Kingswood – Dearne Valley

What will students see and do?

Dearne Valley was formerly the Earth Centre, one of the Millennium Commission projects. Situated in beautiful southern Yorkshire, just a 40-minute drive from Sheffield, this site opened its doors as a Kingswood Centre in 2012, following a multi-million pound investment programme.

It is the most environmentally sustainable of Kingswood’s centres and has one of Europe’s largest solar panels as well as its own on-site recycling plant. Outdoor classrooms are spread across 50 acres, delivering interactive learning in grassland, orchard and wooded areas. 

Featuring both high- and low-ropes courses with zipwire as well as a range of exciting activities that include fencing, archery and water-based fun, Dearne Valley is a residential trip experience you will remember for some time to come. 

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

Kingswood’s programmes are designed to specifically meet your needs and link back to the core curriculum, as well as developing environmental awareness and improving mental and physical wellbeing.

To enable you to deliver high-quality educational outcomes from your trip and effectively evaluate and evidence them in accordance with Ofsted Inspection Criteria, Kingswood has partnered with a range of innovative educational providers and sports associations, including the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, the Institute of Outdoor Learning, British Fencing, Aim4Sport, British Canoeing, and EtonX.

Teachers will learn how to take part in the delivery of educational outcomes during the visit and give you the answers to any questions your OEA or EVC may have before they even ask.

Character development is at the core of each Kingswood programme, with a focus on confidence, resilience and life skills, which are delivered through a carefully designed mix of challenge, play and reflection.

Kingswood has adopted a ‘challenge by choice’ philosophy, incorporating a balance of outdoor adventure experiences matched to the capabilities of the learners.

Activities are designed to be exciting but not too far removed from pupils’ everyday experiences. This is to provide relevance for home and school life, acting as a motivator for personal growth.

Self-reliance, communication skills and teamwork are developed by reflecting upon and sharing information about challenges that require effort and perseverance. This type of strength-based learning allows participants to learn as much from their unsuccessful activities as they do from their successes.

Subjects covered

Details of risk assessment

All aspects of Kingswood’s operation are subject to risk assessment by its own in-house team. These are individuals who are qualified and experienced in outdoor education, adventurous activity and health and safety.

The content of the risk assessments is subject to further review and scrutiny by external technical advisors, statutory regulators and inspectors from the British Activity Providers Association.

All of risk assessments are reviewed on an annual basis as a minimum but may be subject to additional review and updates following incidents, external inspections, feedback from user groups or changes to operational practices.

Please click here for Kingswood Dearne Valley’s risk management arrangements.

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