim, objectives and requirements for length of stay; either a 2 night or a 4 night stay, and also a range of pricing depending on time of year. For example, in 2026 a 2 night stay during the low season is priced at £257.00pp and during the high season this is £266.00pp. A 4 night stay during the low season is £449.00pp and £466.00pp during the high season.
8. We also deliver Gold Residentials at our residential centre and our tented villages throughout the year, packed with a wide variety of outdoor adventure activities. We can take a maximum of 72 participants per week in the Summer and 32 in the shoulder months of February half term, March/April during the Easter holiday, and October half term.
9. We are as inclusive and accessible as we can be within the limits of our wilderness campsites and location of our residential centre and activities, and can flex and adapt to enable for children to gain the most from residential as possible.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Bursaries or Funded Places Available LOtC Quality Badge AALA Licence Institute of Outdoor Learning British Activity Providers Association Adventure Mark Duke of Edinburgh Award £10m PL Insurance
What activities are available during educational visits in 2026?
We offer a wide range of outdoor adventure activities for your students to learn new skills, develop team building and bonding qualities, leadership, planning skills and experience new activities, whilst having a completely new adventure in the outdoors.
You will be able to plan your activity programme with our admin staff in line with your aims and objectives of your educational visit be this curriculum based or as an end of year reward treat. Choose from the following raft building, mackerel fishing, rock climbing, tag archery, coasteering, target sports, kayaking, bushcraft, SUPs, team games, high and low ropes course, orienteering, waterpark and mud trail, rib rides, beach safety, beach games, mountain biking.
We can also facilitate site visits to Corfe Castle, The Tank Museum, Old Harry Rocks, Kimmeridge Bay and the Etches Museum and Swanage Steam Railway.
Please contact us with your requirements.
You will be able to plan your activity programme with our admin staff in line with your aims and objectives of your educational visit be this curriculum based or as an end of year reward treat. Choose from the following raft building, mackerel fishing, rock climbing, tag archery, coasteering, target sports, kayaking, bushcraft, SUPs, team games, high and low ropes course, orienteering, waterpark and mud trail, rib rides, beach safety, beach games, mountain biking.
We can also facilitate site visits to Corfe Castle, The Tank Museum, Old Harry Rocks, Kimmeridge Bay and the Etches Museum and Swanage Steam Railway.
Please contact us with your requirements.
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
Physical Education School Trip
Climbing Canoeing Orienteering Archery Kayaking High Ropes Coasteering
We use team challenges, our ethos of 'challenge by choice' and leadership skills in all of our physical activities. The activities can be physically challenging but all students are supported and encouraged to achieve more than their original targets.The adventure activities we offer within our full programme residentials cover:
climbing, abseiling, coasteering, bushcraft, forest school, kayaking, raft racing, paddle boarding, high & low ropes, tunnelling, target sports and tag archery.
Bushcraft School Trip
Our exciting Bushcraft sessions and challenges are geared to help you get back to basics whilst also enjoying the natural environment. Using our own woodland site on the Isle of Purbeck near Corfe Castle and Swanage, the sessions are fun and educational, all sessions are delivered outside beneath our parachute canopies. We teach the basic survival skills of firelighting, shelter building and camouflage - would you be able to survive in the woods?
Watersports School Trip
SUP Stand Up Paddleboarding Kayaking Canoeing Raft Building
Coasteering is a fabulous sea and cliff based activity, which allows you to explore the Jurassic Coast under the supervision of qualified and experienced instructors. This fun water based activity involves rock scrambling and jumping, swimming and cave exploration.
Kayaking, Stand-Up Paddleboarding and Raft Building are also available on the picturesque lake. Learn how to paddle and control a kayak and SUP plus master the skill of building your own raft and then racing across the lake!
Human Geography School Trip
Settlement and land use Economic activity and trade
Visit local towns and cities in Dorset for population studies, urban development and regeneration and tourism studies.
Environmental Geography School Trip
Conservation Climate change
In today's world, environmental awareness is an essential topic to help children understand the environments they live in and how these are affected by the actions of the human race. Improve your pupil's environmental awareness through activities such as beach litter surveys and environmental quality surveys and investigations.
Topics covered include biology, Geology, Environmental art, Weather and climate studies, and the Watercycle.
Geology School Trip
Geological Processes Rocks Soils Fossils
Click to read full text Our tented village is adjacent to Swanage, a gateway town to the World Heritage Jurassic Coast. Here your students will have the opportunity to see the rocks and the resulting landscapes formed in three geological time periods called the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous, spanning the time between 250 million years ago and 65 million years ago in a 95 miles of the south coast from Exmouth in Devon to Studland in Dorset. We can provide facilities to study this important geological area and with transport to get you to fossil rich areas such as Kimmeridge Bay, and the iconic Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Our Business Partnership with the Jurassic Coast Trust enables us to arrange for bespoke sessions with their ambassadors to deliver sessions for your pupils on site or at the campsite.
