Receive the very best support for fantastic primary school residential trips at PGL. With us, everything is included – the activities, equipment, accommodation and food. Your dedicated ‘Groupie’ will be on hand to support you and your group and they’ll run lively entertainment sessions in the evenings so you can relax after a busy day.
Whether you choose a PGL residential activity centre in the UK or France, it’ll be a school journey they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
We go above and beyond to protect the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our care.
Our long-standing dedication to safety has led to us holding over 15 governing and safety accreditations, and we voluntarily apply for Ofsted inspections to be on the Childcare Register.
Everything we do is built on five protective pillars:
Safe People People are at the heart of all we do. From our ‘safer recruitment’ process (including enhanced DBS for all centre colleagues) to our in-depth training programmes, continuous development and supervision, we go the extra mile to ensure our guests are in the safest of hands.
Safe Places Our centres are continuously monitored, maintained and risk-assessed by dedicated teams to ensure our places are safe and secure, always. What’s more, ongoing investment in our locations is powering breakthroughs in guest comfort and satisfaction.
Safe Spaces We believe adventure is for everyone. We’ve developed our spaces with SEND, accessibility and inclusivity in mind, and can make further adjustments for guests’ individual needs wherever possible – our goal is to deliver enriching experiences for all.
Safeguarding As the leader in our industry, we are committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults in our care. Our teams are trained to recognise and report safeguarding concerns and aware of their responsibilities to safeguard guests.
Safe Travels Our travel partners are carefully vetted to ensure they meet our high standards and are able to demonstrate effective safety management systems – providing transport that is safe, reliable, suitable for children and adaptable to the needs of our guests.
Safe People People are at the heart of all we do. From our ‘safer recruitment’ process (including enhanced DBS for all centre colleagues) to our in-depth training programmes, continuous development and supervision, we go the extra mile to ensure our guests are in the safest of hands.
Safe Places Our centres are continuously monitored, maintained and risk-assessed by dedicated teams to ensure our places are safe and secure, always. What’s more, ongoing investment in our locations is powering breakthroughs in guest comfort and satisfaction.
Safe Spaces We believe adventure is for everyone. We’ve developed our spaces with SEND, accessibility and inclusivity in mind, and can make further adjustments for guests’ individual needs wherever possible – our goal is to deliver enriching experiences for all.
Safeguarding As the leader in our industry, we are committed to ensuring the safety and welfare of children, young people and adults in our care. Our teams are trained to recognise and report safeguarding concerns and aware of their responsibilities to safeguard guests.
Safe Travels Our travel partners are carefully vetted to ensure they meet our high standards and are able to demonstrate effective safety management systems – providing transport that is safe, reliable, suitable for children and adaptable to the needs of our guests.
Our Locations
Hover over or tap on the map markers below to find out more about each centre.
Filter the centres using the dropdowns or via the buttons below.
Isle of Wight – Little Canada
Nestled between 56 acres of woodlands and the inlet waters of Wootton Creek, this unique centre on the Isle of Wight is bursting with challenging activities on land and water, and is instantly recognisable by its charming log cabins on the riverbank.
Explore Little CanadaLancashire – Winmarleigh Hall
Winmarleigh Hall is a 19th Century country house set in 50 acres of gardens, parkland and woodland with a large, purpose-built lake. Close to the historic city of Lancaster and the Forest of Bowland, this centre is crammed with activites and things to do.
Explore Winmarleigh HallLincolnshire – Caythorpe Court
This jewel of the East Midlands has over 45 acres of glorious Lincolnshire countryside to explore, bursting with thrilling activites designed to challenge, inspire and bond.
Explore Caythorpe CourtNorth Yorkshire – Newby Wiske Hall
Newby by name, Newby by nature! Previously a police training centre, this historic 17th century country house opened its doors as a PGL activity centre in 2023 after a huge transformation. The centre is surrounded by beautiful North Yorkshire countryside, known for its rolling hills, lush green landscapes and scenic beauty.
Explore Newby Wiske HallNorthumberland – Ford Castle
A breathtaking castle in the rolling Northumberland countryside where old meets new... historical fortifications bursting with modern facilities and exclusive activities!
Explore Ford CastleParis – Château de Grande Romaine
This pretty French château is perfectly placed to explore the delights of Paris and Northern France. Nestled in scenic countryside and woodland, this centre boasts an outdoor heated swimming pool and fantastic facilities.
Find Out MorePerthshire – Dalguise
Dalguise activity centre is set in the breathtaking Scottish Highlands. Nestled in a beautiful wooded valley, just five miles north of Dunkeld.
