Arc Adventures School Trip
Residential Trip Residentials Wales Unique Trips
- Our staff has a combined 30 years of supporting education and really believe that residential experiences can be life-changing and help bring out the true potential of young people. - We have specialist instructors for each activity and experience to provide expert knowledge as well as our core staff who are all highly trained and experienced educators.
- ARC has one of the most remote activity centres in the UK which allows us to use incredibly beautiful venues that are so isolated that the chances of cross many other humans are low. We think this is a crucial part of your experience: We can create a bubble where our focus is your group and their development throughout the week as well as reconnecting you to the natural environment which we each must learn to love. How else will we have the reason and drive to protect it?
- Our bespoke approach to residentials means we can really take your group on the adventure they need to leave with the outcomes desired. We are truly dedicated to our holidays being an educational experience and design all our programmes based around your group's outcomes.
- We are a designated Dark Sky viewing point, National Park Ambassadors and situated with in Forest Fwar Geo-park. The scenery driving to us is breath-taking and worth that extra miles, and the venues for our activities are specifically chosen to be awe-inspiring to complement our Myth Based Adventures.
Teacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Bursaries or Funded Places Available Resource Packs AALA Licence Institute of Outdoor Learning Paddle UK Centre
What activities are available during educational visits?
Our main activities include:
Abseil
Air Rifles
Archery
Art Workshops
Axe Throwing
Bushcraft
Caving
Climbing
Drum workshop
Fencing
Foraging
Geo-Caching
Gorge Walking
Kayaking
Laser Tag
Mountain Biking
Orienteering & Hiking
Problem-Solving
Stand-up Paddle Boards
Abseil
Air Rifles
Archery
Art Workshops
Axe Throwing
Bushcraft
Caving
Climbing
Drum workshop
Fencing
Foraging
Geo-Caching
Gorge Walking
Kayaking
Laser Tag
Mountain Biking
Orienteering & Hiking
Problem-Solving
Stand-up Paddle Boards
Which curriculum topics do we cater for?
Citizenship School Trip Click to expand
Personal development and resilience Team building Alcohol and drugs awareness Politics and parliament Functions and uses of money
How better to teach citizenship than by looking at team dynamics. Our Bespoke V.S courses pit teams against each other in challenges which range from debating to Caving with everything in between. We ask young people to take responsibility for themselves and others with very little supervision. We use this tactic and their failure at tasks because of it to facilitate discussions about democracy, Crime and Justice. Their team will only win in these puzzles if they can develop a feeling of community, mutual respect and tolerance.
With optional sections that cover: Drugs and Alcohol, Sex Education & Cyberbullying,
Politics and Parliament, Economics, Money and Finance. We design the week to your curriculum or your groups passions. This is a week led strongly by the students, impossible inside the normal framework of a school allowing them to make their own discoveries as to what it takes to be a successful citizen.
English School Trip Click to expand
Story writing Fairy tales Myths and Legends Heroes and villains Creative writing Storytelling
Hidden in the rural heart of Wales where Myth, Legend and history intertwine. We have our own breed of fairy tales with surreal Narratives all tied to its epic and inspiring landscape. What could be more inspiring to the imagination than hearing the legends spoken around a camp fire and then visiting the locations they happened in the next day.
We can focus our weeks around whichever medium you wish to address although we prefer to be the inspiration and allow the young people to choose their medium. Wherever their passion lies: Story Writing or poetry, Journalism or diary to create a creative piece based upon their stay.
With sessions on Narrative, Simile and metaphor, composition, Characters and Persuasive Language our stays are a deep dive into a world of magic and adventures in both the spoken and written word.
Maths School Trip
Logic and Problem Solving Measurement Geometry
From primary Maths puzzle games to triangulation mapping we can tailor make a residential to your curriculum outcomes. Get in touch to let our inventive and passionate staff design a trip to bring even the hardest of problems to life.
Performing Arts School Trip
Get completely immersed in our myths and legends storylines, acting out the characters exploring their worlds. From traditional methods of storytelling to improvised scenes let us take you on a journey through welsh history - where you become the history.
Physical Education School Trip
Climbing Canoeing Orienteering Archery Sailing Kayaking High Ropes
Our physical education courses introduce young people to a plethora of alternative sports from fencing to climbing and allow the students to reflect on their benefits and drawbacks. As well as discuss with people active in the sport how the sport affects their lives.
Art School Trip Click to expand
Printmaking Bookbinding Sculpture Design Painting Craft Textiles Multimedia
Our remote location allows us a huge multitude of options for Art and artistic based residentials. From the 200 Acre woodland full of mosses and fungi on our doorstep to the views of mountains, lakes, rivers and ruins. Our ART weeks are bespoke to each groups needs and are led by our specialist Art instructor who has over 15 years working at all levels of mainstream school art education. Suitable for starting off coursework projects, rewarding high achievers or catching up groups who are struggling, the inspiration to be creative never ends. We have run courses in Painting, Sculpture, Photography and Textiles as well multimedia and applied art and design. We can arrange visits to local sites of interest as well as local Galleries. Combine your stay with an array of on and off site adventurous activities for a trip they will never forget.
