How PGL are making residential trips more accessible
From the first time a child spends time away from home through to celebrating the end of secondary school, residential trips are a core part of education that are remembered by pupils and teachers long after they leave. However, we understand barriers can get in the way of adventure. We have listened to teachers and parents concerns about affordability, inclusivity and other factors and are on a mission to break down these barriers, so that as many children as possible can have life changing experiences, starting with their first residential.
At PGL, we’ve been passionate about the power of outdoor education from the very start and over 65 years later still love to see every guest embracing the PGL experience. The fun, excitement and achievements we see never change, but government priorities and curriculum focuses are now shifting in line with the new DfE Enrichment Framework. The framework that comes into effect September 2026 introduces guidelines that shine a spotlight on the benefits of outdoor learning.
It’s becoming more important than ever to incorporate residential trips into the academic year. If you’ve not taken your pupils on a residential before, find out more about what we’ve put in place to make adventure more accessible.
Funding helps to shape young people’s futures
One of the key pillars of the Enrichment framework is Nature, outdoors and adventure. Within school walls a child’s access to these is limited and affordability is a factor that unfortunately becomes a stumbling block when thinking about residential trips.
That is why we created The Breakthrough Fund – to remove the financial barriers that can put the brakes on when the plan for your first or next residential were just coming together.
Through The Breakthrough Fund we offer at least 50% funding to schools and pupils who need it most. We believe that a factor that’s uncontrollable to children shouldn’t get in the way of them experiencing the growth, boosted confidence and resilience that comes from adventure.
Experiences that adapt to additional needs
As a child being sat on the sidelines or fearing being the one to miss out is one of the worst feelings, we’ve made sure this will never happen at PGL. We’re able to easily adapt to the needs of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) or Additional Support Needs (ASN), so that time on centre and activities are enjoyable and achievable for everyone.
Our team of SEND Advisors and specially trained activity leaders understand the adaptations that are possible on centre for SEND pupils. If you’re traveling as a group with high levels of SEND requirements or a group with a smaller proportion of SEND pupils, we’re able to flex to the needs of your students and adapt each activity throughout the day.
Looking to travel with your SEND school? Discover our SEND Inclusive Adventure programme.
Support to plan your perfect trip
When there’s so much to do and consider before choosing a residential provider, sometimes making the first step is the biggest hurdle. Before picking up the phone or filling in an enquiry form, just getting together the basics of what time of year to travel, picking the right programme, pupil availability and every other part of the process can feel too much, especially when the responsibility falls just on your shoulders.
You don’t have to tackle this on your own. We have a knowledgeable and friendly team on hand to help you. Our expert team know every centre inside and out, can suggest programmes based on what your pupils need and have answers to the questions you’ve been thinking about.
Feeling overwhelmed by the options? Get in touch.
An experience you didn’t know you needed
Moving into the new school year, experiences that enrich the lives of young people are becoming a bigger part of the curriculum. New benchmarks and pillars have been introduced by the government as a way to measure outcomes and Ofsted will start referencing these as part of their inspection approach. It’s a lot of new information to take in. However, all you need to know is that PGL is a trusted enrichment partner and we’re here to help you achieve what the enrichment framework is asking of your school.
When it comes to outdoor adventures, we know our stuff. We’ve been providing inspiring experiences for over 65 years and in that time have seen thousands of students conquer new challenges, gain new skills and leave feeling more confident than ever before.
We’re excited to see the new DfE framework bringing greater awareness to the benefits of spending time surrounded by nature and we want as many young people to experience this as possible. Enquire today to discover the opportunities available for your school. What we’re here to do, is make Enrichment easy for you.