Saxons School Trip
Saxon Settlements
Explore Saxon sites across the Isle of Purbeck though educational walks, historical talks and site visits.Visit Corfe Castle and learn about the Saxon history on this famous site, a perfect location for castle construction in defence of the area and protection of the surrounding inhabitants. Learn why Corfe was the ideal place for a castle to be built and find out how the early settlement set the basis for the beautiful village you see today.
Medieval School Trip
Norman Conquest Medieval Society and Feudalism
Click to read full text Corfe Castle, a quintessential English village which has grown up around an important defensive castle renowned in English history during the Civil war. Now owned and run by the National Trust, your students can visit the castle and learn about how Lady Mary Bankes defended the last Royalist garrison on the south coast with her children and an army of five men until one of her band led the Parliamentarians in through a side gateway.
The castle boasts a thousand years of history, from its original construction by William the Conqueror, through its destruction after the Civil War to its preservation by the National Trust today. Your students will have a fun, hands-on history lesson led by our teaching staff. This can focus on topics such as continuity and change and we are happy to tailor your visit to other curriculum objectives.
Victorian School Trip
Queen Victoria Railways
Explore your victorians topic with a day trip to the victorian seaside town of Swanage (dressing up is encouraged). Visits can include visiting; Swanage Heritage Centre, Swanage Steam Railway, Swanage Pier and Durlston Castle. Swanage is an ideal location to study local history with a wide selection of opportunities to learn about how the Victorians lived, what work they undertook and how they enabled the town to develop and grow.
World War School Trip
How and why the War started Trench Warfare Technological developments The Home Front Evacuation D Day Landings and VE Day
Our tented village is located a 10 minutes drive from Studland Beach which was used to practise for the D-Day landings. Learn about the Second World War by arriving as evacuees by steam train to Swanage; visiting historical sites such as North Fort and Studland Beach; and visiting Bovington Tank Museum.
Physical Geography School Trip
Water cycles Rivers Coasts and seaside Fieldwork
Click to read full text In Swanage, your students will have the opportunity to see the rocks and the resulting landscapes formed in three geological time periods called the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous, spanning the time between 250 million years ago and 65 million years ago in a 95 miles of the south coast from Exmouth in Devon to Studland in Dorset. We can provide you with facilities to study this important geological area and with transport to get you to fossil rich areas such as Kimmeridge Bay, and the iconic Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Our Business Partnership with the Jurassic Coast Trust enables us to arrange for bespoke sessions with their ambassadors to deliver sessions for your pupils on site or in the classroom.
Swanage Bay is an ideal location for studying coastal erosion and methods in place to try and slow the process down, walk over Ballard Down to see Old Harry Rocks as a perfect display of chalk stacks and then visit Lulworth Cove, Stair Hole and Durdle Door for the complete landform examples of the whole erosion process.
Local History School Trip
Your students can enjoy a combination of Swanage site visits to learn about local history and the fishing and quarrying foundations of the town. Learn why Swanage has been known as 'Little London' and understand why and how it has developed into a popular tourist location. Swanage Heritage Centre, Durlston Country Park, Swanage Steam Railway and Swanage Pier all contribute to our local history provision.
Fieldstudies School Trip
Coastal Rivers
Click to read full text We can delivery high quality residential Geography and Geology field study courses for KS2, KS3, GCSE, IGCSE, A Level, IBDP and Scottish Higher Level in the UK. These field study Residentials are bookable from February to April and September to November each year. The courses can be tailored to meet your needs and requirements and equipment can be supplied, we are happy to run courses for smaller class sizes from 10 students and above.
For Primary Level topics covered include river studies, coastal erosion, orienteering, map skills, historical days, WW11,
For Secondary Level; The Isle of Purbeck, and the broader Dorset area, provide ideal locations for fieldwork and can be used by both AS students to cover the two days of Fieldwork required and by A-Level students completing their NEAs
We will offer guidance on logistics, locations, equipment, theory and opportunities available to your students, at whatever level required.
Biology School Trip
Plants Animals including humans Living things and habitats Evolution and inheritance Ecology and environment Life Cycles Minibeasts Habitats Underwater Animals and Habitats Forest School Relationships in an ecosystem (KS3/4)
Explore different habitats and visit sites around the Isle of Purbeck to learn about wildlife; Kimmeridge Bay for zonation, rockpools, fossils and rocks, Studland for habitats, succession and beach studies, RSPB Arne for bird watching.
Our activities include: Identifying minibeast, animals interactions and food chains, animal detectives, evolution and adaptations, ultimate survivors, predators and prey, moth trapping, bird watching, rockpool and habitat exploring.