Explore DalguiseShropshire – Boreatton Park
With 250 acres of countryside, woodland and multiple lakes, our biggest centre is one of our most popular destinations for the adventure of a lifetime.
Explore Boreatton ParkSouth Devon – Barton Hall
At the heart of the English Riviera with views over Torquay and blue flag beaches, it's easy to see why this beautiful centre in Devon is so popular with schools and groups.
Explore Barton HallSuffolk – Bawdsey Manor
This impressive mansion house is located on the Deben Estuary and has panoramic views across the Suffolk Heritage Coast. The centre has over 140 acres of beautiful grounds, packed with a huge range of adventure activities to inspire and motivate your group.
Explore Bawdsey ManorSurrey – Marchants Hill
With over 45 acres of beautiful grounds, Marchants Hill is a vibrant and bustling centre nestled in the ‘Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty’, within walking distance of the Devil’s Punchbowl. This centre offers the best of both worlds – green spaces and fantastic transport links!
Explore Marchants HillSussex – Windmill Hill
Welcome to Windmill Hill, an impressive Grade II listed mansion house on the beautiful Sussex Downs… where big adventures, new discoveries and unforgettable experiences can be found around every corner!
Explore Windmill HillWiltshire – Liddington
As one of PGL’s largest centres, Liddington is bursting with outdoor activities and sports facilities. Buzzing with activity and packed with challenges to conquer with your group. Situated on the ancient Ridgeway track bordering the North Wessex Downs, yet conveniently located just minutes from the M4
Explore LiddingtonBreak out of the classroom and harness the power of outdoor learning with R.E.A.C.H., tailored specifically for unforgettable residential trips for primary schools.
At PGL, we’ve identified what really matters to students and created our new R.E.A.C.H. framework designed to spark incredible breakthroughs in their education through adventure.
Programmes
Engaging children is what we’re best at, and learning through adventure is what we’re all about. We’ve got many different ways to breathe life into your classroom experiences for pupils – whatever the desired learning outcome is, we’ll deliver the right programme to make it happen for your primary school residential trips.
French Package
Spark inspiration through and unforgettable experience of France, its language and its culture.
Find Out MoreFrench Tailor made
Build your perfect itinerary of French excursions with the help of our team for truly personal French experience.
Find Out MoreREACH – MASTER!
Brilliant bushcraft adventures to help your Year 5 pupils solve real-life problems and prepare for life’s knottiest challenges!
Find Out MoreSki & Snowboarding
Test their skills on the slopes and enjoy the full support of your very own PGL Ski Rep. We operate in resorts around Europe and beyond to deliver the very best in school ski.
Find Out MoreActivities
PGL is the home of adventure! Our varied programmes offer over 40 exhilarating activities for your primary school residential trip spanning land, water and sky, giving your students a remarkable journey of excitement and discovery.
Safety always comes first – all our outdoor learning activities are fully insured, and our team of trained instructors prioritise your students’ well-being throughout every adventure.
All Aboard
All aboard is all about building trust and strengthening peer relationships – at the top of a 6 metre pole! Teams of up to four pupils scale the pole to reach the small platform at the top. Balancing on the platform becomes more difficult as more team members arrive to share the space. The challenge is to cooperate and support each other. The task is complete when all four team members successfully stand together at the top of the pole. Weight limit: 150kg
Aqua Park
Our inflatable obstacle assault course, situated atop our very own on-centre lake will be sure to challenge your group as they attempt to make their way across without getting wet...who are we kidding, it's all about getting soaked! Available May to October, exclusive to Newby Wiske Hall
Beach Games
Life's a beach! Fun games and activities on the coastline near to your centre.
Beach/Coastal Walk
Explore the area and discover the natural environment while our instructors lead activities or games along the beach or coastline close to your PGL centre. If appropriate to your choice of course, there are various practical tasks that you can carry out during your walk. There are opportunities to examine coastal features, compare local beach profiles and begin to explore marine ecology. *Exclusive to Bawdsey Manor*
Bodyboarding
Bodyboarding is a great way to introduce your pupils to surfing as it requires many of the same skills, but does not demand that the beginner manoeuvres a large surfboard. A body board is small and light and easier to handle; your pupils will learn how to catch, ride and enjoy the waves in the surfing environment. The perfect introduction to a very popular sport!
Bridge Abseil
New and exclusive to Ford Castle! The ultimate abseil experience! An exhilarating and unique Bridge Abseiling activity from the top of the bridge into the stunning valley below. This is sure to be an experience to remember for everyone! Watch pupils' courage, self-belief and confidence build as they walk backwards off the top, gradually working back towards ground level, suspended only on a rope. Some young people deal with heights more easily than others, but the support and encouragement of the rest of the group is important for each individual’s success and will help strengthen peer relationships.
