This slideshow case study describes the development of the South Hetton Learning Away partnership's low-cost camping residential programme. It has been written to share their approach, learning, issues and challenges with schools considering the development of similar programmes.

1. Camping at South Hetton
A low-cost alternative

2. Why did the South Hetton Learning
Away partnership choose camping?
 Our context:
 East Durham communities
 Limited learning away experiences (or any ‘away
from home experiences for many children)
 Wanting to promote ‘family’ values
 Our ethos:
 Promote life skills to create well-rounded children
with a range of abilities
 Child-led learning approach already embedded into
our curriculum

4. Where did we start?
1. Equipment
 Central stock based in Easington Colliery Primary School
 Pod tents
 Sleeping bags
 Roll mats
 Cooking utensils
 Small stoves
 School based stock
 Additional sleeping bags/roll mats
 Bell tents
 Chairs
 Outdoor first aid kits
 Waterproofs
 ‘Spares’ e.g. torches, toothbrushes, blankets, etc.

5. Where did we start?
2. Training
 Initially or staff weren’t keen!
 We launched the PHF Learning Away programme
by having an outdoor learning and camping
experience at Weardale House for staff in all three
of our partnership primary schools
 Staff took part in a range of outdoor activities
including bushcraft, high ropes course, problem
solving and teambuilding challenges, and shelter
building
 … and we all camped!

6. 3. Further training
 Food hygiene
 Volunteer walker leader training
 Outdoor first aid
 Introduction to Forest Schools
 Family camping course – teaching children and
their families how to camp
 Food/cooking
 Health and safety
 Bushcraft
 Setting up, maintaining and striking camp
 Games and entertainment

8. Time to ‘fess up’ …what went wrong?
 Our first camps - Moor House September and October 2010
 Were too close together! We had no time to sort out, clean up and
pack away equipment properly before passing on to the next school
 Transporting equipment to and from camp
 Our first joint camp – transition project Yearr 6 to Year 7,
Kielder 2011
 Overambitious with numbers (150 children + 25 staff)
 Lack of communication on camp between the four schools involved
 Too many activities on timetable
 Creepy crawlies
 The Great British weather!
 Finding appropriate venues – led us to create an educational
visits directory

9. So why are we still camping?
 Staff confidence has improved and residentials are being planned
largely independently by staff in school. Learning Away leaders have
taken on a more advisory role
 It has led to LOtC being embedded across the curriculum
 Greater use has been made of the schools grounds, immediate locality
and areas of interest in the region
 Learning in context - camping increasingly combines curriculum and
‘real life’ skills (great for geography which is so often neglected!)
 Brilliant for those children who are not typically ‘academic’
 Training up to two children per year from Years 2-6 as ‘Learning Away
Leaders’ (Learning Away training camp May 2012)
 Camping opportunities are now identified in yearly planning
 Camping is an affordable opportunity that all of our children can access

12. Sustainability
and our plans for the future
 Very low cost now that we have our own equipment – we can
afford to keep going
 Staff have received training both in school and externally to
improve confidence
 Greater appreciation of what’s on our doorstep (including the
school grounds)
 Further embedding LOtC in our curriculum
 Plans to develop a ‘Rent a Tent’ scheme for family residentials