Brenscombe Schools + Youth Groups

Schools & Youth Groups

Our Aims

To provide an exceptional service to our guests by listening to their requirements
To providing a unique package tailored to those requirements
To maintain the natural character of the Centre
To maintain a moderate capacity so that we deal with people, not numbers
To ensure the highest levels of instruction, tutoring and safety
To continually look for ways in which to improve our service

Support for Leaders
From your initial enquiry to your departure at the end of your stay we will always provide an excellent level of support. We have a relatively small staff team which has many years experience of dealing with people and providing a professional and efficient level of service. Brenscombe staff are responsible for supervising the groups during activity sessions. Your staff are responsible for the young people during all other times including meal times and overnight. To assist you, the Centre operates a Duty Instructor scheme.

Sample School Activity Course
Residential and non-residential courses are available. Courses are suitable for children and adults. They can be purely activity based or integrated into your own programmes. The programme sample:

	Breakfast	AM Session	Lunch	PM Session	Dinner	Evening Session
Monday			Own	Arrive, Introductions Icebreakers, Team Games	1815	Night Walk
Tuesday	0800	Archery, Shooting, Pioneering	Packed	Climbing, Abseiling	1815	Games Evening
Wednesday	0800	Orienteering	Packed	Campcraft	1815	Games Evening
Thursday	0800	Canoeing, Raftbuilding	Packed	Kayaking, Powerboating	1815 BBQ	Murder Mystery
Friday	0800	TEAM Challenge Depart
Cost for 40 children in April 2009: £255 + vat / person

Personal & Social Development
As well as having fun, we aim to provide outdoor activities within a framework so that maximum value is achieved from the experience. In a practical sense this means giving young people opportunities and experiences to take responsibility, make decisions and work together. This all happens in a safe and supportive environment whilst avoiding a series of unrelated activity sessions. This helps young people to equip themselves with skills for life through direct experience.

Personal Development Courses
We specialise in development courses for Schools, Colleges, Universities.

We can design programmes to compound knowledge which may span several Units within the NVQ / GNVQ format. Programmes can provide opportunities for evidence in several elements of a specific unit. Some core skills, mandatory optional units which can be covered in our courses are:

Working with others
Working in teams
Communication
Problem Solving
Improving own learning and performance

Outdoor activities are combined with practical initiative and communication exercises to form a balanced and enjoyable programme. These programmes allow more time for reflection and recognition of personal and team development. Courses are usually 4-5 days in duration and are based around challenging and rewarding activities and exercises.

Evening Entertainments
For school groups and some youth groups, Brenscombe can supply a series of evening entertainment programmes:

Story Telling Workshop £75 + vat / group	1 hour session of local stories from ghosts to pirates to legends. Workshops can include coaching for groups to develop their own stories.
Team Quiz £4 + vat / person	2 hour session with small teams participating in a variety of quiz rounds with varying themes along with some practical problems to solve and mimes to act out.
Disco £150 + vat / group	Bopping around in the main training room to music and lights presented by DJ Hugh from Take 1 Entertainments. Karaoke is also available with over 27,000 tracks.
Night Bivi £22 + vat / person	Sleep out under the stars. Locations include the Centre's orchard, the woods, beach or hill. Sleeping bags are provided.
Adventure Slide Show £100 + vat / group	45 minute show by local explorer, adventurer and expedition leader of his trips around the world. Trips include jungles, deserts and mountains.
Night Walk £4.75 + vat / person	2 hour walk from the Centre, through the woods on to the local hills overlooking Corfe Castle and Poole Harbour. Includes fascinating facts about the area.
Camp Fire £100 + vat / group	2 hour session of wood gathering, fire building and lighting to then enjoy the fire and tell stories or sing songs.
Murder Mystery £4.75 + vat / person	2 hour session with small teams tracking down characters around the Centre to interview them. Once they have all the clues and interviewed the suspects, teams identify the culprit.

Since opening in 1992 thousands of people have visited Brenscombe with schools and youth groups returning each year. Over this time facilities have been developed with an annual reinvestment programme and combined with a strong team of permanent staff who are supported by experienced seasonal staff.

Brenscombe Youth Group at Ropes Course

Pupils are encouraged to reflect upon their successes and problems they faced on activity sessions. This places emphasis on the experience, helping them to identify which skills are most effective at helping them to meet challenges and bring about positive change.

Brenscombe School Group on Games Field

Brenscombe staff members will ensure that both you and your group enjoy the the visit to Brenscombe.

Brenscombe Campcraft Area for School Groups

"I am happy to recommend Brenscombe to any teacher considering bringing a group on a residential visit. The standards of accommodation, catering, care and warmth of welcome were more than we dared to hope for. In nine years of residential visits, this was the Centre which received by far the most positive reaction from our children and staff."
St James School, Bournemouth