Skills4Life 11+

Using the outdoors as a vehicle for learning and personal development; enhancing social, entrepreneurial and problem-solving skills.

Each day offers a new challenge

After seeing the incredible results of our NCS Skills4Life programme for 16-17 year-olds, we designed a version for younger groups, to support their ongoing journey through life and education.

Skills4Life is built around real-world outcomes and developed through a series of amazing challenges. This programme is about building learners’ confidence and resilience, giving them skills that will help them in the classroom and beyond.

Available across 11 amazing locations in the UK, from Devon to Northumberland.

Take a look!

Each element of the programme supports one (or more) of the ‘Four Cs’ of 21st century learning:

Creativity - embracing inner strengths, looking at problems from different angles.

Collaboration - working and negotiating with others, deciding on the best course of action.

Communication - conveying information appropriately and in ways that can be understood.

Critical thinking - asking questions and being engaged in the wider world.

The modules

Enterprise Challenge

Develop business-relevant skills and apply them to a project, working around marketing, product design, and budgeting based challenges before presenting final ideas.

Your Voice Matters

Participating in debate and dialogue around issues that matter to them and their local areas, allowing them the ability to adapt how they are perceived during public speaking as well as honing their abilities to listen and present ideas.

Food for Thought

Using a range of resilience-building bush craft skills, Food for Thought challenges young people to prepare and share a meal together. Each team will be given a budget and a selection of resources. Designed to challenge a broad range of skills, working together towards a valuable shared goal.

Epic Challenge

Taking place on the final full day of their adventure, the Epic Challenge sees the young people work in teams to compete against each other through various tasks to win points in their bid to become champions! A series of outdoor challenges are set out across the adventure centre, allowing the teams to bond and engage together as they tackle and harness the skills they have built throughout their trip.

Powered by Skills Builder

Skills Builder Partnership is a global movement of employers, educators, and impact organisations working together to ensure that one day, everyone builds the essential skills to succeed.

The Skills Builder Universal Framework is a transformative approach to building the essential skills of individuals throughout their lives, in education and employment.

Powered by 800 leading organisations across education and employment, the Framework has now been backed by the UK government in statutory guidance. The Partnership now has a touchpoint with 75% of UK secondary schools and colleges, as well as being adopted by a growing range of businesses.

The Skills4Life programme has been awarded a Level 3 Impact Award.

Here's what our Skills4Life attendees have to say:

"It is a fantastic week which really helps to embed team work and collaboration within your cohort, I would whole heartedly recommend it. [...] Our cohort face challenges emotionally, with anxiety and being in uncertain situations. Many have missed large chunks of education and been too nervous to go on school trips. The majority of our students were able to access this course which will go with them into the future as positive memories of a great time had while they were in education." - Wings Southwest, Skern Lodge
"This was a truly fantastic week. I have spoken to our young person from YCC and she tells me that she didn’t think she would like outdoor pursuits, but she realised she really enjoyed climbing (and has gone on to pursue this recreationally), it also helped her to see that despite her social anxiety, she can cope with meeting and working with other people she doesn’t know, and manage experiences (and thrive) that she doesn’t think she can do. It built her confidence and was a brilliant week for her." - TTVS, Skern Lodge
"It was lovely to see the students flourish in all aspects, especially their confidence. We had students speaking to your staff voluntarily and asking for repeat instructions if they did not understand, which is something they would never dream of doing in their normal circumstances. Their personal and employability skills were hugely developed and it really did warm our hearts to see this with our students. So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much to all of you! Especially Sam… who is definitely going to go far! He really is a huge asset to the team!" - Carly Joyce (Derby College), Dearne Valley
"Honestly I can't rave on about it enough. Everything was so well organised, the activities were so much fun and pushed everyone out of their comfort zones, the staff were so brilliant the venue was perfect, and every single student has made memories and learnt skills that they will take with them through their entire life. I have been a teacher for 14 years and organised numerous trips, and this was by far the best one yet! I know they will all take so much away from this experience. I honestly cannot talk about the residential enough!" - Leila Molloy (Open Academy), Overstrand Hall

Each day offers a new challenge

After seeing the incredible results of our NCS Skills4Life programme for 16-17 year-olds, we designed a version for younger groups, to support their ongoing journey through life and education.

