Adventure Learning for Primary Schools
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 1
06/07/2012 16:21:08
Contact us General enquiries
Widehorizons Centre contacts;
Widehorizons Central Office 77 Bexley Road London SE9 2PE
Widehorizons Environment Centre (Eltham, London) 020 8850 2615 environment@widehorizons.org.uk
Widehorizons Bryntysilio Centre (Llangollen, Wales) 01978 860 454 brynty@widehorizons.org.uk
Widehorizons Horton Kirby Centre (Kent) 01322 863 465 hortonkirby@widehorizons.org.uk
Widehorizons Ty’n y Berth Centre (Corris, Wales) 01654 761 678 tynyberth@widehorizons.org.uk
Widehorizons Townsend Centre (Swanage, Dorset) 01929 422 448 townsend@widehorizons.org.uk
Widehorizons Margaret McMillan House (Wrotham, Kent) 01732 822 651 mcmillan@widehorizons.org.uk
info@widehorizons.org.uk 020 8850 1581 www.widehorizons.org.uk
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 2
06/07/2012 16:21:09
Contents Why Adventure?
04
Why Widehorizons?
05
Our Courses and the Primary School Curriculum
06
Activities for Primary Schools
08
Example Itineraries
09
Working with You
10
Our Centres
11
Welcome to Widehorizons We believe in adventure. We know that outdoor learning and adventure when planned and integrated into the curriculum is a powerful vehicle for the development of children and young people. The benefits of adventure are far reaching and long-lasting, ranging from immediate improvements in social skills to better longer term understanding of curriculum subjects. Being inspired by the outdoors, the environment and adventure can have a dramatic effect on a child at primary school age. We take the responsibility of providing that inspiration very seriously, recognising the potential lifechanging impact it can have. Of course, we want to make sure that your objectives are met through what we do. Our team of experienced teachers and instructors are on hand to talk you through it at any stage – before you come to us, during and after – to make sure your learning objectives and outcomes are achieved. Widehorizons exists to provide adventure to all children, regardless of their circumstances, so please let us know how we can help make sure as many of your pupils benefit from adventure as possible. See you outside!
Mike Penny Chief Executive, Widehorizons.
Widehorizons 03
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 3
06/07/2012 16:21:10
Why Adventure? Adventure is in our hearts, our history and our heritage. You could argue that it’s the adventurous spirit in mankind that drives progress, understanding and learning. Our ancestors learnt that the earth was round by sailing towards what they thought was the edge of the world! That certainly takes an adventurous spirit. Direct experiences are the most memorable and powerful learning tools – seeing, touching and experiencing something first-hand is the best way to learn. Make it adventurous, child-centred and fun and it is impossible to forget. Learning through adventure is a powerful personal development experience and helps promote and develop: l
Creativity
l
elf-confidence, self-esteem S and motivation
l
eamwork and communication T skills
l
Leadership and responsibility
l
Decision making skills
l
Independence
l
positive attitude to A approaching new challenges
l
n open mind and the ability A to spot and utilise new opportunities
At Widehorizons, we believe that that an adventure consists of four main components: l
A Challenge
l
Something New
l
Learning
l
Enjoyment
We make sure that every course, every class and every activity includes all of these elements. The benefits of learning using adventure are far reaching and longlasting. Our experienced tutors are highly skilled at interpreting your objectives and linking adventure to the curriculum. They understand the learning outcomes for our sessions and can tailor your visit to suit you and your pupils’ objectives and needs. We are expert in working with all children and young people including Special Educational Needs (SEN) groups, high achieving groups and those with additional emotional and behavioural requirements. We are confident that you will see the impact on your pupils during and after your experience with Widehorizons. You’ll see increased confidence, self-esteem and co-operative behaviour. You’ll hear more developed vocabularies, more creative expression and positivity from your pupils; all combined with a new understanding of curriculum based subjects. They’ll have made some new friends, seen their teachers in a new light and picked up new curriculum knowledge in an experience they are unlikely to forget.
