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School trips make up some to the most pivotal school memories, and so much learning can be un-packed from these key experiences. Choosing the right session to achieve a desired outcome can help maximise the experience of students visiting. If you’re unsure of what learning outcomes you are looking to achieve from you visit, please contact the bookings team for assistance.
Woodmill is an approved centre on the Hampshire Evolve System. We are fully compliant with guidelines for school trips and visits set by Hampshire outdoors. On here you will see evidence of our AALA licence, our Learning outside the classroom quality mark and our Ofsted compliancy.
The outdoors by nature is subject to all of British weather. We recommend that you come prepared for your visit. The site is still wild and adventurous and dressing appropriately will help you enjoy your stay.
Winter
Summer
Watersports
Please bring enough food and water for your visit, keeping in mind that being active will make you burn more calories than usual.
We recommend that you leave personal items of value at home, and take no responsibility for the loss or damage of such items.
Personal medication that needs to be taken in session times, must be brought on to site. If students have identified Ventolin inhalers, or epi-pens on their medical form then they must be taken on session. Failure to do this can lead to the student being unable to participate. The instructor can transport them in a waterproof container if required. Pastoral care of tablet medications will sit with the visiting supervising teachers.
The British weather can be unpredictable. As an outdoor centre we will carry on in all weather conditions, with the exception of high winds or lightning. Its recommended that you brief the students that they will be outside for their session, and they should dress accordingly.
It is reasonable to offer an alternative session in these circumstance to ensure that you are achieving your desired learning outcomes. We can only offer refunds or rescheduling if we chose to cancel the session.
There are so many benefits of brilliant residential stays, creating valuable bonding experiences and great memory’s that foster independence. We offer a school camping experience that still has the comforts of good showers and a fully functional kitchen. Young people can expect to share a tent with a class mate, however we have tent capacity for up to 6 to share. Sleeping mats and bags must be provided by the students, any tents are provided by Woodmill.
Overnight pastoral responsibilities lie with the overnight teachers, however we always have a first aid instructor staying on site at your disposal. This instructor will run an evening campfire, and be responsible for securing the site. The overnight instructor will have a line of communication to the nominated point of contact, this will usually be the chief instructor. (Unless deputized to a lead instructor).
On our 17 acre site we can provide multiple sessions and activities. We have toilets and shower at both our buildings. A fully working kitchen for group use at Stoneham lodge. As well as facilities for people with different needs including a hoist onto our canoeing lake.
We have wetsuits and overalls for all Watersports equipment, and PPE (personal protective equipment) will be issued before every activity that requires it. We have sizes to fit everyone, but if you have concerns about any students taking part in an activity please contact the booking team.
All of our equipment is inspected to LOLER and RosPA regulations to comply with our AALA licence. Equipment goes through 3 monthly, monthly and pre-use checks before it is used to any person to use.
The Adventurous activities at Woodmill are not without risk. We have a comprehensive safety management structure, to make the activities as safe as reasonable. To make them completely safe, we wouldn’t do them. Risk, supporting students to accept reasonable risks and developing decision making are what we at Woodmill do best.
In preparing your own RA for a visit to the Woodmill site, consider the pastoral needs of the students. Our instructors are trained to prioritise safety above all other objectives, as visiting staff you can support by the following;
Using our Risk matrix can help you do this.
As part of our safety management systems we hold an AALA Licence, who provide licences for under 18 provision on behalf of Adventure Activities Licensing Authority. This inspection takes place every 2 years and covers our Watersports provision. In addition to our AALA Licence we have a Learning Outside the Classroom Quality badge, as well as a British canoeing quality mark.
Our instructors all hold a first aid certificate and safeguarding certificate as standard. All instructors are continuously assessed for competence, to ensure high levels of service quality. At Woodmill we pride ourselves on being excellent outdoor practitioners, and will be happy to support your students in meeting their learning outcomes.
Whist on activity at Woodmill the role of safety and delivering the session outcomes lies with the instructor.
Behaviour management and pastoral care will lie with the visiting teachers.
Instructors will always support behaviour needs and pastoral care, but their primary focus is always the safe delivery of sessions. They are trained to stop the session if they do not feel they are able to keep students safe with regards to behaviour and failure to follow instructions.
We recommend that you take an active role in the session to fore fill the expected pastoral role, however is does not require you to put yourself in an environment that you find distressing. Being engaged in the session is of great benefit to your students, as they have the already built rapport with you. Please speak to our instructors of how you can best fore fill pastoral requirements during your visit.
