What is the best time of year for a school activity residential? Our honest answer is any time! With so much to gain from a school trip, we looked at the different considerations schools make when planning their multi-day outdoor activity residentials.
Things to consider when planning a school trip
The main factors organisers consider are the purpose of the trip, curriculum links, enrichment opportunities, and requirements for accommodation and catering. These factors tie together and help indicate which time of year best suits your school activity residential.
What would you like students to achieve during their school residential?
Schools organise residentials for certain times of year depending on the purpose of the trip. It may be a start-of-year induction or a mid-year reset. Alternatively, trips can be aligned with specific curriculum milestones or help prepare students for upcoming challenges.
Educator’s insight: Ally, a teacher who regularly attends Mendip residentials with her students, suggests setting up a working document with key dates marked so you can start your planning well in advance and align residential trips with desired outcomes.
Start the year on the right foot - inductions and icebreakers
Activity residentials at the start of the academic year help students to build on existing relationships, develop new connections, and cultivate awareness of their capabilities. Instructors encourage young people to develop independence and self-reliance to help them with problem-solving, communication, and decision-making.
Cultivate and reward resilience - enrich the learning experience, naturally
Outdoor activities present many enrichment opportunities and help young people develop their self-belief. School trips are a reinvigorating reward for students who have navigated challenging times and, with numerous benefits to spending time in nature, young people can enhance resilience and unlock new interests.
Link it with the curriculum
Deepen students’ understanding of the academic curriculum with activities that overlap with key learning areas. Students benefit from applying what they have learned in the classroom to real-world scenarios, expanding their worldview and making new connections.
Prepare for challenges - timing is key
Exams or transitions to a new year can impact young people and their abilities to manage their personal circumstances. Activity residentials help students relax, reconnect with each other and develop confidence in their abilities to navigate through life.
The purpose of the residential will influence when to deliver it, so keep that in mind when planning the school calendar.
Expand on the curriculum - support learning outcomes with outdoor activity residential trips
Young people experience academic subjects differently when they see how those topics link with real-world environments. Students can see geology come alive in a cave, walk in the steps of historical figures on the hills, or observe unique plants and animals. Multisensory learning in an outdoor environment enhances classroom lessons, and learners enjoy experiences that can’t be replicated at school.
In subjects from earth sciences to history and art, outdoor activities offer amazing opportunities to enrich the existing curriculum and add another dimension to the learning experience. Through active learning and working together, pupils develop strong connections with the curriculum and learn skills that will benefit them in future.
If there is a specific part of the curriculum your school wishes to highlight, consider booking a activity residential to coincide with that subject. Mendip can adapt the itinerary to help your students achieve specific learning goals. Explore activities connected with science subjects like Caving and Watersports, or arrange a schedule highlighting local history and culture through Bushcraft and Archery. Students enjoy a change of scenery and activity providers will be more than happy to discuss your school’s needs at any time of year.
Adventure, personal growth, and development
School activity residential trips are amazing enrichment opportunities that allow students to try new things, develop personally, and enhance their academic experience. With assistance from the activity provider, school trip organisers can select activities that encourage communication, teamwork and positive-growth mindsets, which support healthy approaches to risk and challenge.
Enrichment activities are beneficial at any time of year, and educators are becoming more aware of how they trickle out into other aspects of young people’s lives. These activities can be even more beneficial for students at certain times of the year, such as before exams or transitioning between primary and secondary school.
Working with the school, activity providers will develop an itinerary around the organiser’s goals for the residential. Alongside structured activities, every school realises the importance of allowing young people the time to immerse themselves in the residential experience. Look for a provider that creates opportunities to relax, connect and explore in a technology-free environment where young people feel safe and comfortable.
School requirements for outdoor activity residential trips
Location and capacity are important factors when planning a residential; the location influences transport and the activities on offer, and the provider must have the capacity and catering capabilities to meet the school’s needs.
Educator’s insight: Some key areas to check when researching activity residential providers include sleeping arrangements for students and chaperones, safeguarding procedures, risk assessments, dietary accommodations and accessibility accommodations.
Location
Pick a provider that is easy to get to. Do they have adequate coach space and parking for teachers who brought their vehicles? Do they have the activities you are interested in? There are amazing activity providers across the country so it’s possible to find a venue locally or further afield. If the school is local to the activity centre, they may offer progressive activity day-trip programs that can be booked without the residential.
Accommodation capacity
How many students are attending the residential? School residential trips can be organised for small classes or entire year groups, and accommodation capacity is likely one of the main factors in your decision. Activity providers offer a range of options, with some specialising in large groups and others catering to small groups. The accommodation can be anything from canvas tents to large bunkhouses, and toilet facilities can be basic or just like home.
Catering
Catering is also important, and activity providers should be able to accommodate dietary requirements and offer plenty of food to keep students going throughout the trip. Trip organisers should discuss any dietary requirements as soon as possible to help the residential run smoothly and make sure everyone’s needs are met.
Educator’s insight: Teacher and frequent Mendip residential organiser Bev suggests doing a preliminary site visit to see if the venue suits the group and offers the right mix of fun, organisation and safety.
Pick a time that suits your students
If it’s a good time for your school, it’s a good time to run a school residential! Autumn, winter, spring and summer all offer real experiences and genuine adventure no matter what, and students will take their memories with them for the rest of their lives. Click here to find out how local teachers Bev and Ally organise their residentials, and you can email us at info@mendip.co.uk for more information.
Experience a Mendip school residential
Easy organising from start to finish
Professional instructors and fantastic support staff
Adventure onsite
Activities and accommodation any time of the year
With awesome activities and unique fully-catered accommodation options for up to 300 students, Mendip school residentials are like nothing else. We are experts at delivering screen-free adventure activities to boost confidence, build resilience and help young people reconnect with nature.
‘I have been taking year 6 children away on residentials for many years and I can honestly say that this was the best experience I have ever had - both with regards to the children and the teachers. The activities were very well organised and took place in the great outdoors and local area.’
You can see an example activity itinerary and find out more about Mendip’s school residentials here.
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