Why book
'Big School Camp North' with Big School Camp for Residential School Trips and Educational Visits?
- We ensure we have the cheapest per pupil prices possible
- We allow 100% of students to participate- we are fully inclusive all abilities, ages, needs.
- As we come to the school there are no transport fees, accommodation costs, centre fees
-We deliver memorable and rewarding outdoor experiences, including: Team Building, Life Skills, Assault courses, shelter-building, fire-lighting to name a few.
- We directly link to Ofsted's framework-
• Intent- to create outdoor experiences at schools that encourage children to build resilience, strength their mind set and engage with nature
• Implementation- is well planned that contributes to raising standards and improving pupils personal, social and emotional development
• Impact- 100% participation for regardless of income, needs or background
-We support the school with all administration requirements to enable the Camp to function, e.g Evolve form support, Tailored event materials ('syllabus' of learning outcomes), Risk assessment / identification / mitigation, Pupil and parent communication templates, kit list letter, Assembly Powerpoints, Brochure, Safeguarding & Child Protection Document, Insurance support and more.
- We bespoke all our camps during the planning stages making sure they are specific to the school and their children, every school has different needs and we make sure we meet those needs.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Resource Packs
What activities are available during group visits?
We offer a wide range of activities-
-Fire Lighting
-Team Building
-Wide range of Life Skill
-Assault Courses
-Shelter Building
-Knife Skills
-Navigation
-First Aid
-Wild Food
-Stretcher Build Race
This is a list of our most popular activities, however we are always developing our activities, with over 20 to choose from. If there is an activity your school would specifically like, just ask. We have a large team of instructors and we match our instructor's skill set to the activities requested by the school.
Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?
Curriculum topics available: Orienteering.
Big School Camps model to impacts greatly on each individual child’s ability to acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding they need to make appropriate choices about their physical health and well being. Big School Camp will develop positive self-awareness in children supporting them in becoming physically competent in the outdoor environment. They will also demonstrate a healthy attitude in showing respect for each other and the environment.
1. Big School Camp have qualified bushcraft instructors who understand that the skills are not only for use in a survival situation but have real practical value.
2. The skills are presented in a way that delivers a good understanding of the skill as well as the principles behind it. This ensures that the students will leave with more than just memories of a challenging and exciting day.
3. All sessions are fully interactive and learners are encouraged to work together to problem solve whether this be in the creation of a shelter or in fire lighting by friction.
4. Sessions address the core Bushcraft topics: Shelter building, Fire lighting and Fire by Friction, drinking water, Cordage, Sharp tool use and care.
5. Hybrid sessions are available that draw out learning in the relevant areas of science while acquiring a new skill. These sessions will be fully curriculum linked where possible.
Curriculum topics available: Autistic Spectrum, Emotional and Behavioural Disorders, General Learning Difficulties, Dyslexia Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia, Deafness, Visual Impairment, Physical and Mobility.
We believe all students should be given the opportunity to take part, we plan and adapt activities to ensure all are fully included. A number of our instructors have many years worth of experience working with students with special educational need. We believe all students should be given the opportunity to take part, we plan and adapt activities to ensure all are fully included.
Navigation- Leaning how to use a compass
Spiders Web- Get through the web without touching, If you touch the web start again
Magic Carpet- Can the team work together to work out how the carpet works - if they do its magic!
Magic Stick- Its amazing how the stick moves by itself when there are lots touching it - but can they work together.
Toe the line- Make sure they don't fall off, can they get in the correct order by working together
Cross the River- To get your team across the River
Walk the Walk- To get your team to walk as a team, If you fall off start again, Can be done as a competition
Dopey Ropey- Work as a team to complete the Rope challenges
Bomb Disposal- To get the bomb in the safe zone, if you touch inside the "bomb" goes off, If drop the "bomb" it goes off
Pipe Line- To get the ball from one side of the line to the other
Pipe Dream- To work as a team with the half the pipe/tube
Farmyard- Blindfolded animals are all all over the place - can you find your animal?
Spider Ball- To get your spider ball from one area to another, If you ball falls start from where it drops
Mindfield- Can you find the objects without setting off the bomb inside
The Force- Jedi Masters aim to get their Padawans to become a master by finding the hidden objects
We provide all tents for all our camps. We provide tents for all the children and staff. We only provide tents, We do not have any fixed accommodation. The first activity the children so is the Big Build where they learn how to pitch tent. Its a fantastic beginning to their Big School Camp experience.
What size groups do you cater for?
-We can run camps from 30 students up to over 300, we can usually accommodate any size group. Just ask.
Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?
-As we come to the school, we ask that a hall or gym/ classrooms suitable for the number of students are made available in case of poor weather.
-All our activities can be adjusted to take place inside apart from firefighting
-We bring a number of large event shelters that are used as bases for some of the activities
-The school’s toilets are used by the students and staff
Is there first aid on site?
Yes,
Everyone of our instructors is a Qualified First Aider.