Prehistory School Trip
Stone Age Bronze Age Iron Age
Learn about the Isle of Purbeck, how it has changed overtime and about the people who have inhabited it.Visit locations showing evidence of prehistory inhabitation, from stone rings to barrows/tumuli, you will see how people lived in the Isle of Purbeck
Team Building School Trip
With a variety of team building exercises, challenges and games, your students will learn how to work as a team to solve the questions posed of them. Team building is incorporated into many of our adventure activities concentrating on how to achieve the best from everyone, support, encouragement, planning, leadership and self-confidence.
Forest School School Trip
Click to read full text Experience the transformative power of nature with our forest school programme. Moving beyond the pressures of a traditional classroom, our approach allows children to slow down and reconnect with their environment. Many students live within urban areas leading a busy life and have little chance to regularly engage with and appreciate the benefits of natural green areas.
With a blended offer of structured activities that teach essential survival skills like fire lighting and shelter building, alongside student-led explorations that foster creativity through nature art and problem-solving activities, children will discover the diverse array of animals, plants, insects and birds, igniting their curiosity and desire to learn more.
Time spent in nature not only enhances concentration and problem-solving skills but also nurtures a deep affinity for the natural world. As they engage with nature, students will build self-confidence and teamwork skills, learning how to collaborate harmoniously with the environment around them.
At Cumulus, we can offer fully immersive residentials focused on the forest school approach, as well as the option to incorporate forest school or bushcraft sessions into your activity program. We can also tailor activity days centered on forest school values to meet your students' needs.
Contact us today to discuss how we can create meaningful experiences and outcomes for your students. Together, let’s explore the wonders of nature!
Wildlife School Trip
Click to read full text We have partnered with the Dorset Wildlife Trust and with RSPB Arne so that your students can gain experience of the special environment (SSSI) on the Isle of Purbeck, a chalky heathland which sustains diverse fauna and flora species and is famous for being the home of all six of the native UK reptile species, breeding Dartford Warblers, Nightjars, Woodlarks and a large herd of Sikka deer. There are also large populations of migrant wading birds which over-winter on the mudflats of Poole Harbour. Your students can explore the home of these varied species under the guidance of experts from either organisation.
What size groups do we cater for?
From 20 up to 200
On-site classroom facilities?
We have classroom facilities at our residential centre which can be arranged for use if required by those staying at the tented village. Communal areas such as tipis and marquees at the tented village can also be used as teaching arenas.
Is there first aid on site?
Yes, all our activity instructors have a minimum 16 hour First Aid qualification
Access for visitors with disabilities
We do have the capacity to cater for children with additional needs and work with the school and parents to be as inclusive and as accessible as we can be. To this end, we do ask for all schools to contact us directly with details of any additional needs for their children so that we can plan for the trip.
Our tented villages are wilderness campsites and as such may not be suitable for children who are wheelchair users or having impaired hearing and eyesight. Also, please consider some activities are not accessible for wheelchair users or those with impaired sensory skills. Please contact us in the first instance so we can discuss all additional needs and suitability.
Our tented villages are wilderness campsites and as such may not be suitable for children who are wheelchair users or having impaired hearing and eyesight. Also, please consider some activities are not accessible for wheelchair users or those with impaired sensory skills. Please contact us in the first instance so we can discuss all additional needs and suitability.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
We do have the capacity to cater for children with additional needs and work with the school and parents to be as inclusive and as accessible as we can be. To this end, we do ask for all schools to contact us directly with details of any additional needs for their children so that we can plan for the trip.
Our tented villages are wilderness campsites and as such may not be suitable for children who are wheelchair users or having impaired hearing and eyesight. Also, please consider some activities are not accessible for wheelchair users or those with impaired sensory skills. Please contact us in the first instance so we can discuss all additional needs and suitability.
For children who are neurodivergent or are anxious over attending the school residential, we encourage parents to use our SEND resources of picture journeys detailing routines and environments at the residential centre and all of the activities. We also suggest pre-trip visits to alleviate stress. We also have a supply of fidget toys, ear defenders, communication cards and quiet areas where children can re-set away from the noise of activities.
Some of our staff have training for and experience of working with children with additional needs in various locations. All Cumulus instructors will be fully aware of all additional needs for the children in their care.
Our kitchens are experienced with catering for a wide range dietary requirements including arfid, diabetes, coeliac, etc so concerns of food issues can be alleviated.
All visiting teachers who are a 1:1 carer for a child are automatically free of charge in addition to the 1:10 FOC ratio for all visiting schools.
Cumulus will always flex and adapt to enable as many children as possible to attend a school residential, please contact us for further information.
Anything else?
