Outdoor Activities Service (OAS) aims to deliver, through our Alternative Adventure programmes, personal and social development, training and education outside of the formal classroom setting, meeting the needs of the Learning Outside the Classroom (LoTC) manifesto. OAS staff will work with your school, college, academy or youth training agencies to produce a bespoke package fitting both the of the organisation and the young people. Staff working alongside the young people will have an opportunity to participate, thus engaging, supporting and challenging them. This is the ideal environment to target issues around personal and social development, inclusion and personal responsibility.e.g. targeting issues around inclusion and behaviour for example.

The programme will be supported by and have input from your accompanying staff team. 

Our range of outdoor activities and programmes aim to challenge focus and motivate young people of all ages and abilities from Key Stage 1 – 4 and beyond (including Further, Higher and University educational settings). They are designed to target Disaffection, NEET, PRU and Alternative Education groups as well as mainstream young people requiring a confidence boost. Alternatively the activities can be used as a reward or support for particular groups i.e.” Gifted and Talented”.

We offer a range of outdoor activity programmes which will offer you the flexibility as a partner to create a bespoke programme to address needs of your targeted group of young people.  

Activity delivery is flexible: a half day, full day, overnight experience or multi days. All are tailored to meet your specific needs e.g.time, duration, objectives, goals, accreditation, targets and locations. 

Venues - Programmes can be arranged at short notice and delivered at your venue (school or college) grounds or a suitable venue local to you. These can be local parks, scout camps or urban countryside.

All our outdoor activities can be structured around your programme which is designed to develop many topics such as:-

team building, confidence, leadership, communication, health, self esteem, responsibility, self awareness, co-operation, supporting others, learning new skills, trust, sharing experiences, working cooperatively, perseverance, achieving success, broaden horizons, Using practical training activities and courses the outdoor activities and programmes will engage, stimulate and provide life skills for the most challenging of your young people.   

All our outdoor activities can be delivered to relate to your core curriculum areas of:-

Health, Equality, Responsibility, Self Esteem, Citizenship, Managing Feeling, Emotional Wellbeing, Interpersonal Skills, Self Awareness.  

Our outdoor activities can be delivered to enhance develop the six key skills which form the structure of the national curriculum. Integrating these skills into all our outdoor activities ensures that the young people are engaged in a fun and rewarding positive experience.  More importantly, they develop their learning and performance within education, life and develop a positive future.  

An example of how an outdoor activity develops these skills is Outdoor (Real) Rock Climbing:- 

Communication

Listening to and following instructions; checking the understanding of other group members; climber, belayers and instructors talking with each other; using a set of climbing calls; discussion between group members on climbing progression and movement on the climbs; giving encouragement to other group members; discuss and identifying shared outcomes.   

Working with Others

Taking on the role of the belayer or climber; sharing experiences; acting as back up to the belayer; assisting other group members with equipment; giving guidance on where to move on the climb; assisting with carrying equipment required to the climbing venue; develop leadership skills; supporting and encouraging others; achieving success.  

Improving own learning and performance

Developing motor skills required to climb and belay climbers; developing movement skills and trying harder climbs; use of specialist equipment, using climbing guidebook to locate climbs; achieving success; understanding of guidebook descriptions; developing an enjoyment and apprecation of the countryside;  assessing and understanding risk. 

Problem Solving

Using specialist equipment; identifying out where to place equipment & hands and feet when climbing; relating guidebook descriptions to features on the rock face; responding to changing weather; reviewing personal and group's actions; showing perseverance; organising within the group.  

Thinking Skills

Remembering and applying instructions given; consideration of clothing and food required when out in the countryside; checking equipment is correctly used; tying knots; concentration and movement when climbing; evaluating one's and other's performance; understanding of one's actions; how to identify,manage and reduce risk to themselves and others; challenge values.  

Application of number

Interpretation of guidebook climb lengths; planning session length;addition of the number of feet climbed during the session; calculation of equipment required, recording and counting equipment at start and finish of sessions.    

Outdoor Education Day at your school.

We are able to deliver outdoor and adventurous activities within your school grounds. The activities available are Rock Climbing (Mobile Climbing Wall), Team Building / Problem Solving Exercises, Orienteering, Earth Ball, Parachute Games, Archery or Mountain Biking.  

During a half or full day a year group can rotate around different activities. The number of activities will be dependent on time available and number of young people. 

Example: A day of Climbing Wall, Archery and Team / Problem Solving can accommodate with ease 150+ young people rotating around the 3 activities. Your school day would need to be divided as closely as possible into 3 equal sessions.   

Accreditation

Participation in some of the activities can enable young people to be accredited with the national recognised awards, for example:

Orienteering 

British Schools Orienteering Association: Explorer Challenge Award Scheme.

It is envisaged that they will all achieve the Acorn level and hopefully the higher levels. This depends on how much navigating each young person undertakes. 

British Orienteering: Young Orienteering Leader Award.

This is a formal syllabus of about 6 hours duration. Is suitable for JSLA Candidates. 

NNAS

They can work towards the National Navigation Award Scheme (NNAS) accreditation. This is dependent on the amount of navigation each young person individual undertakes.  

Climbing 

NICAS

They can work towards The National Indoor Climbing Achievement Scheme. This depends on how much rock climbing each young person undertakes.  

Mountain Biking

BSCA

Mountain Biking can be accredited with the British Schools Cycling Association BSCA Tricks Award scheme. It is envisaged that they will all achieve the Bronze level. We offer our own mountain bike maintenance accreditation.  

Kayaking/canoeing

BCU

Canoeing can be accredited with the British Canoe Union Paddlepower or Star Award schemes and the Foundation Rescue and Safety Training.    

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

This can be built into your programme. We can assist as a Approved Activity Provider (AAP) with the Bronze, Silver and Gold Expedition training and assessment section. The skills section can form part of your prograemm if requested.  

First Aid 

We offer a 4 hour course delivering the essentials of first aid:  vital signs, accident procedure, ABC, CPR, minor and major bleed, minor burns and blisters. Alternatively a 6 hour Emergency first aid at work course is available. 

Details of the above schemes are available on request. 

OAS Tutors

Staff employed by OAS are professionals and many hold professional qualifications in teaching and youth and community work. They all have extensive experience of working with young people both in the classroom and outdoor settings. 

All of our tutors have the necessary national governing body (NGB) qualifications:-

MT Walking Group  Leader, Summer Mountain Leader, SMT Winter Mountain Leader, MLT Mountaineering Instructors Awards, BCU Canoe level 2 and 3 Coaches, BO Orienteering level 2 and 3 Coaches, BSCA Mountain Bike / Off Road Leaders, NCA Cave Leaders and extensive experience of delivering Duke of Edinburgh Award training and expeditions. 

All hold current Outdoor first aid qualifications of 16 hour or more duration. 

They are also members of the:- 

AMI Association of Mountaineering Instructors.

MTA Mountain  Training Association,

IfOL Institute for Outdoor Learning,

BMC British Mountaineering Council,

BSCA British Schools Cycling Association

BO (BOF) British Orienteering

BCU British Canoe Union. 

As part of our child protection policy our tutors have an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks.   

Click here to see additional information about our tutors.