Every member of staff has an enhanced DBS
We are fully insured and an approved outdoor provider
Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?
Yes,
We believe all students should be given the opportunity to take part, we plan and adapt activities to ensure all are fully included.
Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?
Yes,
A number of our instructors have many years worth of experience working with students with special educational need. We believe all students should be given the opportunity to take part, we plan and adapt activities to ensure all are fully included.
Anything else?
Our Advice to Schools when planning a Big School Camp
• Inform LEA of Dates of camp and activities that will be taking place at earliest opportunity
• Complete an Evolve form- Support Guide attached
• Good practice to inform residents of camp
• Send all information to parents/carers- Big School Camp provides letter templates
• Parental Consent must be given for students to stay past end of school day
• Emergency Contact details for every child required for school staff
• Medical contact details for every child required for school staff
• System in place for the registration of students throughout the day & night
Schools should have:
• First aid trained school staff to meet first aid ratio numbers- We recommend that at least one adult is trained in first aid.
• The level of first-aid provision for each school must be decided on the specific requirements of the school. There is no fixed level, but each school needs to assess what equipment, facilities and personnel are appropriate. See our first aid guidance document for further info.
• Correct staff to student ratio during the day- we advise 1:20
• School staff are responsible for the behaviour & wellbeing of their children at all times
• We recommended 1:8 for school staff staying overnight- this is guidance not law
• A fire safety and evacuation plan specific for the camp
• Provision of drinking water
• Planned back up in the event of a lightning storm/ extreme weather- i.e.. students sleep in hall
• Provision of toilets for students & staff
• If schools wish to have a fire in the evening the school will need to provide the firewood
Big School Camp
We Provide
• All the Risk assessments for every activity taking place
• Includes an overall Camp risk assessment
• We provide support materials for schools such as letter templates
• All the equipment & staff for all activities
• A full timetable plan sent in advance of the camp
• All tents for students and staff
• Provision of a fire pit if the schools wish, responsibility for it being managed & put out is schools’ responsibility
We do not provide
• Any bedding, roll mats, materials for students to use other than the activity equipment
• Any toilets / washing facilities
• Security – ( we can advise on this- As a guide three security guards overnight is approx. £1,000)
We do require
• Access to the site the day before or early in the morning of the camp
• Contact number for the site manager to support with our arrival
• A safe area for our staff to camp
• Space to park a few vehicles, ideally on the site
• Access to power if school is booking catering
• Access for our staff to use facilities- toilets, kitchen for use of kettle, cooker if possible.
Booking Process
How we support you through every step leading up to the camp.
1- Initial enquiry made by school.
2- Full detailed Big School Camp information sent including Prices.
3- School complete enquiry Form with requested dates of camp.
4- Dates confirmed if available or alternatives offered
5- Full Quote given with logistics charge.
6- If school proceeds Invoice sent, minimum 50% payment required within 30 days to confirm booking.
7- Full support email pack sent to schools including.
Letter template to send to parents
Kit List letter template
Digital Brochure to send to parents
Assembly Powerpoint- This can be shared with parents
All our Risk Assessments
Support guidance on completing Evolve
Child Protection Policy & Safeguarding Policy
Checklist for schools-What you need? What we provide?
Public Liability Insurance Certificate
Terms & Conditions
DBS Checks on Big School Camp Staff Letter
8- Create you Big School Camp form sent- this is where the school selects which activities, they would like to have from our huge range, and inform us about any specific request, needs.
9- Big School Camp staff assigned to camp.
10- Final Balance must be paid 3 months before the camp.
11- Our team are available 7 days a week to answer any questions via email and our office is open Monday-Friday 9am-4pm on 01273 714400
12- We arrive and create & deliver an unforgettable Big School Camp experience,
13- We pack up leaving no trace.
14- We get ready to book you back in!
Time frames
Most schools book in with us at the start or before the new academic year to ensure there is plenty of time and they can book the dates they require.
Our team work with the school through every step.
From May onwards we often begin to take bookings for the following academic year.
As we come to you we travel to any school location in England. The company is based Sussex
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Who are Big School Camp?
Big School Camp create full-sized pop-up campsites with a host of outdoor learning experiences on the school site, allowing pupils to participate at low cost.
The first activity is building the camp with the children, we then run a wide range of activities that are chosen from our activity list by the school.
Our wide range of activities not only meet, but exceed, many elements of the new national curriculum, such as Outdoor Adventurous Activities (OAA), through bushcraft, life skills through First Aid for children, plus various team building skills. These provide children with unique and unrivalled experiences which they will remember for their entire lives.
Fire Lighting, Team Building, Life Skills, Assault Courses, Shelter-Building, Navigation, Knife Skills & Cooking Skills to name a few.
We have a large number of tents that help to create an instant festival-style campsite. We also have a number of Bell Tents and Event Shelters available. Big School Camp provides all the staff and equipment for the camps. We also provide all schools with a full support pack taking the school through every step of the planning.
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