Dorset Tourism Awards 2019 Cumulus Outdoors Gold Award
"A great team and excellent instructors in a superb location"
This company provides a fabulous experience for pupils, allowing them to have independence, learn new skills in a safe environment and, above all else, have fun!
The King's School, Gloucester
2025
We had fantastic time on our week's residential in the tented accommodation. The staff were incredible and nothing was too much for them. A great range of activities that the children thoroughly enjoyed. We highly recommend and will be back! Thank you!
Hatchlands Primary School
2025
Cumulus have been fantastic from the start to the finish of our school's first residential. You couldn't be in safe hands. A huge thank you from all of us at Bishopshalt!
Bishopshalt School
2024
Stunning locations and a packed itinerary, which left our students tired but happy, with everyone having the chance to push their own level of availability in a safe and supportive environment.
Leighton Park School
2024
Cumulus is just amazing! Excellent fieldwork leaders and very knowledgeable camp leader who, along with the team, were amazing with the children. I am impressed with the tented accommodation and we have felt very looked after, thank you - we have re-booked for the next 3 years!
Wellesley Prep School
2025
A wonderful company! Small, caring, excellent, hardworking, and rigorous in their safety. Simply the best!
Newland House School
2025
"A great team and excellent instructors in a superb location"
This company provides a fabulous experience for pupils, allowing them to have independence, learn new skills in a safe environment and, above all else, have fun!
The King's School, Gloucester
2025
We had fantastic time on our week's residential in the tented accommodation. The staff were incredible and nothing was too much for them. A great range of activities that the children thoroughly enjoyed. We highly recommend and will be back! Thank you!
Hatchlands Primary School
2025
Cumulus have been fantastic from the start to the finish of our school's first residential. You couldn't be in safe hands. A huge thank you from all of us at Bishopshalt!
Bishopshalt School
2024
Stunning locations and a packed itinerary, which left our students tired but happy, with everyone having the chance to push their own level of availability in a safe and supportive environment.
Leighton Park School
2024
Cumulus is just amazing! Excellent fieldwork leaders and very knowledgeable camp leader who, along with the team, were amazing with the children. I am impressed with the tented accommodation and we have felt very looked after, thank you - we have re-booked for the next 3 years!
Wellesley Prep School
2025
A wonderful company! Small, caring, excellent, hardworking, and rigorous in their safety. Simply the best!
Newland House School
2025
Who are Cumulus Outdoors?
Cumulus Outdoors was established in 2009 providing a range of outdoor adventure and residential programmes for schools, youth and scout groups. Cumulus is also a registered AAP and as such delivers Duke of Edinburgh River and Walking Expeditions plus Gold Residential programmes.
As well as Adventure Activity Days where you can select one or two adventure activities to enjoy, Cumulus Outdoors offers bespoke outdoor activity 3 or 5 day programmes to fit each individual school depending on duration and nature of the trip. Each programme contains a unique set of adventure activities that can include Coasteering, Mackerel Fishing, Rock-Climbing & Abseiling, Field Studies, Dorset Waterpark and Bushcraft to name just a few. Our highly qualified and knowledgeable instructors will engage all students at every level throughout your school residential trip to ensure an action packed and educational trip to remember, incorporating our 'Challenge by Choice' ethos, so you'll only ever attempt something you are totally comfortable with
We believe that learning is not restricted to the classroom, but something that can be achieved in all aspects of life. 'Learning without walls' offers fabulous opportunities for learning through outdoor fun. Spending time outdoors, away from the stresses of school can see children flourish and tap into talents that had previously remained uncovered.
Whilst we don't offer bursaries ourselves, we can provide information of various agencies and charities offering funding or kit support to individuals and/or schools. Please contact us for further information.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Bursaries or Funded Places Available LOtC Quality Badge AALA Licence Institute of Outdoor Learning British Activity Providers Association Adventure Mark Duke of Edinburgh Award £10m PL Insurance
How Cumulus Outdoors Helps Anxious Pupils Emotionally Prepare For Residential Trips
A school residential should feel exciting for pupils and reassuring for families, yet it is completely normal for some children and parents to feel nervous in the lead up to the trip. At Cumulus Outdoors we understand this anticipation and work hard to create a safe, supportive and predictable environment long before pupils arrive on site. Our goal is simple. We want every child to feel ready for the adventure, every parent to feel at ease, and every school to trust that their pupils are in capable hands. Below is an in depth look at how we prepare anxious pupils and reassure parents.
Creating Lasting Memories: Affordable School Trips with Cumulus
As teachers and parents, we all remember our own school trips and we want the same for our own children.
Young People Love Learning When Learning Is So Much Fun!
Research supports the fact that children learn faster and more effectively when they are engaged in enjoyable and playful activities.
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