School residentials

Schools can take part in a range of activities during their residentials with us. ​We can offer courses tailor made to each school to meet your curriculum requirements or just to have fun in the outdoors.

Animal habitat studies - stream

​​Search the stream and discover the life teeming beneath its surface. Explore for signs of life and investigate the richness of the invertebrates hidden below the water. Use simple scientific guides to identify them.

Animal habitat studies - woodland

​​Discover the world of the wildlife in our woodlands and the signs that tell us they are there. Visit a badger sett and make your own ‘home’ for a minibeast. Use sensory games to learn how they live and survive there and simple scientific guides to identify them.

Fawsley day

​​Follow the map and directions to walk to the historic site at Fawsley. Possible activities could include a historic church study, orienteering and bird watching activities as a round robin.

Natural arts

​​Explore the colours and textures of nature, make tree faces or create your own masterpiece from natural found materials.

Navigation activities

​Explore the local environment developing maps reading, orientation and compass skills. This could include a short walk looking at using nature to help us discover natural navigation clues.

Orienteering, positeering and blind trail

​Visit a local site and using a map, find your way to the clues and use anagrams and maths skills. An introduction to the use of maps and developing spatial awareness. The other half of your group can take part in a ‘Blind Trail’ to use communication skills to enable all students to complete the course.

Plant habitat studies

​Use games and investigations to find out what plants need for their growth, look at food chains and webs and the nutrient cycle. Identify flora in the woodland and discover the part of plants, take leaf and bark rubbings. Listen to the ‘heart beat’ of a tree and find its height and age.

Team building

​Using our comprehensive set of equipment the children will take part in team building sessions. These involve communication and physical skills in order to solve practical problems.

Village and church studies

​​Become a detective and compare the village with your own local environment. Discover what the buildings can tell you about their history and how they were made and used.

Woodland survival

​​Find out what is needed for survival, a fun hands-on activity to build your own shelter and look at food for foraging. Walk back to the Centre following maps where you can use a campfire to cook marshmallows and learn how to use a fire steel.

An example of a typical residential day at Everdon Outdoor Learning Centre.​ These are just a suggestion of the activities which your children could be involved in. We tailor make the programme to suit your needs from a wide range of activities.

Morning

• wake up about 7am
• have a cooked breakfast and help clear away
• children pack their lunches (made for them) into their rucksacks and then kit out for day

Day activities - option one

• walk to across country to Fawsley following maps and directions
• take part in orienteering, bird watching and a historical church study as a ‘round robin’ of activities

Daytime activities - option two

• Mantles Heath, a large shelter building from natural materials, lunch in woods
• walk back to centre using maps and ‘treasure hunt’ clue sheet
• light a camp fire in the centre garden and cook marshmallows - Try using fire steels to light a fire

Dinner time

• set the tables for dinner
• all staff and children have a cooked two course dinner at 5pm

Evening activities

• ​evening activities led by school staff - An evening circular walk, with map and directions, is available as are lots of games, a library of children’s books or perhaps have your own talent show
• we have a small souvenir shop which the school staff can run for the children, £3 is more than enough

It is each schools’ responsibility to inform parents of the clothing needed.

Our suggested clothing list is:

• underwear (vest, pants/knickers)
• socks
• nightwear
• long sleeved T-Shirts - all year round due to nettles and brambles in the woods
• long trousers - all year round due to nettles and brambles in the woods
• shorts in summer (but only for use at the centre)
• warm sweaters
• gloves and hats
• stout outdoor shoes/boots or wellingtons
• soft shoes or slippers (for inside use)
• at least one change of clothing including spare underwear and socks

Our suggested kit list is:

• sleeping bag
• towels
• washing kit (soap, flannel, toothpaste, toothbrush)
• tissues or handkerchiefs
• drink/water bottle – especially important in summer
• suntan cream in summer
• torch

Please remember your child is going to have to carry their own suitcase and bags. A small suitcase is sufficient.