PARENT PORTAL
Welcome to Mendip's Parent and Guardian Portal. If your child is due to come and visit Mendip Activity Centre for a School Residential, this page is for you.
School residentials are often the most exciting part of a school year. They offer young people invaluable, life-changing opportunities in safe, exciting environments, often learning new skills and stepping outside of comfort zones. We think that all young people should have the opportunity to explore, be challenged and to grow.
Mendip Activity Centre have been working with schools for forty years. From caterers to instructors to customer service team, our team are the best in the industry. In our experience, we know that this can be an apprehensive time for adults and children alike. It might be the longest time your child has gone away from home and they may be anxious about certain elements. We hope that this portal proves useful and we look forward to welcoming your child to Mendip soon.
THE BENEFITS OF OUTDOOR EDUCATION
Getting outdoors and active is crucial for young people. Outdoor learning provides opportunities and experiences that cannot be achieved in any other educational context.
“Learning outside the classroom contributed significantly to raising standards and improving pupils’ personal, social and emotional development” (Ofsted)
Outdoor education allows young people to;
Expand comfort zones and build resilience: Outdoor adventure allows young people to expand their comfort zone, build resilience, and grow confidence.
Look after their wellbeing and mental health: We care deeply about the wellbeing of all young people who come to visit us and promote a positive attitude towards mental health.
Develop environmental awareness: Spending time outdoors allows for a better understanding, knowledge and connection with nature.
Create stronger relationships: Students build and develop better relationships and communities with their peers and their teachers.
Engage with learning outside the classroom: Learning outside the classroom can assist in curriculum-focused activities, independent learning, team working, creativity and important life skills.
CLEAN & COSY ACCOMMODATION
Your children will have exclusive use of their accommodation during their stay. We provide everything except bedding- you'll need to provide a sleeping bag and pillow.
Your child will either be staying in our indoor accommodation in bunk-bed style bedding, or in one of our canvas tented villages, Basecamp.
PEACE OF MIND WITH MENDIP
We've been delivering life changing outdoor education residentials since 1987. We are the largest and most reputable outdoor activity provider in the South West.
We are proud to be accredited with the Adventure Activities Industry Advisory Committee (AAIAC), Learning Outside the Classroom (LOTC), the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) and the Duke of Edinburgh Award (DofE).
All our instructors are fully qualified with specific outdoor adventure qualifications, first aid and safeguarding. All our team undertake regular training and we care deeply about the wellbeing of our team and all our clients.
We care passionately about the environment and green issues and are doing everything we can to make a difference through our actions and education.
ACTION-PACKED WEEK
We'll plan an action-packed week where outdoor learning, development and growth are key.
All of our programmes are developed in conjunction with schools to create an fully-packed timetable with our most popular activities.
Every programme varies slightly but is likely to feature a range of activities from Rock Sports, Water Sports, Land Sports and Target Sports.
All our activities are safe and fun, first and foremost. Where possible, we'll add an education twist and allow students to grow and develop.
Outdoor adventure allows students to step out of their comfort zones, try adrenaline-fuelled activities and build personal confidence.
Team building initiative exercises will focus on team and leadership development. Target sports, orienteering and bushcraft are great for concentration, developing new skills and gaining environmental awareness.
CATERING
Our menus are locally sourced and packed with all the energy needed for the adventure ahead. Everything is prepared on site in our fully-equipped commercial catering kitchen to ensure your students have well balanced and freshly cooked food all week.
We are able to cater for all dietary needs and requirements. When you sign up to the trip, the school will ask you to let us know any specific dietary requirements or allergies that your child might have.
KIT LIST
Residential items
- Sleeping bag & pillow
- Wash kit including toothbrush, toothpaste, soap
- Towel for showers
- Nightwear
- Lots of underwear & socks
Suggested clothes
- Old trousers- two pairs (jeans are not appropriate)
- Shorts
- Tshirts (plenty)
- Long-sleeve tops (plenty)
- Warm jumpers/fleeces (layers are best)
- Warm coat
- Waterproof top and waterproof trousers
- Woolly hat & gloves
- Wellies or walking boots
- Closed toe shoes (two pairs, one to get wet)
Other
- Old towel for activities
- Reusable water bottle (1 litre)
- Torch
- Sun protection (suncream, hat, sunglasses)
- Book to read
- Pencil and paper
Top tips!
