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)