This is an exceptionally well run centre with committed staff and a great deal of high quality, enjoyable learning which provides memorable moments for so many young people and adults. Tony Thomas Chair of the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, Nov 2011
04 Widehorizons
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 4
06/07/2012 16:21:13
Why Widehorizons? Our dedicated staff team is a unique blend of experienced, qualified teachers and outdoor instructors. This means that our activities are adventurous, educational and can be designed to meet different learning objectives. With over 32,000 children and young people visiting our centres every year, we’ve learnt a great deal about what works, what doesn’t work and how adventure can be used most effectively to learn – all while being safe and fun. It’s not just about a one-off experience. We invite you to a preliminary site visit to discuss your objectives, our Outreach Team can come and develop some preparatory sessions with your class or group and with our support we hope that adventure becomes part of your long-term teaching plans. As a registered charity and with decades of experience working with primary schools, we can support you and your school in fundraising – ensuring all pupils who want to, can take part and that no one gets left behind. We have an Outreach Team which delivers adventure in schools and six of our own centres located in England and Wales, providing inspirational settings for day visits and residential experiences. This unique combination ensures that we can provide your school with adventure that best suits your objectives. Finally, our safety record is impeccable. With our vastly experienced staff team and our tried and tested systems and procedures, we maintain a rigorous and thorough approach to health and safety giving you, and the parents of your pupils, true peace of mind.
Learning with pen and paper was always hard for me, but I found it easy to learn a subject when you could relate it to an adventurous experience and have fun at the same time! Rob Jarvis, March 2012. Rob started his journey with Widehorizons at the age of 7, he’s now one of our staff team.
Widehorizons 05
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 5
06/07/2012 16:21:15
Our Courses and the Primary School Curriculum We believe that adventure should be part of every child’s learning and development, and we want to support schools in creating progressive and holistic outdoor learning experiences for their pupils. Through a combination of outreach work in schools, day visits and residential trips we can provide powerful and long lasting adventures for children that will not only develop them as individuals, but also link directly with your school’s curriculum. Here are some of the ways we link adventure to the Primary curriculum.
Maths – learning a wide range of numeracy skills through direct ‘hands on’ challenges and activities, building real-life understanding and practical maths skills that can be taken back to the classroom.
Literacy – unlock your pupil’s creativity,
understanding and interpretation of language, communication and literacy using the powerful personal experiences of taking part in new activities, seeing new places and learning new skills.
Geography and Science – immerse yourself
(sometimes literally) in your subjects, experiencing first-hand the wonders of the natural world, and find out how things work and why through using real applied experiences and examples.
History – re-live the past for real and how it
impacts on the present day, learning about people, places and events through experiential learning and role play.
Art, Music and Drama – using the power of
new experiences, the outdoors and the natural world to unlock hidden creativity and talent.
Design and Technology – there is nothing
like a ‘real-life’ survival situation to help understand the principles of practical design and problemsolving such as designing and building a raft, then using it.
Personal Adventure – using outdoor activities
and expeditions to develop self-confidence, teamwork, communication and social skills. Perhaps for the first time, experiencing leadership and responsibility while developing decision-making and self-reliance abilities. 06 Widehorizons
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 6
06/07/2012 16:21:17
Day Visits
Transition from KS2 to KS3
Day visits are a great way to introduce your pupils to adventure and outdoor learning, helping to bring alive curriculum subjects, have new experiences and develop new skills.
Making sure children’s transition from KS2 to KS3 is positive and productive is vital and can be linked to future success. Our transition courses focus on the outcomes that are essential to ensuring that this period in a child’s life is as positive and productive as possible.
We offer a wide range of day visit adventures from curriculum-based courses combining science, geography, history, literacy and numeracy with inspirational outdoor adventure and activities, to personal development courses including team-building and high adventure courses to increase confidence and self-esteem, as well as develop group work and communication skills.
Residential Visits Residential visits allow more time to experience the adventure and activities, increasing the options and scope of what can be achieved. Staying away from home for the first time is a memorable experience for children and can teach valuable life skills. We promote a team ethic throughout the stay which introduces concepts of team work, trust and cooperation. A residential experience also provides an ideal opportunity for teachers to better understand their pupil’s learning styles through spending time with them over the course of the week. The combination of activity and informal setting is conducive to building strong bonds between teachers and pupils.