PSHE School Trip Click to expand
Healthy Living Healthy eating Anti-bullying Drug and alcohol awareness Teamwork and resilience Mental health and awareness Online Safety Morality Right and Wrong Gangs Awareness Relationships and sex education
Our staff have experience of delivering health, sex and relationship education in a youth work setting our team are set to develop on whichever focus you would like within the broad PHSE spectrum. Outdoor Education is a perfect place to develop an understanding of risk, which is vital to understanding most elements of PHSE and we have a huge amount of activities and reflection sessions designed to help young people start to untangle their way through the moral maze that is life. Often subjects that are difficult to broach in school sessions with teachers that are known to the young people become much easier in a new and unpressured environment. .
Farm School Trip
Situated in rural wales we exist within farming communities, our links to local farming mean that young people can experience first hand what it is like to live and work in the farms. From large commercial growers and sheep farms to self sufficient smallholdings.
Geology School Trip
Rocks
Existing as we do in the heart of the Brecon Beacons and within the international geopark we can design trips based directly upon your learning outcomes. We using the mountains, rivers and the caves on our doorstep to explore and see real examples of the effects of geology on the natural world.
Team Building School Trip
ARC believes in the power of learning in nature and pushing young people to their limits: Our team-building weeks are designed to challenge participants, helping them with leadership skills, confidence, and resilience through hands-on, outdoor experiences.
Business School Trip
Enterprise and Leadership Marketing Supply and Demand
From leadership skills and project management to innovative ways of thinking: we want to create young people that know how to think for themselves but still know when to ask for help. This mixed with learning how to cultivate relationships is the basis for any entrepreneur and we love the idea of creating a world where everyone aims to work for themselves so that there's great pride in what they do.
Wildlife School Trip
All our activities are done in the natural environment: We want to submerge young people into the wilderness so that they learn to love it as much as we do. No artificial environments here! You're also in Wales so you'll cross more sheep than people.
Bushcraft School Trip
ARC Adventures offers exciting bushcraft experiences in South Wales, where you can master essential outdoor survival skills. Learn den building and shelter construction, perfect fire-lighting and campfire techniques, and explore foraging, hunting, and camouflage in the region’s wilderness. With a focus on navigation, concealment, and outdoor cooking, ARC Adventures provides a hands-on experience to develop your bushcraft abilities in an unforgettable natural setting; we back onto hundreds of acres of welsh forestry!
Watersports School Trip
SUP Stand Up Paddleboarding Sailing Kayaking Canoeing Bell Boats Raft Building Windsurfing Power Boating
Kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddleboarding on beautiful reservoirs, or day trips down canals.
Careers School Trip Click to expand
Learn how to get to where you want to be! Get the Job you want! Start Your own business!
With our unique combination of Outdoor physical activities, Teambuilding, reflective classes and lectures we create an intense week of self reflection and planning all building to the dreaded end interview with our brutal business bosses to see how your proposal stands up!
We at ARC adventures have been running development courses for young people for over 15 years and this is one of our most fun ones. Go deep to figure out your strengths and weaknesses, Where you want to be and how to get there. The ultimate test of your Entrepreneurship.
Our sessions include:- Self authoring, Marketing, Project Management, Budgets and Accounting, Funding, How to Ace interviews, How to write a proposal or CV, Logos, Brand and voice, Basic Economics.
Human Geography School Trip
Settlement and land use Natural resources
Learn to appreciate natural and the natural resources we have available to us. Especially for those young people growing up in cities, it is crucial for us to reconnect with our environment so that we can learn how to look after it.
Physical Geography School Trip
Water cycles Rivers Map and atlas Mountains Environment Plate Tectonics Fieldwork Glaciers
Caves, mountains, forests, and reservoirs. A perfect location to see the physical environment.
Environmental Geography School Trip Click to expand
Sustainable living Climate change
Sustainable living is a buzzword these days but the importance of it and the idea of living in a more regenerative world are crucial. We want to lead by example so it's an aspect that's part of our core values as a company and is part of what guides us to. make each decision. We want to bring you to our home and show you some of the things we are doing in this aspect. e.g in '2023 we decided to get a biomass generator to heat up our water and radiators. This is not only a renewable energy source but also produces significantly less CO2.
Fieldstudies School Trip Click to expand
Geology Sustainability Mapping
Field studies in the countryside offer an invaluable opportunity to explore the intersection of geology, geography, and sustainability. Using geology maps, students can examine the physical landscape, understanding the rock formations and earth processes that shape the environment. Meanwhile, geography provides a broader perspective, linking human activities with natural systems, from land use to resource management. Sustainability is a key focus in these studies, highlighting the importance of preserving the countryside’s ecosystems while promoting responsible land stewardship. These hands-on field experiences are crucial for developing a deeper understanding of how geography and geology influence sustainable practices in rural landscapes.
These are the obvious fieldstudies we can offer. However, we always love creating new weeks so make sure to share your ideas with us and we can work together to make the best, bespoke residential for your school!
What size groups do we cater for?
Up to 48 pupils + 4 staff
(Although we can cater for larger groups in tented accommodation.)
