These days were introduced to enable schools and colleges to welcome students into Sixth Forms, Year 7 at Secondary School, or other courses in a productive and enjoyable way. The course has been devised by Steve Ranger M.A., P.G.C.E., F.R.G.S. who has undertaken research into the effects of Outdoor Education, and Paul Morley B.Ed. who has researched the value of Outdoor Education in developing self-esteem. This day is also used for undergraduates at Brighton University Business School for their Personal Development Module.

Aims

The day aims to achieve the introduction of students to one another in a friendly and enjoyable environment, and will also introduce them to elements of:

- Working in teams

- Developing working relationships

- Co- operation in and between teams

- Creative problem solving

- Interpersonal co-operation

- Organisational skills

Format

The educational aims of the day are achieved by placing the students in an unfamiliar but non-threatening situation with a series of tasks to complete. Students are divided into teams to provide a competitive element, and over the course of the day undertake a series of specifically designed tasks according to the instructions they receive. The most familiar analogy would be 'management training' - style courses where the group is expected to cross a stream with limited materials or build an unusual device to certain specifications. The day is held in a large wooded area and students take part in tasks such as abseiling, orienteering and stream crossing, as well as non-physical tasks where communication and teamwork are essential for success.

Students are not obliged to take part in an activity if they do not wish to; the course does not need to be physical for every participant and is therefore appropriate for those with disabilities.

After the day's activities there is a summary session at which students are able to discuss and reflect upon what they may have experienced.

By far the best way to get an idea of a typical day is to view the video below:

Location and Itinerary

The days are held in Sussex, usually at Broadstone Warren near East Grinstead . The start and finish times for the day depend on your requirements.

Information Sheets

For an Information Sheet outlining how the days work, please click here

How to get there

To view or download Directions to our sites, please click here

Clients and References

Several of the top listed schools by examination results in the South take part in these courses every year, and they regard them as a valuable part of their Sixth Form induction.

We are happy to give you as many references from Headteachers and Heads of Sixth Form as you need - please call and we will put you in touch with a school in your area, or of a similar type.

Cost

2009 - Days are £27 + vat per student (the VAT is usually recoverable by the school), except for the first two weeks of September which are £28 + vat. This includes instruction, all specialist equipment, course materials and review sessions. Further advice is available on the uses of Outdoor Education in schools for students and staff; please call us and we will be pleased to help.

Should you have any further questions please don't hesitate to call the Schools Director Paul Morley on 01273 299567 (07973 373115 mobile) or the office on 01273 487509.

Availability of Courses

These days are available throughout the year; however most schools want to run a course in September and October so these months are very busy. Most days are booked a year in advance, but there is usually a date we can agree, so please give us a call.

Often we have provisional bookings for dates; these are only confirmed when deposits are received, so if you have a specific date we'll confirm it with a deposit of £500 + vat.

For bookings or enquiries, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call the office (see Contacts page).

Please bear in mind that teachers are often hard to get hold of on the telephone, so if you're teaching every period leave us a fax number, email address or even a home phone - we won't pester you with follow up calls!