Residential School Trips

Check Summer 2026 availability for outdoor pursuits trips

Activities & Residentials
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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 choosing camping accommodation, 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.

School Activity Trip - get some suggestions

Let us find the perfect UK residential for your school trip.

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Popular school trip December 2025 !

UKSA

location icon School Trip London & South East
apple icon 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.

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UKSA
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Manor Adventure Isle of Wight
Manor Adventure Isle of Wight
map pin London & South East

We use Outdoor Pursuits to help develop children by giving them independence, developing their social skills and of course their confidence. Our many safe yet challenging activities will give them...
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Blackland Farm Outdoor Centre
Blackland Farm Outdoor Centre
map pin London & South East

We have three lodges on-site, ranging from traditional to modern, with the capacity to sleep 93 in total. Restrop Lodge is a traditional lodge with single dormitory for 22, staff room for 3,...
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Walton Firs Activity Centre
Walton Firs Activity Centre
map pin London & South East

Walton Firs Activity Centre offers a growing curriculum of bushcraft-based activities, from taster sessions for the inexperienced, through to specialist weekend survival experiences! Please contact us for more information, or visit our website.
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Calshot Activities Centre, Hampshire
Calshot Activities Centre, Hampshire
map pin London & South East

Our diverse range of activities encourage all core skills involved in PE, such as; Balance, Coordination, Stamina, Problem Solving and Strength. We have activities such as; Climbing, Archery, Sailing, Kayaking, Track Cycling and other more Team focussed activities too.
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Mendip Activity Centre
Mendip Activity Centre
map pin South West

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...
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Unforgettable Residentials at The Hive
Unforgettable Residentials at The Hive
map pin London & South East

We keep and care for a wide range of animals suitable for handling these include reptiles, amphibians, fish, mammals, birds and a variety of invertebrates. We provide them with enclosures that mimic...
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Norfolk Lakes Activity Centre
Norfolk Lakes Activity Centre
map pin East of England

Schools can enjoy a range of watersports and outdoor pursuits in our new activity centre, 11 miles from Norwich in East Anglia. As well as 37 acres of water, large indoor facilities provide a range of activities such as climbing, abseiling and more.
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Cumulus Outdoors Tented Village - Corfe Castle
Cumulus Outdoors Tented Village - Corfe Castle
map pin South West

We use team challenges, our ethos of 'challenge by choice' and leadership skills in all of our physical activities. The activities can be physically challenging but all students are supported and...
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Buzz Active Bushy Wood
Buzz Active Bushy Wood
map pin London & South East

We offer a great location to explore all aspects of forest School, and bushcraft/ fire craft. With an abundance of material for backwoods skills and bushcraft creativity. Bushy Wood has all you need...
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Isle of Wight - The Island Classroom with Education Destination
Isle of Wight - The Island Classroom with Education Destination
map pin London & South East

Biology of Animals Our Island features many attractions suited to learning more about all kinds of animals. At the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary for example, KS1 students can learn about the...
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Benmore Outdoor Centre
Benmore Outdoor Centre
map pin Scotland

At Benmore we are lucky have both an inland loch and a sea loch right on our doorstep. This is an ideal environment for watersports, and we are able to offer sailing, canoeing, raft-building and kayaking.
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Isle of Wight for Primary & Middle Schools-Curriculum Travel
Isle of Wight for Primary & Middle Schools-Curriculum Travel
map pin London & South East

Brading Roman Villa stands as a distinguished Roman heritage site within the United Kingdom. Its acclaimed Visitor Centre and Museum provide an exceptional opportunity to delve into the intricacies of...
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Your Dorset Adventure Awaits!
Your Dorset Adventure Awaits!
map pin South West

We arrange 100% bespoke adventure-based residentials to Dorset and the Jurassic Coast. We can include transport, accommodation, activities, risk assessments and much more, saving you time and stress! Leave the work to us so you can focus on teaching!
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Fallow Fields Lathe Barn
Fallow Fields Lathe Barn
map pin London & South East

Lathe Barn is ideally positioned close to both the North Downs and Canti Way with good transport links and ample paring for leaders.
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South Downs Bunkhouse
South Downs Bunkhouse
map pin London & South East

A visit to Houghton Farm enables students to experience food production for themselves. By linking sustainable farming techniques which focus on improving the health of the soil, and caring for the...
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Outdoor & Adventure School Residential Trips
Outdoor & Adventure School Residential Trips
map pin South West

With over 96 acres at our disposal, we incorporate physical education throughout your stay, including evening entertainments such as organised criekt and football and field games.
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Fallow Fields Selson Farm
Fallow Fields Selson Farm
map pin London & South East

Selson Farm is nestled within apple orchards, in the beautiful Kentish countryside close to the historic town of Sandwich. Take a guided walk around the farm learning about its history, the...
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Mount Cook
Mount Cook
map pin East Midlands

Located just outside the Peak District National Park, we have fantastic access into the surrounding countryside which includes woodlands, historical trails, quarries, caves and reservoirs. With the...
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Sealyham Activity Centre
Sealyham Activity Centre
map pin Wales

Sealyham is an exceptional venue for students studying physical education, offering a dynamic and invigorating environment that promotes active learning and physical development. The centre provides a...
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Ingestre Hall Residential Arts Centre
Ingestre Hall Residential Arts Centre
map pin West Midlands

Our delivery combines a learning outcome with a theme that acts as a stimulus. With a theme of your choice, the participants will explore a topic and create something original based on (for example) British Values, or a set of school values.
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The Expert Opinion

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

How Cumulus Outdoors Helps Anxious Pupils Emotionally Prepare For Residential Trips
Residential

A school residential should feel exciting for pupils and reassuring for families, yet it is completely normal for some children and parents to feel nervous in the lead up to the trip. At Cumulus Outdoors we understand this anticipation and work hard to create a safe, supportive and predictable environment long before pupils arrive on site. Our goal is simple. We want every child to feel ready for the adventure, every parent to feel at ease, and every school to trust that their pupils are in capable hands. Below is an in depth look at how we prepare anxious pupils and reassure parents.

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Exciting Upgrades at Walesby Forest's Tented Village
Residential

We’re delighted to share some fantastic news from Walesby Forest! Our much-loved Tented Village is getting a significant upgrade, bringing even more comfort and versatility.

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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.

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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

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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 costCost - 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 safetySafety - 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 planningPlanning - 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 inspectionInspection - 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 outcomesOutcomes - 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.


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