Wednesday 23rd May – Friday 25th May 2018 Our Trip The school is running a (insert number of days) day trip at (Insert location) on (insert date). (Either) a. There are (x) places available which will be on a first come first served basis. (Or) b. The entire year group will be attending. A letter will go home to your parents with all of the details and a kit list. Today I'm going to talk to you about who The Bushcraft Company are, the activities you will be doing what you will be eating and where you will be sleeping.

WHO You have all seen Bear Grylls and Ray Mears on TV. The Bushcraft Company was set up in 2009 by someone who was trained for many years by Ray Mears. The company now works with hundreds of schools across the UK providing camping residential’s from 4 unique centres. These range from 1 to 5 days in woodland centres. All of the programmes are exciting and specifically designed to allow you to have fun with the rest of your friends away from school.

Meet the staff attending! Mrs Ottiwell Mrs Knowles Mr Lister Mrs Alderson Mrs Hardman

On the morning of the residential… Children should arrive at the school through the main entrance with their belongings at 9:00 am ready for registration. The children will leave their belongings in the hall and proceed to the classroom. Parents are welcome to wait in the hall, ready to wave them off! We will leave school at 9.30 am, earlier if possible. If your child requires medication or has a medical condition you need to make us aware of this. All medicines should be labelled with the child’s name and dosage. All medicines should be given to Mrs Jackson on the morning of departure. Children who are travelsick and need tablets should be given them prior to departure and a dosage given to Mrs Jackson for the return journey.

WHAT The trip is a woodland based camping and activity programme set in the heart of a private woodland. You will be living, sleeping and doing activities with the rest of the year group while staying in a tented village. There will be no other schools present and you will have a fantastic trip with your friends where you will be learning the fundamentals of bushcraft and many other fun activities. You will be split into groups of ten called tribes.  A typical day will start with a cooked breakfast at about 8 o’clock, followed by a morning of activities with your tribe. You will then cook your own lunch followed by a full afternoon of activities before a central dinner round the campfire. After dinner you will have free time or night time stalking games with lanterns in the woods. Finally, you’ll go back to camp for hot chocolate and marshmallows followed by bed in the tents. The last day will end with a big BBQ before getting buses back to school.

Mobile Phones/Electronic devices Mobile phone signal is poor near the centre and mobile phones are not allowed on the visit. If there is a problem we will contact you – no news is good news! PLEASE NOTE: NO electronic devices will be allowed on the visit including Ipads/tablets or any type of cameras

ACTIVITIES Activities will include tracking and stalking, campfire cookery, fire-lighting, leadership, archery, survival, wild camping, emergency shelter building, orienteering, wild swimming and camouflage and concealment. You will also work within your groups to prepare a short skit for the final night where we will have a competitive ‘tribes got talent’ in the main tent.

FOOD You will eat fantastic food throughout your stay starting with a big cooked breakfast of bacon and eggs; the rest of the menu will include meals such as: roast venison, homemade pizzas cooked in a clay oven (made by you!), campfire roast salmon, campfire puddings, fry ups, bannock, marshmallows around the camp fire, and spaghetti Bolognese with cheese and garlic bread, stews and jungle goat curry.

ACCOMMODATION At night the woodland will be lit with lanterns and camp fires; you will sleep in separate gender groups in big bell tents laid out in a circle around the main camp. In the centre of the circle will be Bushcraft Company leaders in an open sided parachute with lights in case you need them at night. You will also have the opportunity to sleep in your own survival shelters if you want to!

LEADERS The Bushcraft Company will run all of the activities. Our teachers will be there too and we will decide on who is in what group nearer the time. The Bushcraft Company have many highly trained staff that will be with your for the whole trip. Each tribe will have their own tribe leader who will also be with you for the whole trip.

For more info; follow The Bushcraft Company on Facebook and look at their galleries and videos to get a fuller picture of what you will be doing.

We aim to return home by 3:00pm on Friday 25th May 2018 We will contact you via ParentMail if there are any significant delays Any Questions?