Field Studies Council – Dale Fort

Wales
5-16+
Communication Skills, Confidence Building, English, Geography
, Leadership, Maths, PE, Problem Solving, STEM, Science, Team Building
+7 more

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What will students see and do?

Since 1943, Field Studies Council (FSC) has strived to provide opportunities for school children to study living plants and animals in their natural environment.

One of its sites that does this is FSC Dale Fort. Set in a spectacular location high on the cliffs within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, the site gives superb views over the sea.

The field centre was initially built in 1856 to defend the Milford Haven waterway against invasion. These days, it is used for coastal studies and for watching Skomer Island’s renowned resident sea bird populations, including puffins, guillemots and razorbills.

Rocky shores, salt marshes, grassland and woodland are all a short walk from the centre and a wide variety of teaching sites are within a 30 minutes’ drive.

FSC Dale Fort offers 36 secondary school courses that bring your subject to life in the outdoor classroom. These range from adventure and teambuilding activities to biology, geography and math classes taking inspiration from the surrounding landscape.

If none of the subjects suit your class, you can also just visit for a walking tour that explores the natural history and wildlife of the local area, including geology and archaeology.

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

FSC provides quality outdoor learning opportunities for all ages and interests. Children who take part in the courses offered are encouraged to get involved and engaged in the outdoors, taking part in hands-on, safe experiences. These courses help build confidence and resilience through adventure activities and challenges, encourage skills in communication and co-operation with fun teambuilding games, introduce measured risk-taking and independent thinking, and tackle the growing indoor culture which is adding to the UK’s nature deficit disorder.

All trips link to the curriculum and are tailored to ensure that students spend the maximum time outdoors possible, allowing them to take advantage of all benefits resulting from outdoor learning. A qualified tutor is assigned to each trip, to oversee your visit and create a bespoke friendly atmosphere.

Subjects covered

Communication Skills

Confidence Building

English

Geography

Leadership

Maths

Problem Solving

STEM

Science

Team Building

Teaching resources provided

FSC has put together several resources on its website to assist with learning before, during and after your trip, as well as to invite those passionate about nature to learn more about it.

This includes accessible, student-friendly resources for all fieldwork topics required for the main exam boards in biology and geography at ages 14-16 and 16-18. There is a range of bite-size, captioned videos presented in the field by FSC’s experienced tutors, worksheets in printable and online formats and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) story maps, which can be used to capture, store, manipulate, analyse, manage and display spatial data.

FSC also has a subscription-based digital hub designed to complement the popular free resources. Whether you are looking to introduce your students to a particular field skill, to develop investigative skills or to encourage deeper thinking in experimental design, the virtual fieldwork on the Digital Hub will have the resources you need.

Small groups can even attend fieldwork investigations that will prepare them for designing their independent geographical investigation, with the opportunity to collect data (individually or in groups) and then work on their own to contextualise, analyse and report their work.

Minimum and maximum group size

The site can sleep 136 people.

Details of risk assessment

Field Studies Council supports the same risk-benefit approach to risk assessments for outdoor activities that Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) have adopted – that taking acceptable intellectual and physical risks can result in the growth and development of young people. Get in contact to discuss.

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Facilities on-site

Visitors can look forward to three accommodation blocks that sleep 136 in 31 rooms (28 with sea views).

There’s on-site parking for 20 cars, with additional parking outside the fort. As well as this, you’ll find a licensed bar, games and activities for children aged eight and above, and a student common room that has a television, a pool table, piano and a selection of board games.

There are two dedicated disabled access bedrooms with en-suite facilities, a kitchen, a visiting staff lounge area and plenty of outdoor seating, including an elevated sun deck with panoramic sea views.

There’s also a shop that sells drinks, snacks and souvenirs of your stay; and four workrooms and a library that can be used as a workroom or conference room.

Opening times

Contact the team Monday-Friday between 9am-5pm.

Pricing

Varies depending on course and experience – get in contact to discuss.

Travel arrangements

The nearest railway station to the centre is Milford Haven. Detailed directions are available on the website. Field Studies Council has also partnered with First Travel Solutions (FTS) to help reduce the cost of coach travel for academic groups – if you would like to receive a quote from FTS, get in contact.