sres_centres@sandwell.gov.uk 

FRANK CHAPMAN OUTDOOR EDUCATION CENTRE 

The Frank Chapman Centre is set in 90 acres of beautiful ancient oak forest, creating an adventurous setting for exploring and learning in the outdoors. The centre was purpose-built to provide high quality residential visits and in recent years has seen investment in a climbing wall, high ropes and a fabulous glamping village. 
Frank Chapman Outdoor Education Centre 
 
Park End 
Bewdley 
Worcestershire 
DY12 2TY 
 
01299 403292 
frank_chapman@sandwell.gov.uk 
 

Accommodation: 

Main Building  

60 participant beds 

Glamping pods  

40 participant beds across 10 pods around an outdoor living / dining area 

Camping  

Camping is available in the grounds with kitchen, showers and toilets. 

Gallery: 

Facilities & Location: 

The centre is near to the small Georgian town of Bewdley with its beautiful churches and river walks.  It's around 25 miles south-west of Sandwell and Birmingham, and easily accessible from the M5 and A456. Facilities and opportunities include:  
100 participant beds: 60 in the main building + 40 in our glamping village. 
Groups of over 36 have sole occupancy of the main building. 
Staff bedrooms are very near to dormitories for easy night time supervision. 
The Glamping Pods are perfect for small, specialist groups.  
Comfortable staff room for group leaders with wifi and kitchen area. 
Large dining room for a home-cooked meal each evening  
Ribbesford downhill track is very close to the centre, great for mountain biking. 
All specialist / technical kit is provided where needed. 
Classroom, games room gift shop and changing areas all available. 
Wheelchair access, along with an off-road wheelchair, wet room and lift.  
Recreational areas include adventure courses, low ropes, playing fields, picnic areas, camp fire and forests to explore.  
The Worcester Way passes at the end of the centre and the Wyre forest has hundreds of miles of well-waymarked tracks for walking. 
We are just a mile from the Severn, one of the finest rivers for open canoe journeys and paddling. 
Hampton Loade to Blackrock are perfect for a days paddle. 
Bewdley is near to the Severn Valley Railway, West Midlands Safari Park and the Wyre Forest. 
 
 

Programmes: 

Our programmes are tailored to meet the needs of the group and to help participant recognise what they are capable of achieving. At the Frank Chapman Centre we offer. 
Key Stage 1 to adult / professional development programmes 
Non-school group activity programmes 
Day Visits: thematic / wellbeing / transition / Family Learning Days 
1 to 4+ nights all-inclusive residentials 
Venue hire for self-led programmes 
Curriculum enhancement: geography, history, RE, science, numeracy. 
GCSE, BTEC & OCR units 
John Muir Award 
DofE 
Revision retreats 
 

Activities: 

Our activities are a vehicle to enhance learning or to acquire new skill, and we think about them in 5 categories: 

Adventure  

Active, fun filled, challenging, and daring. From climbing trees and high ropes to making fires and mountain biking, there will be plenty of adrenaline and we use them to help understand ourselves better. 

Outdoor Education  

Making the most of the incredible surroundings, classic outdoor education sessions include orienteering and geocaching, team work and problem solving, and treks in the woods. 

Discovery  

Learning about the environment, the outdoors and yourself through nature art, geography, field studies and stories such as Stick Man, The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe or The Gruffalo. 

Curriculum  

Give us a topic and we’ll bring it to life. Use a bouldering session for maths, the woodland for habitats and classification, Dowles Brook for river studies, construct a ballista for science or history, identify the stars at night, conduct a river flow or bird study. 

Environmental / Conservation 

Using the outdoors to practically connect, conserve, enjoy and find awe in the natural world. Pond dips, food chains, habitats and conservation activities, deer tracking. A hard slog to a hill summit to take in an incredible view; sessions can be there for the sheer love of the environment. We also work in partnership with The John Muir Trust to deliver the John Muir Award. 

Activities include:  

High All Aboard 
Vines traverse 
Jacobs Ladder 
Crate Stack 
Mountain biking 
Climbing & abseil 
Treking and expeditions 
Bushcraft 
Archery 
Geocaching 
Tree climb 
Orienteering 
Challenge Course 
Problem solving & team building 
Environmental Education (eg tree-planting and food chains) 
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