We use adventure combined with review sessions, all designed to develop the skills and attributes needed at secondary school and in the important period of change. These include: Co operation – working in groups, learning about negotiation and compromise. Responsibility – taking responsibility for actions and understanding their impact on others. Communication – expressing opinions, instructions and listening to others. Integration – meeting new people, gaining a familiarity with new surroundings. The activities and sessions in our transition programme are all carefully designed to include a focus on these elements, supplemented by review sessions that enhance the learning points and reinforce understanding.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) Our team have many years experience of working with groups with a wide range of SEN and that’s not just our tutors and instructors, it’s all our support staff as well. This means that not only will your activities be designed especially for your pupils to get the most out of their time with us, but the overall experience will be positive, accommodating and enjoyable. As with all of our courses, your specific objectives will be the focus of the visit and we can tailor your activities for maximum benefit.
Gifted and Talented/Potential High Achievers Our activities for these pupils are designed to add an additional challenge – stretching minds and abilities. Of course, as with all groups, there will also be an emphasis on having fun. We know from experience that a tailored programme of adventure can have a significant impact on these groups of pupils.
Our residential centres are set up to work specifically with primary schools, ensuring you have facilities that really work for this age group.
Widehorizons 07
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 7
06/07/2012 16:21:20
Activities for Primary Schools Widehorizons offers a comprehensive and innovative programme of activities for primary schools designed to bring adventure to any curriculum subject. Whether our Outreach Team is working with you in your school, or you and your class are at one of our six centres, our activities and courses provide:
Da
Our adv at W
R
l
O utdoor-based Literacy and Numeracy with direct curricular links for all ages including Reception and Foundation Stage.
l
E nvironmental, Science, History and Geography activities focussed on understanding the natural world around us, how it works and how to protect it. These are specifically designed for either KS1 or KS2 pupils.
l
Team-Building and Problem-Solving Challenges specially designed for KS1 and KS2 pupils to increase teamwork, cooperation, communication and leadership skills.
l
igh Adventure Activities building on those H experienced at KS1 such as Rock Climbing and High Ropes for KS2 pupils to stretch boundaries, increase self-confidence and self-esteem, whilst learning to trust and respect others.
l
ushcraft and Survival Skills to build B independence and self-reliance for KS1 and KS2 pupils by practising new skills and learning to survive in the outdoors by building shelters and camps, lighting fires and making tools and crafts.
l
Journeys and Expeditions using real-life map reading, navigation and decision-making skills to learn and explore the world with specific courses designed for all age groups.
l
08 Widehorizons
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 8
06/07/2012 16:21:26
Example Itineraries n, full of fu le of a day acked p a day p n exam e a id ’s v re ro s. He u to p s with yo your objective All of our residential centres offer different types of activities, with programme rk o w t. its can and ral Ken hich su entres suit all types of school groups. We tailor each course to suit the school to ru c w y in g a e in d tr at the Our learn Cen the required outcomes but here are two examples of weeks of adventure re and n Kirby Widehorizons adventu orizons Horto Widehorizons Townsend Centre in Dorset on the Jurassic Coast and h Park. at Wide National Ty’n y Berth in Wales on the southern edge of Snowdonia
Residential visits
sits Day vi
angers
River R
own lass sh :15 – C 0 to 11 ter from the d pos asking a wante ent Agency’ to help nm ientists ‘Enviro c s r e er for nte v lu ri o l v a r c fo lo ate the During investig ecies of fish. sp ion certain e of this sess me up rs co the cou be asked to ethods will pupils ut the m out o b a s a y with ide ld use to carr going ou they w tigation before m. es the inv tice the c ra p to nch outside e & Lu Playtim 12:00 – to 5 ver l 11:1 to the ri 5 – Go in 0 to 1:4 vestigations l 12:0 in e rtak include to unde ms. This will to in a g small te ture of gettin d and en ee the adv testing the sp as r r, e a v e w te the ri th s f o ture rtebrate tempera serving inve ob s a ll . e w ats ir habit and the t and Interpre – 5 :1 2 w ra to d 0 , s :0 lt 2 u l the res ss the discuss ns and discu io tion s a g lu vesti conc of the in ome validity to go h n pari g 0 – Pre .3 2 – l 2.15
Lunch
Afternoon
Mon.
Arrive at the Centre
Provided by centre
Discover Swanage
Tue.
Corfe Castle
A decision making exercise which cast the pupils in the role of spies planning an attack on the castle. Pupils use information gained from a walk around the castle to plan their way into the Castle to capture the Baron.
