Cowes Isle of Wight PO31 7PQ
Residential Trip Residentials London & South East
UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) is a leading Watersports centre based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Every year we welcome 200 schools and groups on a residential or non-residential basis. Fun-packed Watersports and team building programmes offer the perfect options for year 6 transition breaks, year 7 and 8 team building visits or career insights for 14-17 year olds. With everything you need onsite, UKSA offers fun, safe, and engaging experiences ensuring everyone has a great time. We ensure programmes are tailored to your aspirations and young people's needs. We welcome students with additional needs and use the water as a catalyst for positive outcomes. Learn to sail, kayak, windsurf or paddleboard. Or choose raft building and on-the-water team building activities. Evening activities can include swimming, archery, crabbing, park games and indoor football. Extend your trip with visits to some of the islands famous attractions like Dinosaur Isle or Osborne House.
The safety, well-being, and enjoyment of those visiting UKSA are our number one priority. We are a home-from-home for our young people and pride ourselves on our exemplary safety protocols that sit within a robust and fully compliant framework.
The wider benefits of participation in watersports are widely recognised and include inspiration, enjoyment, teamwork, boosting self-confidence and self-reliance, as well as the making and sealing of friendships. Our bespoke courses are designed to build confidence, encourage teamwork, and learn skills for life in an aspirational and safe environment.
We define skills for life as being the six steps to success. We measure young people's perception of their communication, decision making, participation, self-belief, determination, and resilience at the beginning of their visit, and again at the end of their stay. We share the outcomes achieved and insights gathered with schools to measure the impact of the experience on students' personal development. Prince Trust Group Leader comments: 'It was great to see them increase their communication and social skills through a range of water-based activities through spending a week together'.
Teacher Checklist
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What activities are available during educational visits in 2026?
• Multi-Activity
• Dinghy sailing
• Keelboat sailing
• Catamaran sailing
• Teambuilding games
• Stand up paddleboarding
• Windsurfing
• Kayaking
• Raft building and racing
• Dinghy sailing
• Keelboat sailing
• Catamaran sailing
• Teambuilding games
• Stand up paddleboarding
• Windsurfing
• Kayaking
• Raft building and racing
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
Watersports School Trip
SUP Stand Up Paddleboarding Sailing Kayaking Canoeing Raft Building Windsurfing Power Boating
Our aim is to encourage, support, and inspire young people by introducing them to the challenges, enjoyment, and rewards of watersports. We are based on the water's edge, facing the navigable River Medina which flows past its journey through Cowes and into the Solent - meaning our training waters are right on our doorstep.
Physical Education School Trip
Canoeing Sailing Kayaking Orienteering Archery
Boost confidence, inspire, and motivate your students with our on-the-water activities. Programmes are tailored to meet curriculum requirements, along with your school's specific objectives, ages, and abilities.
Sports Centre School Trip
Canoeing Sailing Kayaking Team Building Swimming Orienteering
UKSA is a vibrant, busy centre with a diverse range of activities taking place day and night. We use various sites around the Isle of Wight to deliver on-the-water activities.
We are also physically all-inclusive and aim to make it as easy as possible to train here, providing kit, food, accommodation, fleet, and leisure facilities.
Team Building
Accommodation Only
Outdoor Learning
What size groups do we cater for?
UKSA's large 4-acre secure site means we can accommodate groups of all sizes; small or large (up to 200+ people). Our dormitory style accommodation blocks contain self-contained 4-8 berth bunk rooms with separate bathrooms, single and twin rooms available for leaders. All groups have sole occupancy of an accommodation area. Wheelchair accessible bedrooms are also available.
On-site classroom facilities?
We have various size classrooms, study areas and meeting rooms available for your group to use. Other onsite facilities include a dining room and in-house catering, an indoor heated swimming pool, a full-sized sports hall, a drying room for wet kit, a dedicated young person’s chill-out area, Wi-Fi, a bar, toilets, and changing rooms.
Is there first aid on site?
All our Watersports and evening entertainment instructors are fully qualified first aiders.
Access for visitors with disabilities
We are accessible with disabled access and suitably adapted accommodation blocks with flexible bedrooms. We have lifts in our main building and a hoist for the swimming pool. We are also able to take disabled people out onto the water using a hoist from our pontoons to boats.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Children with SEND are participating less frequently and in a restricted range of physical activities than other children of the same age. While reasons for this are complex and can differ from child to child, research suggests that the main issues contributing to this either relate to the attitudes of 'including' children with SEND among teachers and other children, a lack of specialist knowledge/skills and confidence to teach children with SEND and that schools & local leisure facilities are inappropriately resourced to be able to provide children with SEND with physical activity opportunities. Last year 18% of UKSA's beneficiaries were registered with a Special Educational Need and or Disability [SEND]
Guided by our watersports instructors, who provide an immersive experience with a 1:6 instructor-to-student ratio on the water, every child has the chance to build water confidence and discover their full potential. Our instructors are equipped to offer extra encouragement or assistance to those who may need it, ensuring an inclusive environment where all children feel supported, including the 18% of our 2024 beneficiaries who were registered with SEND.
Anything else?
Our unique all-inclusive packages include return ferry travel from Portsmouth or Southampton, dormitory accommodation, home-cooked meals and drinks, tuition, and evening entertainment. One leader goes free for every ten students. We offer complimentary teacher familiarisation weekends with no obligation to book ' it's an opportunity for you to look around our base and discuss what we can offer your school.
Who are UKSA?
With 35 years of experience, UKSA is a maritime youth charity with a vision to inspire and support young people to broaden their horizons through life enhancing water-based adventures, education, and pathways for training for careers at sea.
With the generous support of individuals and donors, we have funding available for those children who do not have the financial support to join their classmates on a residential trip. By choosing UKSA you'll not only be giving your group a fun and memorable experience, you'll also be helping to support transformational opportunities for other young people.
We believe that no child should miss out on life changing experiences due to their financial constraints. UKSA's 'Leave No Child Behind' fund enables children to access the same opportunities as their peers.
Teacher Checklist
Get Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Bursaries or Funded Places Available Resource Packs LOtC Quality Badge AALA Licence Adventure Mark Duke of Edinburgh Award RYA Centre Paddle UK Centre
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