EDGMOND HALL CENTRE FOR OUTDOOR LEARNING
At Edgmond Hall we utilise a child centred approach to create a perfectly balanced programme of discovery, learning, challenge, support and reflection. Our programmes are not about how much we can cram into a day, our focus is on providing the best possible holistic experience for education, personal growth, social development and mental wellbeing.
Opportunities for staff to observe children in a different setting has been invaluable.
Children have developed independence to solve issues themselves, or by seeking help at the right time and interacting with others outside of their friendship groups.”
Lead Teacher, Sandwell
Accommodation & Grounds:
Main House
50 participant beds, comfortable staff room and purpose built shower rooms.
The Cottage
10 participant beds with wheelchair access, full wet room and private garden
Courtyard
Large multi-use room , indoor activity space, kit stores, locker room, fundraising gift shop and toilets
Grounds & Surrounding Area
43 acres of private woodland, gardens and fields. Easy access to the Shropshire Hills.
Facilities:
The centre is in the attractive village of Edgmond which we often explore on foot to compare urban and rural settings. It's close to the M54 motorway and easily reached from the A41. Facilities and opportunities include:
60 participant beds: spacious dormitories for 50 in the main house, and 10 in the adjacent cottage
Staff bedrooms are very near to dormitories for ease of night time supervision
Groups of over 36 have sole occupancy of the centre
The cottage is perfect for small, specialist groups
Large dining room for the group to come together for a home-cooked meal each evening.
Courtyard includes a large multi-use room, games room, fundraising gift shop, kit store, lockers and toilets
Common room in main house
Comfortable staffroom for group leaders
Wheelchair access around the site with an all-terrain wheelchair available; wet room available in the cottage. Read more about accessibility here.
Our 17-seat minibus is used to visit The Shropshire Hills, The Wrekin, and Lilleshall Abbey.
Recreational ares include adventure courses, low ropes, a floodlit playing field, picnic pavillions and tables, a camp fire area, and a large field with cut paths to explore.
Additional Needs and Accessibility:
Accessible facilities and activities are available at Edgmond Hall so that participants can use our beautiful environment to build new skills, make new friends, increase confidence and have fun. We realise that we are still learning, so if the detail below does not answer your questions about accessibility please do contact us to discuss any additional support required.
Group entrance to the main centre is flat.
Accessible parking and drop-off are near the entrance of the main residential building.
The ground floor has a disabled toilet which is accessible from the dining room.
Corridors throughout the centre are wide with a 70cm gap through doorways and flat floor surfaces throughout.
1 all-terrain wheelchair is available. Please note this isn’t suitable for all users.
A folding telescopic ramp is used around the centre and site when needed.
The areas around and leading to Pond Cottage are fully accessible with one level entrance and another which is accessed via a ramp.
Throughout the ground floor of the cottage lights and sockets are at an accessible height.
The bathroom has wet room facility with a seat and grab rails. The controls for the shower are set at an accessible level. The bathroom is fitted with an alarm system which can be heard on the ground floor and first floors of the cottage.
The adjacent bedroom is fitted with a changing table.
You know your students best; we'll speak with you to see whether we are able to provide an appropriate environment, programme, and experience for your group. You would be most welcome to visit the site to take a look around and learn more.
We have experience of delivering a wide range of activities and learning opportunities to groups with additional needs. These have included physical impairments, sensory impairments, learning difficulties (ADHD, ASD, MLD, SLD, PMLD, and more), challenging behaviour, acquired brain injuries and life limiting illnesses. Our practitioners have received training on how to communicate and encourage personal and social development for all abilities.
Visits range from activity days to week-long residential through structured, progressive programmes. Inclusive activities for participants with additional needs include:
Team tasks are a fun range of problem-solving activities focusing on a model of teamwork which consists of five elements - communication, co-operation, trust, planning, and leadership. Delivery is flexible and there is a wide range of tasks.
Orienteering consists of navigation and exploration. Groups develop the skills needed to independently guide themselves around our site which has been made accessible to our all-terrain wheelchair.
Our archery sessions are fully inclusive. A typical session will feature archery games and coaching, as well as learning about the equipment and the sport.
Meeting the animals at Edgmond Hall can have huge therapeutic impacts. Using our off-road wheelchair to get close to the animals, learn about them and help to feed them.
Woodland Skills studies the environment and how to best adapt to it. Immensely variable, our sessions focus on survival skills as well as environmental knowledge. Sessions can include fire lighting, shelter building, environmental games, nature walks, cooking, cordage, tracking and tool use. Cooking in particular provides for an enjoyable sensory experience that also teaches transferable practical life skills.
We have adventurous onsite routes to explore that can be navigated using our all-terrain wheelchair. Journeying can be adapted to include bug hunting, team tasks, navigation, and learning about the local environment
Gallery:
Programmes:
Our programmes are not about how much we can cram into a day, our focus is on providing the best possible holistic experience for education, personal growth, social development and mental wellbeing. We make learning fun, give it context and meaning, and help participants to recognise what they are capable of achieving. The programmes are planned with group leaders from the outset, and are designed to meet the needs of the group. At Edgmond Hall we offer:
Key Stage 1 to adult / professional development
All inclusive residentials: 1 - 4 nights+
Day visits: thematic / wellbeing / transition / Family Learning Days
Revision retreats
Curriculum enhancement: geography, history, RE, science, numeracy
Fun. Don't forget the fun
John Muir Award
DofE
Non-school group activity programmes
Activities:
We don’t believe in delivering activities that involve short experiences and waiting for turns; we believe in maximising the learning opportunities that the outdoor residential provides, supporting teachers to celebrate and quantify these experiences so that they can be used back in the classroom to help raise attainment and strengthen the learning journeys of the children who visit us.
We can thread Sandwell's "Feel Good 6" throughout our delivery; these are 6 actions that we can take to improve our wellbeing:
Connect & Talk
CONNECTING with friends, teachers and the environment enriches every day.
TALK about the way you feel, what you want to achieve, and what's going on that's really important to you. This happens in review sessions and structured play.
Move
Getting up and about makes you feel great! From gardening to hill walks, team challenges and sensory activities - the Shropshire countryside and our magical grounds provide the perfect opportunity to get active.
Notice
Take time, stop and focus on the moment; enjoy the outdoors.
Looking up at the sky, exploring colours, textures and shapes in nature, and exploring the senses through our sensory garden or barefoot walk can help us all become more aware.
Learn
Learning something new is a great way to feel more confident.
Set challenges, stick at something, and you will enjoy achieving it.
Identify the stars at night, light fires, build habitats, perfect your photography, learn map skills, try archery and more!
Give
Doing simple things like making the time to listen to someone can really boost your wellbeing.
Make bead links for a friend as a reminder of the programme, share feedback with each other, look after the animals, and develop trust and empathy through many of our sessions.
Activities include:
Archery
Fencing
Wall traverse
Hill walking / navigation
Fire lighting
Animal care
Nature Art
Archaeology
Pond dipping
Archery Tag
Orienteering
Apple pressing
Lilleshall Abbey / Time Travellers
Problem solving & team challenges
Shelter building
Animal habitats and homes
Sensory activities
Village exploration
Digital Photography
Location:
The centre is in the attractive village of Edgmond which we often explore on foot to compare urban and rural settings. It's close to the M54 motorway and easily reached from the A41:
Edgmond Hall Centre for Outdoor Learning
High Street
Edgmond
Shropshire
TF10 8JY
0121 569 4440
edgmond_hall@sandwell.gov.uk
