Laches Wood Outdoor Education Centre

What will students see and do?

Entrust Outdoors operates two outdoor activity centres in Staffordshire – Laches Wood and Standon Bowers. Laches Wood is an educational activity centre in Slade Heath, near Wolverhampton. It offers both indoor and outdoor learning activities.

The grounds at Laches Wood include expansive lawns and woodlands with picturesque ponds and a canal running alongside. Outdoors, pupils can learn bushcraft or archery skills. They can build their confidence on the high ropes or climbing wall and challenge themselves BMXing or canoeing.

Indoor caving offers a unique learning outside the classroom experience. And pupils will carry the lessons in orienteering, campfire building and search and rescue into the rest of their lives.

Laches Wood offers outdoor learning opportunities that last a single day or several days. Three- and five-day explorer residential trips provide pupils (Year 3+) with high-action activities that teach personal skills and teambuilding challenges.

There’s a two-day residential that makes a great introduction to school residentials. The Twilight Explorer (for Years 1-4) gives pupils the fun of a camp out with the snug security of spending a night inside the cosy dormitories. There are lessons in shelter building, fire lighting, campfire cooking, torchlight walks and songs around the campfire.

School trips to Laches Wood provide outdoor learning experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

The theme for Entrust outdoor activity centres, including Laches Wood, is “explore and inspire”. The centre’s learning outside the classroom programmes encourage children to follow their own path to discovery and adventure.

Good school trips leave a lasting impression. And the learning outcomes at Laches Wood are transformative. They include building confidence, developing communication skills, supporting health and wellbeing and developing concentration skills. The outdoor learning programmes at Laches Wood also teach pupils to respect nature and conserve the natural world.

For older students (13+), Laches Wood offers Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE) expeditions at bronze, silver and gold levels. The centre’s highly qualified staff deliver the training courses and supervise throughout. Laches Wood’s DofE expeditions have an exemplary safety record.

Subjects covered

Details of risk assessment

Laches Wood has earned many safety and quality awards, including a Learning Outside the Classroom (LOtC) Quality Badge. This reflects both how safely it operates and the quality and outcomes of courses and programmes.

Laches Wood also follows the guidance given by the Outdoor Education Advisors Panel (OEAP) for managing outdoor learning and learning outside the classroom programmes and activities.

In addition, all Laches Wood staff members are enhanced DBS checked and have undergone extensive and rigorous safety training relevant to their roles. There’s a trained first aider on-site at all times during school trips.

Risk assessments are available on request.

PLANNING

Don't miss our downloadable A-Z guide on completing a risk assessment

Download Now