On Site
Involves school staff participation in roles of castle inhabitants.
Weds.
Thurs.
Peveril Rock Pooling A visit to Peveril Point to investigate the plants and animals found on the rocky shore. The focus is on identification and adaptation.
nding
Durlston Country Park Hands - on practical activities to connect with the natural world and to further understand habitats, life processes, adaptations, food chains and more. Visit woodland, cliff and downland habitats.
ry
abula
A final challenge using a map and photographs to find locations and hidden letters. These letters form words associated with their visit to Swanage.
Off Site
Smuggling Talk A magical on-site evening talk in our own quarry. Hear smugglers’ tales and find out how smuggling was organised and carried out.
Smuggling Talk
Activities combining teamwork and personal physical challenge on a range of low level apparatus including ropes, tyres and bridges.
A magical on-site evening talk in our own quarry. Hear smugglers’ tales and find out how smuggling was organised and carried out.
Mond
ay
am journe y to W pm ales arrive, Home Postcards Land Yachts settle eve in, cou & Crabbing Night A team challenge to design, rse aim walk – s, equ build, test and evaluate a design an intr ipmen land yacht that will transport o e t introdu d to ice-brea ductory high a test pilot for 3 metres. ce the k and impac build c t sess workin conce io o pts of g. indepe nfidence, a n nd ndenc Disco Beach Technology Tuesd e & team ay Structured sand castle design and construction am linked with Corfe Castle. forest o workin rienteering g – experi in pairs or s remotely s up e m nce, d pm evelop all teams, b ervised, child gorge uilding ing the ren scram o conce challe ble pt of in n prior nge by Depart the Centre eve depen choice d team g e n , peer ce. ames/p suppo roblem rting & Wedn solvin leaders esday g – tea hip cher le d am Hill W alk – ½ of the d a y ro group (and s ute appropri natura taff ate to le the ne leaders nvironmen ). An appre ed t, moti c hip pm vation iation of the s Slate , determ Mine ination Explo appro , and ration priate –a to Perso nal ch the needs a trip in a sla eve alleng Swimm e, lead nd abilities te mine o ing – te ership , histo f the group. acher Thurs ry and led culture day am Rock Cli Respo mbing – re nsibility a pm , Com ching new h Open munic C ation, eights! Confid anoeing – s Trust & e k n ills, ga eve ce, Co Achiev mes -o ement Talent peratio Conte n, and or a journey st – te A d venture acher Friday led am
Cours e achiev Review- hig ements hlighti ng depart for ho success an me d
est bol l Sym ast / W uth / E h / So l Nort l Stile
l Map pass l Com s uction l Instr
: em to is day. ficial for th e rt in th ke pa uld be ben ta to , it wo ildren L for ch g their visit usly n ential Prior previo is ess arning duri asses rning le p a le ’s m n r o o &c s p No pri imise childre a x sing m To ma e of u erienc e exp l Hav
g earnin
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 9
On Site
Orienteering
set ms are ps, all tea a re! Sm rve using m nd tu n e se sa adv Kirby ’ Nature Re mwork skill orton s a Day real H ing te Wood ting a rningham for develop ry of n a a w m a f you around F tastic Sum ose o is fan way out? y y for th g their wa challenge ir stic da din nd the his A fanta llenge of fin uctions. T the class fi a ill str the ch ses and in g skills. W s in a p links comp hical map QCA p 2c NC / geogra – 2b, g Geo s – KS2 c e 1 C 1 iv , N t b 11 bjec f 11a, PE - 5 ical ing O graph 30 Learn w geo . o h it 20 & s rn lea ated ctivitie PE Un n will munic and CA – rous a is Q tu n p Childre tion is com e a adv is m t r, a y. a o e h o rm k w a info Outd ill learn ding using ren w lu l Child is used inc d and to rea ol trails. w o h how it b ill learn ps and sym ren w is a pass l Child different m a com what follow ill learn . w n re d tten l Child w it is use se wri o w to u for and h g arn ho will le ding lookin n re l Child tions inclu c instru rks. a landm
oc Key V
On Site
Option to visit Durlston Castle by arrangement.
Fri.