(Although we can cater for larger groups in tented accommodation.)
On-site classroom facilities?
Yes We do have the ability to provide a classroom-like environment. You can tell us your group size and any specific requirements in the form below.
Is there first aid on site?
All of our instructors are qualified first aiders and are backed up by a first responder.
Access for visitors with disabilities
We can cater for most disabilities - please contact us for more details.
Visitors with Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Our lead instructors background is in pupil referral units and all of our instructors receive additional training in managing challenging behaviour and adapting sessions for those with additional needs. In 2017 he founded ARC Adventures to specialise in developing unique courses within the outdoors to address specific issues that certain client groups present and to try and push forward the quality of what outdoor education is capable of.
Pete has been successfully delivering these to schools, challenging groups, and Pupil Referral Units ever since.
Anything else?
Storyline. Our next chapter, your next adventure
Visually compelling, engaging, and completely immersive. We have taken the best bits of outdoor education and weaved them into a week-long adventure specifically designed to challenge the young people of the Tik Tok generation. A series of time-bound puzzles will lead you to a key that unlocks your treasure... but one wrong turn will make your journey far more challenging.
Visually compelling, engaging, and completely immersive. We have taken the best bits of outdoor education and weaved them into a week-long adventure specifically designed to challenge the young people of the Tik Tok generation. A series of time-bound puzzles will lead you to a key that unlocks your treasure... but one wrong turn will make your journey far more challenging.
Who are Arc Adventures?
Arc Adventures was formed from a lifetime of working in the outdoors sector and a belief that things could be done better. We only have one group on site at any time, so we can truly focus on your group and our hostel really becomes their home from home.
We love creating bespoke adventures for our groups. Here are some of our favourites that we think push the boundaries of what a school trip can really do:
Storyline Weeks: An outdoor escape room, a choose-your-own adventure: This week takes traditional residential activities and turns them into puzzles that reveal clues to the next journey. One wrong turn and your group's next steps will be far more challenging. Storyline was originally behaviour-specific focused weeks used by PRU's and Alternative Provisions. But, here is where our passion lies so in '23-'24 we are pushing to bring this to all types of groups looking for an intensive week-long submersive adventure into the depths of their soul. Wales is the land of myths and legends and you'll meet many of them in the search for the mysterious Lady of the Lake.
Multi Activity PLUS: We include all your standard team and confidence-building activities (climbing, caving, kayaking etc.) and add some more! Take our escape room-themed puzzle park, our African drumming workshops, Totem building or our birds of prey experience. You could even be feeding lambs or swimming river rapids if you come in the right season. All with a big focus on self-reflection and improvement during the week.
Competition Weeks: Pit two teams against each other for the week, developing flags and team identities to explore the real in's outs and the effectiveness of teamwork. They will compete against each other in a set of outdoor adventurous activities that culminate in a final challenge both teams will have to work together to complete!
Geology focus: Existing as we do in the heart of the Brecon Beacons and within the international geopark we can design trips based upon your learning outcomes and using the mountains, rivers and the caves to explore and see real examples of the effects of geology on the world.
Art & Design Focus: Slightly less extreme on the activity front, this week combines our normal sessions with sketchbooking, drawing and eco-art. Suitable for starting off coursework projects, rewarding high achievers, or catching up groups who are struggling, our art instructor has over 15 years working at all levels of mainstream school art education.
Reviews from Schools..
★★★★★
"As an overall evaluation of the week, I didn't want it to end. I was really worried going into the week, I was expecting to feel home sick, as I've never spent longer than a night away from home, but I felt more homesick about the hostel afterwards than I did at any point about my home... As someone with slight social anxiety, I was very surprised at how fast I became used to the people there. In fact, this was the least anxious I've felt in years, even with everything being out of my control... So yeah, I don’t have any criticism really. This was the best thing to happen to me in years. "
Student Multi-Activity Residential Week
★★★★★
"Excellent and never to be forgotten! Push yourself to new heights.
The care and compassion shown by Peter and all the crew was amazing… there was a community spirit throughout, with a night walk and camp fire to make our days complete. It brought back happy memories staying in the YHA…
It was fantastic to be pushed physically, refreshed mentally and to forget about work and the worries of life."
Multi-Activity Family Guest
★★★★★
"Some of the finest practice I have seen in over 20 years of working with children with challenging behaviour. This skill set means the levels of engagement we see from our boys is excellent in the fantastic range of activities on offer. At all times Pete’s delivery of activities is first class and the pupils want to succeed in areas most have never experienced before.
I cannot recommend Arc Adventures enough for all children but particularly those that present with SEMH and behaviour that challenges. It is a life changing experience for our pupils in an environment which provides safety and support. "
Eaton Hall Specialist AcademyTeacher Checklist
Risk Assessments Inspection Visits Free Places for Teachers Bursaries or Funded Places Available Resource Packs AALA Licence Institute of Outdoor Learning Paddle UK Centre
Outdoor Education Residentials: A thing of the past?
Staying away from home, kayaking, hiking, climbing. The format of activity centres has barely changed in 100 years.
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