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Teachers Questions And Answers
- Q: What experience does Kingswood have in working with schools?
- A: As pioneers of educational activity centres, we are entering our third decade of working with schools. If you consider that we work with over 3,500 schools a year – & 130,000 students – that’s a lot of experience! It is this experience – & our ability to listen to what schools want and incorporate it into our programmes – that brings schools back again & again to Kingswood.
- Q: How up-to-date are your programmes?
- A: From the very outset, Kingswood has been synonymous with innovative, state-of-the-art educational activity centres. Our ICT, environmental, science & Lifeskills programmes are recognised as the best available to schools, utilising the very latest equipment & methodologies for the delivery of our programmes. Kingswood works closely with consultants and teachers to ensure the educational benefits of our course.
- Q: Why is a residential school visit so important to my class?
- A: In addition to meeting several requirements of the National Curriculum, a visit to a Kingswood Centre provides your pupils with a brand new learning environment that is exciting, challenging and fun. They will have opportunities to expand their horizons & build their confidence & independence by trying new adventure & educational activities in a safe, secure setting. As a group, the Kingswood Experience promotes team building and often brings a class – and its teacher – closer together.
- Q: Can you arrange insurance?
- A: Whilst on site, all visitors to Kingswood are covered by our standard £20 million Public Liability Insurance. Some schools prefer to take our all-inclusive insurance at £5 per pupil, which covers pupils and their party leaders from the time of booking their Kingswood visit to their return to school.
- Q: Do pupils from different schools mix?
- A: In principle, no. Our centres usually have several schools staying at any one time, but classmates remain together throughout the day. The evening entertainment is the only time of the day when it is possible to meet and make new friends from other schools. Most importantly, pupils from different schools never share the same dorms.
- Q: What is included in the fee?
- A: Your booking fee covers a fully supervised centre-based programme of educational courses, as well as adventure activities & evening entertainment, comfortable accommodation, good, healthy meals & free places for a teacher pupil ratio of 1:10. The booking price does not include transport to and from the centre, or between the centre and off-site field locations.
- Q: How secure are the centres?
- A: Each Kingswood centre has secure & clearly defined borders with perimeter fencing, and some with cctv, to maintain the highest safety standards at all times. For more information on the security and safety click here.
- Q: Do you have fire drills?
- A: Arriving at the centre all schools receive a fire safety briefing, where all emergency exits & meeting areas are pointed out and procedures for evacuating buildings are rehearsed. This is followed by an emergency fire drill that involves everyone – pupils, teachers and staff alike.
- Q: What are your accommodation arrangements like?
- A: Pupils sleep in bunk beds separated by gender in different corridors in warm, comfortable dorms. Sheets, duvets and pillows are provided. Toilet and shower facilities also form part of the accommodation blocks.
- Q: What about dates and prices?
- A: For dates and prices, please call our Schools Liaison Team on 0800 655 6564 who will be happy to provide you with more information, answers to any questions and a quote for your chosen dates and centre.
- Q: What is your payment process?
- A: Once you have reserved your dates for a Kingswood visit, we will hold them for 28 days before we need payment, of the 1st deposit, so you can launch your trip to parents and pupils.
- Q: What care is available during the night?
- A: Teachers are located just down the corridor from their pupils and there is also a Duty Manager on call throughout the night.
- Q: What are the special safety provisions for watersports?
- A: We hold Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) licences for our water sports activities at Peak Venture and Isle of Wight. Water sports at Colomendy is outside the scope of the licensing regulations and does not require a licence.
- Q: Will pupils need additional spending money?
- A: All pupils needs are cared for. Each Kingswood centre does have a shop where pupils can buy postcards, limited refreshments, pencils & souvenirs like T-shirts & sweatshirts.
- Q: What’s the food like?
- A: Our new and improved breakfast, lunch and dinner menus are all created with health and nutrition foremost in mind, in line with government recommendations. The choices vary from day to day, according to season and individual centre. Meals are served in a communal dining room where there is always a choice of hot & cold dishes, vegetarian selections and fresh salad bars. We can also cater for students with special religious or dietary needs if we are informed well in advance.
- Q: Can you recommend a method for collecting money?
- A: In our experience, collecting money for your school visit is easy when using our Kingswood Savings Cards. They allow parents to set aside a small amount of money regularly over the weeks prior to the school visit.
- Q: What about emotional upsets?
- A: All Kingswood staff are trained to take responsibility for the wellbeing of the pupils who are in their care & to offer them all the attention they need. We serve to create a warm & supportive environment at all times.
- Q: What about pupils with special needs?
- A: Kingswood has a commitment to improving its ability to work with special needs groups. We can cope with many needs as long as teachers make us aware of them at the time of booking. Pupils with special needs who are used to taking part in activities with the rest of the class are given extra care and attention as soon as they are identified to us. We will advise you if we think we are not equipped to cope with a specific situation. The Kingswood special needs coordinator can be contacted on 0800 655 6564.
- Q: Can parents telephone students?
- A: In special circumstances, of course. However it is often easier operationally for children to call their parents & pay-phones are available at all our centres. We do strongly advise that pupils do not bring mobile phones on site.
- Q: Do you have first aid cover?
- A: There are fully qualified first aid staff on site at all times.
- Q: Can you assist with launching & promoting the trip to parents?
- A: Once you have made a booking, we will send you a Welcome Guide and Launch Pack to help organise your trip and promote this to parents. In our experience, a Parent Evening is an invaluable element to launch your visit. With this is mind, we will be happy to come & host your evening.
- Q: Do pupils need any specialist clothing?
- A: No, but bearing in mind the great British climate, suitable wet weather gear and waterproof foot-wear are often an absolute must! The Launch Pack includes a list of suggested clothing.
- Q: I’ve heard Kingswood is now part of a wider Group?
- A: Kingswood is now part of Education Travel Group, the UK’s leading supplier of educational group tours, school ski courses and educationally rich UK activity centre breaks for schools. The sister companies to Kingswood within the Education Travel Group cover almost every type of trip a school could require, from a school ski trip with “SkiPlan”, a trip to Japan with “Equity Travel” or a sports tour with “STS Pavilion”. This enables teachers the opportunity to book a wide range of school trips with one provider who they already have a history with and know & trust.
- Q: Do your prices include VAT?
- A: No, all of our prices are plus VAT. Schools may well be able to reclaim the VAT that is added to all our prices through the Education Department. We will be pleased to advise you how this is done.