Large plastic bags are great for putting in dirty/wet clothes
Bring a large bag with most of your clothes in and please bring a small rucksack/backpack to take your waterproofs, packed lunch etc between activity sites.
Name everything!
Please do not bring: any jewellery, electronic items, expensive items, your favourite clothing or shoes. Mendip cannot take responsibility for the loss, theft or damage of any personal property. We would always recommend leaving jewellery and valuables at home.
MERCHANDISE: We do provide the opportunity to buy some small merchandise items. Where possible, please provide your children with a prepaid card. If they do not have one, please provide them with small items of change.
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What if I don’t want to do a certain part of the course?You can opt out of any element of the course that you do not have an interest in. If there is something you definitely do not want to do, we can work out a reduced rate kit package for you. Unfortunately the cost of the course will remain the same.
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Is there an age limit?The course is designed for ages 18+. There is no upper limit as long as you are fit, active and love being outside.
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How do we book?Book here
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What if I can’t make an Open Day?We are open 7 days a week and into the evenings and are more than happy to arrange an individual open day if you are struggling to attend. Just drop us a message to hi@outdoorinstructortraining.co.uk and we can arrange a day and time.
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What if we have to cancel?If you need to cancel your booking, please let us know by email as soon as possible. Your booking will be cancelled with effect from the day we receive your email notification and subject to our standard cancellation charges: In case of a cancellation or amendment of bookings the following rules apply: - Mendip reserves the right to cancel or alter any activity or event due to circumstances beyond our control. In the event of cancellation, an alternative date will be arranged. If we are unable to run the weekend due to Covid restrictions we will offer you full credit or a refund if you prefer. - If you need to cancel or rearrange your booking with more than 48 hours notice then we will create a gift voucher to the value of the booking less a small £5 administration charge which will be valid for 12 months for any of our activities. - If you have to cancel within 48 hours of your booking regretably we can not offer any credit or rearrange your booking. For any cancellation made with less than 48 hours until your booking, due to medical reasons suported by official documentation, a credit will be applied to your account for you to rebook another time. - The term 'booking' shall be taken to mean any session, course or event arranged by Mendip.
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What activities are included?Archery Air Rifle Axe Throwing Bushcraft Rock Climbing Tobogganing Frisbee Golf Orienteering Two evening activities Optional activities- Try Caving, Try Skiing, Try Snowboarding (additional charge applies)
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Can a member of my group ski, snowboard, or cave?"You can book an optional and additional activities: Try Caving on the Saturday Evening (£15 per person) Try Skiing on the Friday evening or Sunday afternoon (£30 per person) Try Snowboarding on the Sunday afternoon (£30 per person) These activities can be booked just for indiviudals (including any under 16s ages 7+) or the whole group.
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What catering is included?All catering is included from Friday evening to Sunday lunchtime! Cooked breakfast, packed lunch, home cooked dinner. Each meal includes squash/hot drinks. The bar and cafe will also be open if you wish to buy any extras.
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What dietary or special requirements can you cater to?Yes, our team are great and can cater to all requirements. Please let us know in advance and if you have any specific questions or requests we will do our best to accommodate these.
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What do we need to bring?Towels, linen and pillows are not provided. You will need to bring your own. Don't forget a rain jacket, warm clothes and sturdy footwear. We recommend reading our kit lists for more guidance.
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What are arrival and check out times?You can arrive from 4pm on the first evening. If you can't get here until later, don't worry! Check out is by 4pm on Sunday. Activities will be finished by 3pm so you have plenty of time to get a cup of tea and one last slice of cake before you leave!
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Do we have to take part in every activity?This is your weekend to do as you please! We know it's jam packed and full on, so if any of your family need a break at any point, that's absolutely fine.
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We have a group bigger than 6. Can we still book?You can book as two separate groups or get in touch with us regarding larger group bookings.
FAQS