Burn Walk
Groups explore a nearby burn, waterfall and a dam and learn about the impact of erosion, water filtration and the flora and fauna of the burn environment. On their way along the burn, groups participate in a number of activities designed to encourage communication, teamwork and leadership. The session ends with a review of what has been learnt and what the group will take back home with them from the experience. *Exclusive to PGL Dalguise*
Challenge Course
The PGL Challenge Course is legendary – it’s a well-loved and popular activity with plenty of opportunities for everyone to get involved; it can even get quite competitive sometimes! As your pupils negotiate the various obstacles that lie ahead, it’s an experience that will promote teamwork, lateral thinking, problem solving and decision-making – as well as being physically challenging too.
Crate Climb
The crate challenge is a test of innovative thinking, construction, balance, courage – and above all effective teamwork. Your pupils’ activity group is divided into two teams that compete against each other to build the tallest tower of crates. With two pupils standing on top as the tower grows, each team has to come up with ever more innovative ways of getting more crates to the top, as the pair on top become more and more precariously balanced! Weight limit: 150kg
Dragon Boating
Manoeuvring and racing a dragon boat demands good coordination and communication of a large team - as many as 24 pupils learn to paddle rhythmically and effectively together in a race across the water. Ultimate success depends on tactics, technique and brute effort - but in the end there are no losers– just a lot of fun, laughter and mutual support along the way.
Forest Walk
Our staff lead a walk into the forest around the centre to discover the natural environment through activities, set tasks and games that will help your pupils get the most from their experience.
Gel Master
Gel Master is a thrilling and adrenaline-fueled experience that will test your teamwork, and ability to think on your feet. Are you ready to take on the challenge? Start the session by learning how the equipment operates using the interactive targets to refine your aim, then gather your team to devise a winning strategy before heading for the game zone where communication is key as you coordinate your movements, and make split-second decisions to outmanoeuvre your opponents.
High Ropes Course
The high ropes activity is designed to help your pupils improve levels of trust and co-operation amongst themselves. Essentially it’s an individual challenge course involving balance, passing obstacles and holding your nerve, because the whole event takes place 12 metres (40 feet) above the ground. The encouragement that comes from the rest of the group can make all the difference to their success – so the challenge is ideal for promoting teamwork and the value of mutual support. Weight limit: 150kg
Hike
Your pupils can discover the natural beauty of the local surroundings around their PGL centre on a hike led by our staff. We’ll organise activities and set tasks to help your pupils get the most from the experience.
Kayaking
Kayaking is a great way for your pupils to explore our lakes and rivers and it remains one of our most popular activities. Our instructors will help your pupils get started, teach them the basics and then help them to push the boundaries of what they can achieve. There are games and individual challenges to improve teamwork, communication and confidence on the water.
Keelboat Sailing
Learning the basics of sailing a larger dinghy is a rewarding experience, taking your pupils out of their normal environment and introducing a new set of skills. They’ll learn how (and when and why) to raise and lower the sails, and the importance of the keel that gives the boat its name. Our instructors are RYA qualified and will ensure your pupils get some hands-on experience; steering the boat and getting to grips with all the basic techniques required.
Quick Jump
Attached to a harness, step into the air and enjoy the adrenaline rush of free falling until a giant fan sweeps you into flying mode, bringing you gently to land! *Exclusive to Newby Wiske Hall
River Bivouac
The river ‘bivvy’ is an amazing chance for your pupils to get close to nature and experience a night sleeping outdoors. Having reached the end of their first day’s canoeing down the Ardèche, they build a basic overnight camp on the beach by the river. During the evening, they’ll enjoy an evening meal at camp and after some evening entertainment, it’s finally time to bed down under the stars and re-charge for another thrilling day ahead.
River Canoe Voyage
Explore the beautiful River Till by canoe, led by our qualified paddle sport instructors. *Exclusive to Ford Castle
River Raft Challenge
What’s more adventurous than building a raft and testing it on the river? Well that’s what happens on our River Raft Challenge. It’s a great activity that promotes teamwork in your group as they work together to design a successful raft to compete with others. *Exclusive to Ford Castle
Street Surfing
It doesn’t take long for your pupils to master the art of Street Surfing and experience a great sense of achievement, which is a wonderful confidence booster. Although the equipment and technique are entirely different, street surfing does resemble skateboarding a little. The technique is said to be a combination of snowboarding, skateboarding and surfing and it’s increasingly used in training for snowboarders and surfers.
