Small Group Course FAQs

A responsible adult is required for each individual student or group of students eg a teacher from a school or parent for their child. Parents/carers can be designated as a responsible adult for other students eg friends of their child but will have duty of care throughout the course. Students who have turned 18 cannot be counted as responsible adults.

You can book student and adult places on our website with an online payment for the deposit. You will receive an invoice for the final payment around 3 months before the course starts.

All students are given shared rooms. Rooms are shared with those of the same gender and age and have access to toilet and shower facilities. Responsible adults and over 18 years students will be roomed separately. Please let us know before you come if you have any access requirements.

Room sizes vary from centre to centre. We offer rooms from two-bed through to 12-bed dormitories.

Please let us know and we will agree the best rooming option for you and other participants eg allocated single room.

Rooms are hostel style but clean and comfortable. If you’d like to see photographs of the centre and its rooms, visit our locations page.

All food is provided by the centre. This includes breakfast, packed lunch and evening meals. We can cater for most dietary requirements. If you do have allergies or special dietary requirements, please let the centre know in advance. You can see an example of the types of meals we serve here.

Each centre has indoor and outdoor relaxation areas. Indoor areas may include televisions, table football, pool table and space for board games etc… Our outdoor areas may include outdoor seating, walks within the centre grounds and spaces for team games.

Details on how to get to each centre via public transport can be found on our website by viewing the centre you are visiting. Some centres may offer train station pick-ups, please contact the centre directly on this.

Each centre will send out specific kit details once you have booked your place but here is an example kit list.

Kit list:

• Boots or wellingtons
• Waterproof jacket & trousers
• Hat and Gloves for warm and cold weather
• Wash kit
• Suitable clothing for the time of year
• Small day rucksack
• Head torch
• Water bottle and lunch box
• Suncream
• Medication

Please see our booking terms and conditions on our website.

If you are booking in advance (more than 8 weeks before the course starts) you will be asked to pay a holding deposit. The balance is due 8 weeks before the course starts and we will contact you before that to ask for payment in time.

All deposits are non-refundable. Final payments are not refundable if you cancel less than 8 weeks before the course. We may be able to transfer your payment to another course but cannot guarantee this.

In the event that a course can’t take place for unforeseen circumstances or, the number of participants booked to attend doesn’t meet the minimum of 5 that DofE sets for the residential to meet award requirements, the centre will give you a minimum of 4 weeks’ notice and offer to transfer your booking to another course or, offer a full refund.

Participants are expected to follow our Centre rules eg staying within Centre grounds, no late-night noise etc. These will be made clear during a Welcome Talk on the first night.

We obviously expect participants to respect our staff, our Centre buildings and grounds and other guests. If participants are abusive, damage property, or act dangerously we will make them aware of the problem. Depending on the problem they may be asked to pay for damage or asked to leave the course. We will contact you if this happens.

No alcohol or illegal/recreational substances may be brought to the Centre by participants or consumed during the course, even if they are over 18 years old. Any alcohol or illegal/recreational substances will be immediately confiscated, and participants may be asked to leave.

Our duty staff are on site throughout the course and can be contacted at any time by participants.