Mendip Activity Centre

School Trips

Why book Mendip Activity Centre for Residential School Trips and Educational Visits?

School Activity Residential and Day Trips at Mendip are fuelled with real adventure, top accommodation and technology-free weeks, designed to help students connect with nature, build resilience and boost confidence.

Mendip has several accommodation offerings within the Mendip Hills National Landscape with a Lodge, Tented Village, a traditional campsite and a hostel in Cheddar. These are ideal locations for school activity camps with accommodation types for between 30 and 300 students.

REAL ADVENTURE: Mendip's onsite multi-activity centre, private rock-sports quarry and private river ensure that Mendip residentials are full of adventure. Fully qualified and trained outdoor instructors act as guides, coaches, teachers and entertainers: they'll challenge and inspire your young people.

ACCOMMODATION IMMERSED IN NATURE: You're surrounded by one of the southwest's most special landscapes, the Mendip Hills. Wake up to the sounds of birds and stunning views of rolling hills and deep, undulating valleys, gorges, caves and ancient woodlands.

Each accommodation type is slightly unique but you will have exclusive use of your venue, private toilet and showers and top catering. We cater for all dietary requirements filling breakfasts, packed lunches perfect for refuelling in between activity sessions, and hot evening meals with an option suitable for everyone!

TECHNOLOGY FREE: Make time to disconnect and young people boost confidence, build resilience and reconnect with nature. Outdoor learning is powerful. We believe spending time in the great outdoors and tackling adventure, helps set all students up for future challenges.

Many of our schools have been with us since the beginning- 1987- and they still tell us that our team are amongst the best in the business.

Please get in touch and we'll be happy discuss your options further.

Teacher Checklist

Risk Assessments
Inspection Visits
Resource Packs
LOtC Quality Badge
AALA Licence
Institute of Outdoor Learning
ATOL Licence
Adventure Mark
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Adventure Activity Associates
BCU Centre

What activities are available during group visits?

We'll design your group an action-packed week with a range of adventurous activities. Learning objectives can be incorporated into all of our activities; if you have specific curriculum aims, we are more than happy to fit these into your week.

An example 5-day residential might include:
- Rock Climbing
- Kayaking
- Paddleboarding
- Assault Course
- Team Challenges
- Bushcraft
- Low Ropes
- Abseiling
- Caving
- Archery
- Axe Throwing

Evening activities could include night walks, team challenges, tobogganing, orienteering, blind trails, frisbee golf, competitions, campfires, discos and film nights.

We have a fleet of PCV minibuses; transport is always included to any offsite activities, such as our private watersports site, Hewish, or caving at Burrington Combe.

Which Curriculum Subjects do you cater for?

Outdoor education allows young people to foster essential team and individual skills that are invaluable for students' personal growth.

At Mendip Activity Centre, school residentials are designed to include a range of group initiative and problem-solving activities. Throughout the ancient woodland, a series of fun and customizable challenges can be tailored to include specific goals such as:

• Leadership Development
• Team Skills
• Relationship Building
• Improving Communication
• Building Confidence and Trust

Team building allows young people to develop and improve skills in a safe and fun environment. Mendip Activity Centre also offers dedicated activity days focused solely on team building and team development.

Curriculum topics available: Mapping, Ecology, Ecosystems, Geology, Rivers, Sustainability.

We help you to take your Learning Outside the Classroom! Immerse your students in the great outdoors, where they can explore a diverse range of curriculum-focused topics such as geography, history, science, and creative studies.

At Mendip Activity Centre, we offer a wide variety of captivating field study topics:
•Delve into the fascinating geology and rich history of caves and mines in the Mendip Hills.
•Source to sea: follow the journey of rivers and discover their sources as they flow from the majestic hills to the sea.
•Witness the effects of climate change firsthand and discover practical ways to make a positive impact on sustainability.
•Uncover the secrets of the unique ecology and ecosystems of the Mendip Hills National Lanscape. Mendip's 250-acre land thrives with vibrant butterflies, grasses, orchids, and ancient trees.
•Rocks and relics: Mendip’s very own limestone quarry is a great place to learn about rocks and their uses.

Curriculum topics available: Climbing, Canoeing, Orienteering, Archery, Kayaking, Caving.

Engage and energize young minds through outdoor adventure activities that promote an active lifestyle. Mendip Activity Centre not only encourages physical fitness but also foster the development of essential skills such as leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, and coordination.

Mendip work with schools and colleges to offer tailored Physical Education courses for GCSE, BTEC and T Level. Students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to learn and put into practice new physical skills, whilst trying new sports.
Activities that work most effectively for physical education include:
• Rock Climbing
• Kayaking
• Canoeing
• Paddle Boarding
• Archery
• Air Rifle
• Navigation
• Orienteering
• Caving

Enrich your physical education curriculum with Mendip's range of exciting activities that promote physical well-being and skill development.

What size groups do you cater for?

We cater for group sizes from 30 up to 300.

Do you offer on-site classroom facilities?

All our accommodation venues have private marquees or rooms. We also have a forest school area available for use onsite.

Is there first aid on site?

Yes, all of our instructors have a valid Outdoor First Aid qualification.

Do you offer access for visitors with disabilities?

Yes, we cater for children with disabilities and additional needs. Please contact us directly with your exact requirements so we can advise.

Do you cater for visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)?

Yes, we can cater for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN). Please contact us directly with your exact requirements so we can advise.

Who are Mendip Activity Centre?

Established in 1987, Mendip Activity Centre is a national activity, education and training provider setting the gold standard in adventure and training. Our goal is to inspire everyone, everywhere, to make time for adventure.