Primary School Residential Trips are almost always the highlight of a child’s time in school. This experience away from home with friends and teachers does wonders for a young person in many different ways, which we will cover here.
At Share Discovery Village, we have nearly 40 years of experience delivering primary school residential programmes to groups of all sizes and abilities.
This guide aims to provide teachers and group leaders with the necessary information to ensure a hassle-free residential to SHARE.
Download the guides in PDF form here:
Guide for Teachers and Leaders
Guide for Parent and Guardians
Benefits of a Primary School Residential Trips
The benefits of a trip away with a primary school are endless and can vary between people. Here are some of the most common skills and traits young people can gain:
- Increased Confidence: The time away from home, taking part in new activities, in new surroundings can really show a kid what they are capable of in life. This has huge positive effects on their confidence levels.
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- Independence: Although parents will miss their young ones and they will miss their parents, it is essential in life to learn to be independent and a primary school residential is usually the first time for young people to gain this trait, by being away from their family for a period of time.
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- Social Skills: A few days away with a group of people the same age can bring young peoples social skills on leaps and bounds. Constant interaction with school mates, friendly activity instructors and teachers will help bring even the shyest kid out of their shell.
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- Education: Our activity programme links to primary school curriculums in order to aid their education. Fun problem-solving games and activities that encourage critical thinking and teamwork rank are an essential part of our itinerary.
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- New Skills: Kids get the chance to develop skills on land and water from activities such as bush-craft, sailing, climbing and arts activities. These skills are all transferrable to everyday life and can ignite a spark for future career moves.
Share’s Experience with Primary School Residential Trips
Since 1981 we have been delivering school activity trips that are closely linked to school curriculums and are excellent value for families.
We realise organising a residential is no easy feat and can be a daunting experience. The Share Team will be on hand before, during and after your residential to make your experience one to remember.
After all, it is important that you can relax while your group enjoys the experience and has a great outdoor adventure. SHARE has a proven pedigree in delivering outdoor education and is a Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Recognised Teaching Establishment and a British Canoe Union (BCU) Approved Teaching School.
All activities are led by qualified and experienced members of staff. We carefully select our staff according to the participant’s age, gender and ability to ensure the highest level of interaction between instructor and participant is achieved.
All staff members receive First Aid and Child Protection Training and have Enhanced Disclosure Checks completed.
The Team Behind Our Educational School Trips
At SHARE we are committed to ensuring you have a fantastic experience with us. Our dedicated staff team will help you to organise a fun, safe and hassle-free stay!
Bookings Team:
The Bookings Team will be your first point of contact. They will help you choose a residential package which suits the needs and requirements of your group and assign your accommodation.
Be sure to let them know any special requirements you may have i.e. medical, catering, accommodation arrangements etc.
Centre Coordinator:
One of the Centre Coordinators will contact you the week prior to your stay at SHARE. The Centre Coordinator will advise you of your activity plan, confirm your final numbers, and also answer any last-minute queries you may have before your stay!
Outdoor Leader:
This is your dedicated member of staff during your residential. Upon arrival, they will give your group a tour of SHARE and provide the information your group need to know to have a great stay. If you have any problems during your stay, your Outdoor Leader will be your point of contact for solving them!
DI Instructor:
The Duty Instructors or DIs are the members of staff on call during the evening. Groups will be shown where the DI stays so they can find them during an emergency at any time. The DI will lock up the centre each evening at midnight and be on call. You will also meet them at dinner time each evening where they will be serving you.
School Residential Accommodation
All of our accommodation is fully wheelchair accessible. The bedrooms at SHARE are all en-suite and multi-bedded with a maximum of four people per room in bunk beds.
The accommodation options are:
The Farmhouse – 13 dormitory-style, ensuite rooms split over two floors. There are six bedrooms on the ground floor and seven bedrooms on the first floor.
The Chalets – There are 3 types of chalets available; 8-berth, 10-berth and 12-berth. Each chalet has en-suite rooms, a living room and kitchen. All bed linen is included, however, towels are not provided. Keys can be provided for all accommodation and a £10 key deposit is required on arrival.
Our accommodation is allocated at the discretion of the bookings team. Where possible accommodation preferences will be met so that young people and their parents have peace of mind knowing that they are staying with their closest pals.
We ask all groups staying onsite to respect a quiet time of 10:30 pm and return to their accommodation at this time, ensuring that everyone is well rested for the next days’ adventures.
School Trip Activities Programme
At the point of booking, you will have been asked to select from our wide variety of:
Your coordinator will contact you before your stay with a proposed activity programme.
