As summer fades and the school doors swing open once again, the idea of a school residential trip might not be the first thing on your mind. However, behind the scenes at our activity centres – Alltnacriche, Gowanbank and Lendrick Muir – our teams are busy preparing to welcome schools throughout the autumn and winter months.

These residential trips are more than just a break from the norm. They offer pupils the opportunity to step beyond the confines of the classroom, immersing themselves in experiential learning and creating memories that last a lifetime – shaping their classroom experience for the rest of the school year.

We believe the sooner a residential experience takes place in the school year, the greater the benefits.
– Learning Away programme

The Learning Away programme has collected a wealth of evidence highlighting the benefits of kickstarting the school year with a residential trip. Take a look at the 6 benefits they found of taking pupils on an autumn/winter residential:

1: Boost resilience and wellbeing

Residentials improve resilience, confidence and wellbeing. Teachers find that pupils are more willing to try something new and ask for help, push themselves and participate in class.

87% of secondary school pupils reported feeling more confident to try new things following a residential experience

2: Increase engagement with learning

The impact of residentials on student engagement with learning is undeniable. Schools have witnessed positive shifts in behavior and attendance, attributing these improvements to the newfound enthusiasm for learning instilled during autumn/winter residential trips.

72% of primary pupils attested that their behaviour at school is better after a residential