Our Governors have asked us to gauge feeling about the 2026 Year Six Residential. They, like us in school, are aware of the increasing costs in times when many families face financial challenges.
Traditionally, we have always taken our Year Six children to an adventure centre, such as Kingswood, PGL or currently the Mount Cook Adventure Centre. These have always been great and much enjoyed. Children are in dormitory accommodation, food is typically very good indeed with two hot meals and a packed lunch included. The activities typically include a very adventurous ‘menu’ including climbing, abseiling, canoeing, raft building and much more besides. There is evening entertainment and activities.
You can see the type of thing here at Mount Cook’s website: https://www.mountcook.uk/
However, while these centres have never been cheap, the prices, like everything else, have inflated significantly in the past few years. Two nights (three days) with transport, we’re now looking around £280-300. We subsidise this from Pupil premium for those children entitled and signed up for that to make the cost nearer £100.
An alternative would be to have a more basic camp – perhaps at somewhere like Walesby Forest where we could book communal lodges (approx £100 per person per night with all activities and meals) or camp under canvas (approx £80 pp/pn). Transport is about another £20 each. Two nights with transport is therefore £180-220. Again, you can see the facilities here: https://www.walesbyforest.org.uk/
A third option would be to make the use of Transform Trust’s camping equipment and outdoor education base at Bagthorpe Primary up in North Notts. Some Trust schools camp there, in the small wood attached to the school. This would be very basic camping under canvas, using the school toilets etc and simple activities like building a bonfire, outdoor games and walking. We think this can be done for about £40 a head for a night and would probably really only consider one night, given the limited facilities.
We are trying to get ‘ahead of the game’ to give us as much chance to book something that appeals to our community. Hence, we are asking now!
Your thoughts – none of which are binding – are invited on the short survey below. We will leave this open until the end of this term.
https://forms.office.com/e/ySDSivhe7P
