Scout Adventures Hawkhirst

What will students see and do?

Located in Northumberland on the banks of Kielder Water, Hawkhirst offers outdoor learning and adventure activities for school children. The site has over 70 acres of woodland, and is conveniently set on the lake shore, making it ideal for forest trips and water sports.

Thanks to the remote and unpolluted surroundings, the area is one of the best ‘dark skies discovery’ spots in the country. This makes it ideal for stargazing and solar system lessons.

Hawkhirst is run by the Scout Association and holds the values of this long-standing organisation. The association aims to encourage collaboration, learning in nature and developing practical skills.

There are three packages specifically available to school groups, all of which are fully customisable. The team are keen to help you design an experience that will meet the needs of your pupils.

Students can experience all packages either as single-day events, or residential stays. To extend your exploration of the local area, there are several nearby attractions to choose from. The Kielder Water Bird of Prey Centre, for example, is an opportunity to find out more about the local wildlife.

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

The Scout Adventures Hawkhirst team have identified their own set of learning objectives. These apply to all activities offered. The outcomes include a positive mindset, self-awareness, pride, reflection and enjoyment.

The team are also happy to help you create your own itinerary to meet specific curricular outcomes. Here are the customisable packages offered:

Original Outdoor Experience

This package is designed to help students connect with nature and experience the great outdoors. It comprises a mix of outdoor learning and adventure activities, with more of a focus on the natural living approach.

Students will stay in the tented village for one to four nights and learn a range of hands-on skills. The shelter-building activity shows students how to construct a shelter from natural materials. In orienteering, pupils learn map reading and how to navigate a marked trail.

The fire-lighting activity introduces students to the skills needed to build, light and maintain a fire. This can lead into the backwoods cooking workshop. This activity sees pupils preparing meals on the fires they’ve made.

Other complementary activities include archery, which develops focus and self-confidence; the low-ropes activity, which builds teamwork and problem-solving; and the climbing activity, which develops resilience and communication.

A programme of evening activities is also offered, including team-building games and a traditional campfire.

Outdoor Adventure

This package is all about packing the day full of adventure activities. It’s ideal for individual student development, as well as building interpersonal skills and relationships.

Pupils stay in catered, indoor accommodation, which provides warmth and comfort between facing the elements outside. These trips can run from one to four nights.

The package generally starts with the archery workshop, to ease students into a focused and confident mindset. The leap of faith activity sees pupils scaling a ten-metre pole, before making a leap to the trapeze bar.

This develops resilience and teamworking. The rifle shooting workshop introduces pupils to discipline, accuracy and concentration. In the low-ropes activity, students use problem-solving skills to navigate a rope course. Students encourage their peers, developing communication and self-esteem.

Canoeing and kayaking, meanwhile, get pupils out on the water. This develops team-building, self-confidence, and coordination skills.

Adventure 50:50

This package offers an opportunity to apply classroom learning to real-life situations. The experience combines adventure activities and outdoor learning with self-led sessions. This gives students lived experience of what they’ve learned in school.

A typical programme combines activities like abseiling and crate stacking, with workshops like shelter-building and orienteering. The rest of the itinerary is built around your own programme and curricular outcomes.

For example, geography and geology students can discover more about the nearby rock formations through a caving or rock-climbing activity. Maths and physics can be applied to archery classes through trajectory exercises.

All these packages are a foundation from which to create your own custom school trip experience. The team are on hand to help you with this.

Subjects covered

Details of risk assessment

Risk assessments for the centre’s activities are available to download from the website. The team can assist you with any other risk assessment requirements.

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