A navigation through the town to the beach to discover what delights Swanage has to offer
Team Challenge & Low Ropes
Key 2 Stage
efi Rout
Evening
Morning
Day
l 10:0
Widehorizons 09
06/07/2012 16:21:30
Working with You Our team is always on hand to answer your questions about Widehorizons, what we can do and how it benefits your school. If you need some ideas or want to find out how best to integrate adventure into your schedule and curriculum, we’d be only too pleased to go through that with you.
ideas
Next, we’ll invite you to visit the site to meet the teaching staff and talk in-depth about the activities and the outcomes that you expect. At this stage you’ll have a thorough understanding of the adventure ahead for you and your class, so you can pass that on to parents.
Site Visit
In the time leading up to your visit, we can arrange for our Outreach Team to visit your class and make a start on your adventurous journey by running some activities that will lay the foundations for getting the most out of your visit.
Outreach
Evaluation
Follow up
Contact us today
After you and your group have been, we’ll ask what you thought of it so that we can continue to improve our work with primary schools.
If you would like our team to speak to parents about adventure or arrange a visit for them to see where their child will be visiting, we’d be only too happy to help. Call us on 020 8850 1581 to get the ball rolling.
The adventure doesn’t end there. Our Outreach Team can visit you again, running sessions and activities that will truly embed the learning from your visit, consolidate your class’s experiences and increasing the chances of your visit making a life-changing impact on your children and their learning.
Contact us to find out how we can work with you info@widehorizons.org.uk or 020 8850 1581
I can honestly say one of the best class trips I have done in a long time. I was highly impressed with the centre and the children loved it! Helena Meagher, Millennium Primary School, April 2012
10 Widehorizons
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 10
06/07/2012 16:21:31
Our Centres Widehorizons operates six centres, each with their unique character but all providing high quality adventures for children in our unmistakable Widehorizons style. All of our centres cater for Primary Schools. We’ve perfected a programme of delivery and innovation over decades of working with Primary Schools and we are sure you won’t be disappointed.
Where our centres are Widehorizons Bryntysilio Centre (Llangollen, Wales)
Widehorizons Environment Centre (Eltham, London)
Residential centre located near Llangollen. Set in its own beautiful grounds, this centre provides a broad adventurous programme including activities such as mountaineering, canoeing and mountain biking.
Day centre located in south-east London. This centre is in a unique nine-acre wildlife site and is specifically designed for educational use. It contains many exciting outdoor education resources.
Capacity: 50
Widehorizons Ty’n y Berth Centre (Corris, Wales) Residential centre comprising of two sites located on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. Courses at this centre include adventurous activities such as caving, climbing and gorge walking.
Capacity: 90
Widehorizons Horton Kirby Centre (Kent) Day centre located in Kent surrounded by farmland, woods and villages and is close to the River Darent and a Country Park. All of these provide wonderful opportunities for learning and discovery. Capacity: 90
Capacity: 40 and 30
Widehorizons Townsend Centre (Swanage, Dorset)
Widehorizons Margaret McMillan House (Wrotham, Kent)
Residential centre located on the World Heritage Jurassic Coast in Swanage, Dorset. This centre provides a broad range of activities with a strong focus on using the local area as much as possible in its courses.
Residential centre located in rural Kent on the North Downs and conveniently near to London. Margaret McMillan has 26 acres which includes ropes courses, obstacle courses and initiative exercises.
Capacity: 115
Capacity: 150
Your Adventure is an initiative set up by Widehorizons to support our aim of providing adventure to all children regardless of financial circumstance. Your Adventure is also the project through which we are developing Adventure Learning Partnerships (ALPs) – long term partnerships with schools where adventure is woven into the curriculum, making the most of the benefits of this form of learning. Our partner schools receive a comprehensive, tailored plan to integrate adventure into their curricula, along with significant discounts on our services and access to funding opportunities. To find out how Your Adventure can help your school with the costs of learning through adventure, give us a call or visit www.youradventure.org.uk Widehorizons 11
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 11
06/07/2012 16:21:33
Widehorizons
77 Bexley Road, London SE9 2PE
www.widehorizons.org.uk Widehorizons is proud to be working in partnership with L&Q Housing Association.
WH6382 - Primary School Brochure V4 REPRO.indd 12
Widehorizons is a registered charity number 1105847
06/07/2012 16:21:34