All of the instructing staff at Woodmill are First aid trained, and have incident management training. Fire drills are regularly done on both sides of the site. Should an emergency arise sessions will stop, and instructors will take their groups to the muster points, and await further instructions from the duty manager.
Woodmill and all Active Nation sites have a serious incident management plan, which will be implemented by Woodmill staff in the case of any of the following;
A call to the emergency services due to or resulting in significant business interruption
Serious injury to any person, requiring urgent hospital treatment
Resuscitation [CPR] or fatality
Gas, water, chemical, toxic gas, sewage leak/pollution incident
Bomb threat or explosion
Any act of terrorism (or potential/attempted terrorism) Notified or unexpected loss of gas/electricity/water for an hour or more
Legionella, Cryptosporidia or similar detection/occurrence/report
Fire or other premises evacuation (but not false alarms)
Structural failure and/or severe weather damage resulting in cessation of business (or closure of major part of building)
Use of the premises as part of the local Civil Emergency procedure
Any other incident that is deemed serious by the DM.
Woodmill staff are trained to manage incidents on both Water, at high and in remote locations. In these scenarios they will assume the lead, unless relieved by a more senior member of Woodmill staff.
Our instructors strive to be high quality educators and deliver high quality outdoor sessions. All of which have clear safety standard that the instructor will as minimum deliver comprehensively throughout the session.
As part of all sessions instructors will;
Set out the aims for the session
Brief participants of expectations of behaviour, and any housekeeping expectations.
Give a comprehensive safety brief, identifying roles, and actions that will be taken by any staff involved.
Deliver a session that links to the agreed aims of the session.
Review the session with participants to pull out the learning.
The minimum age for participants on a Woodmill Schools session is 8 Year old, this is based on the capabilities of a young person following instructions, as well as sizing requirements for PPE such as harnesses and buoyancy Aids.
It is not a requirement for students be able to swim to take part in Watersports sessions, it does however have to be identified on the consent form. All Watersports session will take place in a PFD (personal floatation device), life jackets can be made available for students with different needs.
Offsite trips are common at Woodmill as we are fortunate to have 4 different waterways attached to our site. River trips starting at Woodmill are Risk assessed like our onsite facilities, and dynamically assessed by the instructor on the water. The local waterways come under our normal operating areas, where the duty manager is notified that the group are leaving site. The boundaries are as follows;
Up river to white swan.
Down river to the University steps.
Down river to Cobden bridge.
Down river to SWAC.
Salmon Pool and Woodmill Weir.
For trips further afield an offsite trips form is completed by the instructor in charge. As well as a Comprehensive risk assessment, completed off the back of a reccy of the area. Instructors in charge of these trip will hold a moderate water leadership award (British canoeing higher level leading award).
At Woodmill we can cater to, and make our delivery bespoke to a variety of students including those with an additional needs. The delivery team have experience with young people with behavioural needs, ASD, learning disabilities as well as different physical needs.
To help use tailor our sessions to any students with additional needs, please let the booking team know at the time of booking. We can make reasonable adjustments to the session, if they still sit within our standard operating procedures.
Woodmill prides itself on having affective approaches for delivering sessions for students with behavioural needs. The behavioural management strategies should be handed over to the Woodmill team before arrival to create an effective approach to student management. The responsibility for managing behaviour lies with the visiting staff, though it will be supported by instructors throughout the session.
Woodmill’s site has wheel chair access to the majority of activities, and has an access hoist to the boating lake. The majority of sessions can be adapted to those with different physical needs with the exception of our off ground provision.
At the point of booking please make the team aware if there are any cultural or religious requirements that you will need. The Team can build in reasonable adjustments such as time for prayer, same sex instructors, eating requirements and religious dress. Please let us know at the point of booking.
The Stoneham grounds of Woodmill are primary used by the outdoor centre, other stakeholders at Woodmill are the SUP company (Paddleboarding shop) who also have use of the car park, they are based in our riverside building.
In the summer months the site is used by those who are Salmon fishing in our pool, these participants have restricted access to the site.
It is usual for there to be self-staffed groups using the Woodmill site, these groups will have an accompanying member of staff who’s has received a site induction.
The Woodmill site has a contracted security team, kestrel guards who are available 24 hours a day if there is any intruders on site. Further security measures include CCTV, and security alarms.
