Escot Camp Wild runs residential programmes during term time through Escot Education. Yurt Village is the perfect place to bring your students on an outdoor learning residential programme. We tailor make your curriculum to suit your class, and ensure that students enjoy learning in a safe, fun and adventurous environment. We design your session plan, email risk assessments and ensure you have all the heath and safety documents you need for your trip.

Programmes and Prices

We offer school residential programmes from 1 to 4 nights in duration, which include activities based on your chosen areas of study, food, except for lunch on your arrival day, and accommodation, including hot showers and tea and fresh coffee facilities for teachers (24 hours a day).

Prices for 2011

1 day, 1 night residential £35.00 per child

2 days, 1 night £50.00 per child

2 days, 2 nights £75.00 per child

3 days 2 nights £85.00 per child

4 days, 3 nights £120.00 per child

5 days, 4 nights £160.00 per child

Teachers stay for free, however we do charge a meal fee depending on the duration of your stay.

The Site and Facilities

Camp Wild is based at Yurt Village at Escot and can accommodate up to 56 children and 10 staff per week. The village comes complete with 5 sleeping yurts, 2 for boys, 2 for girls and 1 for staff. There is also a bunk bed in the main 28ft yurt for staff who wish to sleep in this area. The site has powerful hot showers and flushing toilets which are all gender specific. There is a fully equipped kitchen, campfire pit and bbq.

There is a large playing field area surrounding the yurts, perfect for freetime games or sports.

The Curriculum

Our schools programme connects children with the natural world using unique thematic hands-on activities. Chiuldren discover a learning experience that can’t be found in textbooks. They strengthen community spirit through team challenges, and deepen their connection to the natural world through guided, hands-on exploration of ponds and streams, living history and terrestrial plants and animals.

We also offer exciting evening programmes for you to choose from, including bat detecting or astronomy night hikes, or a campfire with songs and marshmallow roasting.

Areas of Study

We offer the following topics for you to choose from.

Team Building

We offer multiple activities which will help students learn how to work as a team, solve problems and enjoy each other’s company. We use giant jigsaws, giant skis, scavenger hunts, imaginative scenarios and games to help students better understand the meaning and importance of team work.

Terrestrial Biology

This area of study allows students to feed the Wild Boar, visit the Red Squirrels, help prepare and watch an Otter feed and chat to the ranger. We play games to teach about adaptations, go on an”each one teach one” student led hike in the woodlands. We also watch a falconry display and go on a bug hunt nature walk in beautiful Rowden End.

Forest School Activities

Based at the Greenwood centre, the activities in this subject provide students with an insight in to survival in the wild. These fun activities may include: fire making, shelter building, campfire cooking, whittling, tool care and tool use and a swamp walk if requested. The swamp walk is a 100-metre meander in bare feet through the mire. It is cold, smelly, seriously manky and about 2 feet deep in places finishing with a wash in a pond. It is quite a serious challenge for some and is universally remembered as the best part of the day. 

The Water Cycle

Using games and hands on activities, like the “Incredible Journey” we teach students all about the water cycle. We go stream dipping to find macro invertebrates, and using microscopes make observations, draw sketches and using dichotomous keys, identify our findings and add them to an important Escot Biotic Index. We do a group watershed puzzle exercise which allows students to understand the importance of taking care of the water in their own school and home communities.

A Living History

(At the Greenwood centre) This topic allows students to delve in to the past and enjoy activities focused around the time of the Anglo Saxons. Activities may include: Wattle and Daub, lighting fires, making pennies, bread making, spoon making, forging, milling, pole lathing, splitting logs and dressing up.

 Wild night in the woods

Wild Night in the woods is a one night residential programme focused on forest school activities which takes in the woods at Rowden End on the Escot estate. Children make shelters to sleep in, cook over an open fire and enjoy activities such as environmental arts, greenwood crafts (whittling), archery, storytelling and campfire cooking. This activity is run by Alan Bruford at the Greenwood centre and is charged seperately from the above prices.

Health and Safety

We have completed risk assessments for all our activities and email them to you when you book along with emergency procedures and other important health and safety documents. All our staff are CRB checked, and we are registered with Ofsted.

Supervision

Camp Wild staff will supervise students between 9am-4pm daily, then again during the evening programme. A Camp Wild cook will serve breakfast and dinner however we encourage the children to assist with clean up of all meals. This can be done by school teachers assigning different groups to certain meal times.

Free time is between the hours of 4pm and 7pm, with dinner being served at approximately 5.30pm. During this time child supervision is the responsibility of the school teachers. The overnight supervision starts after the evening programme at approximately 8-8.30pm and again it is the responsibility of the school teachers to watch the children during this time.

During the day time, school teachers are free to come and go from the group as long as we always have one teacher with each of our groups.

Why bring your students here

Escot is an amazing place. Its’ woodlands, animals, water meadows, ponds and natural features ensure unique and exciting outdoor learning at its best. Add this to the yurt village accommodation you really have a one of a kind experience which your students will remember for years to come.