We will try to encompass as many of your selected activities as possible but please remember that activities are subject to availability and are weather dependent.
Activities are delivered in 2.5-hour sessions, with a session in the morning and afternoon. Evening activities that include fun team games, both indoors and outdoors, can be provided on request.
Activities can be full sessions or split sessions where two activities of 1.15 hours are paired together. Not all activities can be split. SHARE normally work with a group size of 12, so if you have a large group it will need to be divided into smaller groups depending on the activity.
All instruction and activity equipment i.e. wetsuits, buoyancy aids, helmets, are included in the cost of your residential. We ask Group Leaders and Teachers to remind their participants to bring old shoes to wear in the water. SHARE does not provide water shoes and footwear is compulsory on all water activities.
Many of our activities are accessible for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues. If you are organising a residential for a disabled group and want some help deciding what activities to do, please don’t hesitate to contact a member of the SHARE team!
Delicious Catering For Primary School children
Share Discovery Village will provide your school group with a wide variety of catering options. It is important that our catering team have prior knowledge of any special dietary requirements to ensure a suitable menu can be provided.
All of the following dietary requirements are catered for; vegetarian, coeliac, halal, diabetic, vegan, lactose, and allergies i.e. nut, celery, mustard etc.
Mealtimes are:
– Breakfast 8 am to 8:45 am
– Lunch 1 pm
– Dinner 5:30 pm
– Supper 9.30 pm
All meals offer a choice of two delicious options. A selection of catering extras can also be added to your booking, such as an Ulster Fry Cooked Breakfast to start the day right, or a BBQ Dinner to celebrate the final evening of your stay.
If you are arriving after 6 pm on the day of arrival, assorted platters of sandwiches and soup can be arranged. This must be done through our booking team prior to your arrival.
On the day of departure, an earlier lunch can be organised to match departure requirements. An earlier sitting of hot lunch can be provided from 12:15 pm and if you require lunch before this time a packed lunch option is available. This can be eaten in the canteen or taken with you on departure.
At SHARE flexibility is our strength and if your group require a different menu or additional catering, please get in touch with our bookings team to discuss your options. Click to view the Main Weekly Menu and the Vegetarian Menu.
On-Site Facilities
Our centre is the perfect environment for kids to explore. We have two play-parks, a forest walk, football pitch, leisure suite, laundry facilities, grow-dome, campsite, static caravan site, caravanning bays, amenity blocks and audiovisual arts arena available onsite.
As well as direct access to stunning Upper Lough Erne and over thirty different land, water and arts activities to choose from, SHARE is an enclosed site and safe space where-in children are free to roam and play.
What to bring on a school trip?
The following items should be packed on a primary school residential trip:
- Old pair of shoes (to wear in the water!)
- A towel (SHARE provides all bed linen)
- Waterproof jacket
- Swimming costume
- Toiletries
- At least three changes of old warm clothing – it may get dirty on activities
- Lots of socks!!
- Pocket money – we have a gift shop with souvenirs and Maud’s ice-cream on sale.
- Optional (extras) include disposable camera, suntan lotion/sun hat, disco clothes (if applicable to your stay) and wellington boots.
SHARE provides all equipment required for activities i.e. wetsuits, helmets, lifejackets etc.
Do you want more information on packing? Check out our guide where we explain in detail about what you need to bring on a school trip.
What about Medical Information?
It is important that you advise SHARE of any medical information or issues within the group. All of our instructors are first aid trained and carry first aid kits on sessions.
Participants will be asked at the start of every activity session if they have any medical requirements and the likes of inhalers and epi-pens must go with them to the session.
How can Parents / Guardians contact visitors?
We appreciate parents/guardians will want to check-in with their children during their residential. However, it is a very busy activity programme and the children will be very busy making new friends and having adventures.
If at any point a guardian needs to contact a child in an emergency or needs the reassurance of their welfare, please advise them to phone the main office on 028 677 22122 between 9 a.m. – 5 p.m and a message will be passed on to the Outdoor Leader/Coordinator.
Price of our Primary School Residential Trips:
School residentials at Share Discovery Village cost from as little as £80pp for 2 days. Contact our booking team for a tailored package.
All set to go and have some fun?
Get ready for a trip away that will live long in the memory!
If you have any more questions about our primary school residential trips in Ireland or would like a site visit, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.
We look forward to meeting you!
Read about other Residential Groups at Share Discovery Village
We cater for groups of all ages, sizes and abilities at our fully-accessible centre. Find out more here: Group Residential Trips
