We hope that the following information will help you find out more about the trip, prepare the kit that your child will require and will give you some indication of the activities we will be undertaking when your child goes to Oaklands.
Owned and operated by Wirral Council for many years and now managed by Edsential, Oaklands is situated in a picturesque setting in the Conwy Valley in North Wales. The centre provides dormitory accommodation and during their stay all pupils will have the opportunity to take part in canoeing, rock climbing, orienteering, and hill walking. The visit will also give the children the opportunity of developing their personal and social skills.
- Learning new skills
- Gain an appreciation of the natural environment
- Exciting activities
- Developing an awareness of the needs of others
- Meeting personal challenges
Facilities
There is a large sized games room at our disposal throughout our stay for indoor activities. There is a boot and clothes drying room, dining room and facilities for wet weather.
Food
Food is prepared and served on site with cereal and a cooked breakfast available. There is a full packed lunch with fruit and a drink and a cooked 3 course meal in the evening. There is a full time cook on site with us and the food is outstanding. Special diets are of course catered for. After each meal, children will be expected to take their turn in tidying up the dining room. There will also be a light supper of hot chocolate, biscuits and other treats. Special diets are catered for.
Bedrooms
Children’s safety and wellbeing is our highest priority on the trip and we always act in “Loco Parentis” where the adults in the group take on some of the responsibilities as a “parent” and make decisions which are always in the best interest of the child. On the first night, the children have a fire drill and are shown where the evacuation points are. All the teachers’ rooms contain a door sign so that the children can find the staff easily. The rooms are not locked and all although the exits to the courtyard are locked, the doors are all fitted with emergency bars. We have a large number of rooms at our disposal ranging from rooms of 2 up to 6. The school staff will decide on rooming but we always take in to account established friendship groups. The children will be expected to keep their rooms tidy, and to look after their own clothes.
Activities
As part of the activity programme, the children will participate in numerous activities in and around the site. All these activities are provided by the centre and are delivered in conjunction with our teachers. They are very education centered with a focus on team building and problem solving whilst being exciting and adventurous.
The children will be accompanied by Cathcart Street staff, although all the activities will be led by the expert instructors.
Contact with school
We will only telephone parents if there is a specific reason or emergency which necessitates it. Please check the website and parent board for photos and up to date news! Any specific concerns from parents should be directed to the school office and they will contact the school party if necessary.
Medications
Please send your children with any medicine they take on a regular basis (with a letter stating dosage) – this then needs to be given to a member of staff on the day we depart. Please don’t send any other medicine in their bags, regardless of what it is. If you are unsure about anything, please see one of the teachers.
Suggested Kit
As Oaklands is essentially an outdoor centre, the children should bring clothes which are appropriate for this purpose. The kit-list is by no means exhaustive.
Oaklands will kit children up with all specialist equipment, including waterproofs, fleece jumpers, wellies, boots, etc. but you can always bring your own. All the activities are outdoors so it’s better to bring older clothing.
We to have to walk from our coach to the Centre (about 1/2 KM), please make sure children have good walking shoes or boots and a coat to walk to the centre.
- 3 Warm sweaters
- Woolly/Warm hat
- Warm Jacket
- 4 T Shirts / shirts
- 2 Pairs of track suit bottoms or similar (not jeans!)
- 4 Pairs of thick socks (not trainer socks)
- 1 Pair of old trainers
- Slippers or soft indoor shoes
- Pair of shorts
- Nightwear
- Swimwear
- Underwear for 4 days
- Additional casual clothes for indoor use
- Maximum £5 for spending (The Centre has a tuck shop, which sells sweets, drinks and small souvenirs)
- Large plastic bag for wet clothes
- Any medicine you take on a regular basis (this should be given to Miss Sheridan before departing school)
- Toiletries (don’t forget your toothbrush)
- Towel
- Torch
- Sun cream – Factor 20 at least
- Sunhat
- Sunglasses
Important notes
- Children will not need their school uniform nor their PE kit
- The children are not allowed to bring mobile phones, iPods, iPads, CD players or electronic games to the centre. There are no exceptions to this rule.
- There is no secure storage for valuables such as jewellery – please do not bring any for security and health and safety reasons.