Traverse elements
An activity to test skills any cat would find easy! For your pupils, though, there are some thrilling challenges involved to test balance, skill and courage. After a climb to the top of a telegraph pole, individuals will need determination to tackle the series of beams and wires that lie ahead. For those watching, they’ll offer support and encouragement from the ground as they grow stronger as a team and learn to appreciate each other’s efforts.
Treeclimb
Our qualified instructors help students to recognise and control the risks and then teach the basic skills and techniques needed for them to complete their climb into the treetops! Weight limit: 150kg
Treetop Adventure
Delivered by one of our trusted suppliers. On this treetop adventure, you will make your way across elevated platforms, obstacles, bridges and swings on this exciting high ropes course through the forest.
Tunnel Trail
On their own or in small groups, your pupils can discover a series of underground tunnels. The tunnels vary in size and they have various tasks to carry out during their exploration. Completing the tasks will improve pupils’ self-confidence, problem-solving skills and teamwork. Please note this activity will only be available between May and September at some centres due to weather.
Crêpe Making
A relaxing evening of board games and music while guests take it in turn to create their very own pancake. Mix and cook your own pancakes and choose from a selection of tasty toppings available to build your own topping tower!
Highland Games
Don your kilts to enjoy a selection of traditional Scottish games such as caber tossing and haggis throwing! Your team will create their very own Clan name before taking part in a series of thrilling challenges, before ultimately crowning the best Clan
Laser Tag
The wide-open landscapes at our adventure centres offer the ultimate backdrop to a team laser tag battle. Working in teams, your group will head off equipped with their own laser gun and vest. They'll develop team tactics, communication skills, and a steady hand as they duel to come out the triumphant team!
FAQ
Where are your locations for primary school residential trips?
Our residential activity centres for primary schools are based across the UK, and we’ve listed all of our fantastic locations below:
- Barton Hall, South Devon
- Bawdsey Manor, Suffolk
- Boreatton Park, Shropshire
- Caythorpe Court, Lincolnshire
- Dalguise, Perthshire
- Ford Castle, Northumberland
- Liddington, Wiltshire
- Little Canada, Isle of Wight
- Marchants Hill, Surrey
- Newby Wiske Hall, North Yorkshire
- Osmington Bay, Dorset
- Windmill Hill, East Sussex
- Winmarleigh Hall, Lancashire
Overseas:
What’s included in a PGL primary school residential trip?
From accommodation to activities, equipment, food and drink – everything you need is included when you book a school trip with PGL. We expertly plan your itinerary, ensuring your days are filled with adventure on our primary school residential trips.
What’s the food like?
Your pupils will need some nutritious meals to fuel them for the day ahead and replenish their energy after thrilling activities on our residential trips for primary schools! Our outdoor activity centres offer a variety of options: a hearty breakfast spread with hot food, cereals, pastries, fruit, and yoghurt; a delicious sandwich selection for lunch with salad and fruit choices; and classic dinner options like bangers & mash and fish & chips!
We accommodate various dietary requirements for religious, cultural, or medical reasons – simply inform us of any needs during your primary school trip with PGL.
You can take a look at our tasty meals to come on our sample menu.
What happens in the evenings?
Following on from a day of adventures, your students will tuck into a delicious meal in our canteens. Then, it’s time for some more fun! In the evenings, your primary school students can compete in quizzes and games, and sing songs around the campfire. On one evening, your students might also be able to have a bit of a dance at our disco! It’s great fun.
After this, it’s time to wind down and get into bed. Your primary school students will be getting involved with more adventurous activities in the morning so they’ll need a great sleep!
What’s the residential accommodation like for primary schools?
Depending on your primary school residential trip location, the accommodation is often dormitory-style rooms in our main buildings, chalets and other facilities. However, we also have some tent villages available at some locations.
Our dormitory rooms can hold large groups of pupils, some of which feature en suites and some with shared facilities. For teachers, we have single and en suite rooms available, as well as tents which can sleep one or two teachers.
What facilities does the primary school camp have?
Our primary school camps have many great facilities for you and your students! They’re mostly based on-site with some being just a short walk away. Let’s take a look at the facilities that you can expect to see at some of our locations:
- Playing fields/Floodlit sports pitch/Netball courts/Sports dome
- Classrooms/Lecture theatres
- Sports Halls
- Shops
- Teachers’ lounges/bars
- Beaches
- Lakes
- Indoor activity zones
- Outdoor heated swimming pools
- Historic rooms
- Common room
- Drying rooms
- Gym
- IT Facilities
Find your residential centre location to see the exact facilities available on your primary school trip.