Residential School Trips

Check Summer 2026 availability for outdoor pursuits trips

Activities & Residentials

Fun & educational outdoor activities and overnight stays

Residential outdoor education has numerous benefits for school children and young adults alike. Team bonding activities, individual skills development, confidence building outdoor pursuits, plus the experience of living together 24 hours a day, all combine to ensure each and every student will benefit from a residential school trip.

Away from home, perhaps for the first time, school residential trips form such an important part of growing up and are the perfect opportunity for a valuable learning experience. Make your school's annual residential as stress free as possible by getting help with risk assessments, lesson plans, free inspection visits and places for teachers. Read our residential trip planning guide

If you visit the same activity centre every year, you may not be getting the best value for money. Other ways to find cheaper residential school trips include taking your trip outside peak times, or having activities visit your school.

Looking for a day learning how to canoe or rock climb but do not have the time to take multiple days out of the classroom? Take a look at our activity day trips. Gold, Silver or Bronze DofE providers?

Search residential school trips in South West, South East, East of England, The Midlands, North of England, Wales, Scotland or Ireland, Historical Residentials, Group Accommodation.

Latest news from YHA, Bewerley Park, New Forest Activities, Comrie Croft and Arc Adventures

19 June 2025

YHA is offering subsidised 3 day school trips from just �25pp, aiming to ensure every child has the chance to experience the outdoors, guided by their 'no child left behind' initiative. Targeted at primary and secondary schools with at least 30% of pupils receiving Pupil Premium or free school meals, these residentials focus on connecting young people, particularly those less likely to engage with nature, with inspiring experiences in beautiful locations. ^[1]

A multi million pound redevelopment of Bewerley Park outdoor learning centre in Nidderdale is nearing completion, featuring a new 84 bed accommodation block with modern amenities designed to enhance the experience for school groups and visitors. This upgrade aims to continue the centre's legacy of providing outdoor and adventurous activities. ^[2]

Explore updated outdoor adventure programs at New Forest Activities in Hampshire, offering canoeing and team-building for school groups. Recent news includes new activity packages, enhancing educational experiences in the New Forest National Park, and they have an excellent article about the use of mobile phones during a school residential - a must read for teachers!. ^[3]

Discover nature-based school trips at Comrie Croft in Perthshire, focusing on sustainability and environmental education. Recent updates include new outdoor adventure programs, providing hands-on learning in beautiful Scottish woodlands. ^[4]

For adventure school trips in the Lake District, Arc Adventures are offering school residentials with a difference.
Check out their imaginative storyline and dragon adventure packages. Packed with rock climbing, canoeing and problem solving team-building activities, ensuring students develop leadership skills through outdoor education. ^[5]

Popular school trip September 2025 !

UKSA

School Trip London & South East
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Subjects: SEN, Sports Centre, Team Building, Watersports, Accommodation Only, Physical Education

With 35+ years of experience, UK Sailing Academy (UKSA) offers young people a fun and safe outdoor environment in which to learn important life skills. Packages in sailing, watersports, and teambuilding include accommodation, food, kit, and tuition.

Residential Activities near me

How far will you travel

within 60 miles

What do you want to do?

Tell us the type of trip, how many students and your accommodation preference

30 pupils

Dormitory Rooms Camping Either

We Found 148 Residential Activity School Trips

The residential trips below are just a sample of what we have available. Use the search options above to discover more trips:

The Expert Opinion

UK Residential School Trip Providers share their insights into the value of outdoor pursuits..

Tailored School Residential Visits: Shaping Unforgettable Experiences for Every Group

Residential

At Grafham Water Centre, we understand that no two schools—or students—are the same. That’s why we specialise in creating bespoke residential visits that are as unique as your group. Whether you're looking to focus on outdoor adventure, curriculum-linked learning, team-building, or personal development, we work closely with you to design a visit that meets your exact needs.

School Residential Camps by a beautiful sandy beach in Devon

Residential

UNESCO world heritage site, the gateway to the jurassic coast which starts at Orcombe point, Exmouth, Devon. That is where you will find us, our camp and us being busy at one of our watersports centres. The view from our campsite is extraordinary. The Red Rock of Exmouth is from the Triassic period over 250 million years ago. The rock was laid down near where the Sahara Desert sits today, burnt red rocks and wonderful yellow sandy beach and we have the privilege of having our camp and watersports centre at Orcombe point. Red Rock Outdoor Limited

The Best Autumn and Winter Residential and Day Trips at YMCA Fairthorne Manor

Residential

Just because the sun isn't out doesn't mean the fun stops. School Trips at Fairthorne run year-round for your students to enjoy adventure. The colder months are still an excellent time for residential and day trips full of team-building activities and adventure. At YMCA Fairthorne Manor, we offer indoor and outdoor activities to suit your students, and to be flexible around the British weather. Set within 95 acres of stunning Hampshire countryside, we offer an array of activities.

The Importance of Teaching Skills in the Outdoors

Residential

As a teacher I reflect on both the good and bad learning experiences I have received to develop an effective learning plan when I teach.

How to Choose a Residential Centre

Local authority managed Outdoor Education Centres have been providing outdoor learning experiences for school children since the 1950s. In recent years the number of council run centres has been in steep decline, as public spending is slashed and service provision is shifted to the private sector. Thankfully for schools wishing to book a residential activity week, there are still plenty of specialist centres available to offer adventurous activities to your students. With so many residential activity options for teachers to choose from, how do you choose between them and what is most important?

residential cost Cost - for the majority of schools who ask us to help them find a good residential activity centre, cost is a one of, and in many cases, the single most important factors. Schools cannot afford to pay the full cost of the trip, so will ask parents for a voluntary contribution. Clearly the lower the cost of the trip, the more children will be able to attend. Getting quotes from a number of activity centres is something every school should do. You can also look at additional sources of funding too. Think about how far ahead you book your trip - lots of schools leave organising their residential until the last minute. This can work in their favour if they are looking at off-peak times of the year, which centres are starting to offer discounted late availability, but for popular weeks, booking early is recommended if you want to get the best prices. While cost is important, we don't think it should always be the deciding factor.

residential safety Safety - safety is important for every year group. A well run, professional residential centre will have a number of industry standard badges, awards or certificates to show that their management practices, staff and safety procedures are up to scratch. Some examples of these include the LOtC, AALA, and Adventure Mark. The instructors will be responsible for the children's safety, though most activities will include tuition so that students can take some responsibility themselves.

residential planning Planning - organising your school residential holiday involves a fair bit of planning, but most activity centres know how to make the job easier by providing help in the form of kit lists, meal request sheets, and travel arrangements. General advice is to give yourself as much time as possible when booking your school residential, if nothing else it means the more popular venues are less likely to be already booked up for your preferred week. For a more detailed residential planning guide.

residential inspection Inspection - An inspection visit will allow you to see the facilities on offer and make it much easier to judge whether the centre is a good fit for your school. Brochures and websites can give a good indication, but seeing first hand is always preferable if you can spare the time. While you are visiting, make sure you take a list of prepared questions that cover any issues or concerns you may have.

residential learning outcomes Outcomes - Learning outcomes is one of the biggest buzz words when it comes to school trips. Enjoyment of the experience itself is great, but ideally you want to be able to demonstrate that your students will benefit from participation, teamwork, physical and competitive achievements, learning new skills, and a whole host of other key benefits.

References

^[1] https://www.yha.org.uk/group-bookings/school-trips/subsidised-residentials
^[2] https://www.yourharrogate.co.uk/local-news/harrogate/multi-million-pound-bewerley-park-improvements-near-completion/
^[3] https://www.newforestactivities.co.uk
^[4] https://www.comriecroft.com
^[5] https://arc-experience.com

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Residential School Trips

Activities & Residentials

School Activity Trip - get some suggestions

Latest news from YHA, Bewerley Park, New Forest Activities, Comrie Croft and Arc Adventures

UKSA

Residential Activities near me

What do you want to do?

We Found 148 Residential Activity School Trips

The Expert Opinion

Tailored School Residential Visits: Shaping Unforgettable Experiences for Every Group

School Residential Camps by a beautiful sandy beach in Devon

The Best Autumn and Winter Residential and Day Trips at YMCA Fairthorne Manor

The Importance of Teaching Skills in the Outdoors

How to Choose a Residential Centre

References

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