Skills4Life is built around real-world outcomes and developed through a series of amazing challenges. This programme is about building learners’ confidence and resilience, giving them skills that will help them in the classroom and beyond.

Available across 11 amazing locations in the UK, from Devon to Northumberland.

Suitable
For

Secondary Schools
Non-school Groups

Learning
Outcomes

If you’d like to, you can combine your programme with your choice of learning outcomes to maximise the impact for your pupils. The learning outcomes which naturally sit within this programme are:

Find out more

Confidence

Demonstrate self-confidence in themselves and show trust and support for others.

Resilience

Be able to demonstrate resilience through exposure to failures and overcoming difficult challenges.

Life skills

Achieve goals, adapt positively to change and see setbacks as opportunities to learn.

Available at
These locations

Colomendy Colomendy, North Wales
Colomendy

Colomendy Loggerheads,
Near Mold,
Denbighshire,
CH7 5LB

View Camp
53.14984223754579
-3.1961417096964424
Dearne Valley Dearne Valley, Doncaster
Dearne Valley

Dearne Valley

Denaby Main, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, DN12 4EA

View Camp
53.49135273546239
-1.2330529302028703
Dukeshouse Wood Dukeshouse Wood, Northumberland
Dukeshouse Wood

Dukeshouse Wood

Fellside, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1TP

View Camp
54.96047227634728
-2.0876329823865647
Green Park Green Park, Aston Clinton
Green Park

Kingswood - Green Park, Aston Clinton, Bucks, HP22 5NE

View Camp
51.79512018823052
-0.7165000729612457
Grosvenor Hall Grosvenor Hall, Kent
Grosvenor Hall

Grosvenor Hall

Kennington, Ashford, TN25 4AJ

For SatNav please use TN24 9JZ

View Camp
51.168281287692025
0.8736439711927327
Isle of Wight Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight

Old School Buildings, Hill Way Road, Bembridge, Isle of Wight, PO35 5PH

View Camp
50.67698056426513
-1.0931676730022155
North Devon Bideford, North Devon
North Devon

Inspiring Learning North Devon

Abbotsham Road, Bideford

EX39 5AP

View Camp
51.01983975822661
-4.237956775488145
Overstrand Hall Overstrand Hall, Norfolk
Overstrand Hall

Overstrand Hall

48 Cromer Road, Norfolk, NR27 0JJ

View Camp
52.91950788873143
1.331556473105466
Peak Venture Peak Venture, Yorkshire
Peak Venture

Peak Venture

Huddersfield Road, Penistone, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S36 7GF  

View Camp
53.54085674830587
-1.6459536324146862
Staffordshire Staffordshire
Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Barn Lane, Near Albrighton, Wolverhampton, WV7 3AW

View Camp
52.621356928389076
-2.245027699918136
West Runton West Runton, Norfolk
West Runton

West Runton, Cromer Road

West Runton, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9NF

View Camp
52.93950586429346
1.2401689858674305

Frequently asked questions

Can I add more guests to my booking?

Changes can be made to the number of guests up until room allocations and activity groups are set eight weeks prior to the trip. Changes after this point will depend on accommodation and activity availability on centre and it may not be possible to accommodate additional guests.

Can I preview the centre prior to my visit?

We are always happy to accommodate a preview of our centres. Please contact the centre you’re visiting to arrange a suitable date and time with the customer service department. Call our team on 0800 655 6564.

We are holders of the LOtC quality badge. This means you can be assured that we have met with required standards around safety, activity provision and learning outcomes. The Outdoor Education Advisers’ Panel endorses the LOtC Quality Badge and the majority of Local Authority Outdoor Education Advisers have indicated that they accept the award in place of some or all of their checks. You can view which Local Authority Outdoor Education Advisers support the LOtC Quality Badge by visiting the OEAP website here.

Can I see a full list of available activities?

A full list of activities can be found here and can be filtered by centre and activity type.

Can we have smaller or larger groups?

The maximum number of participants is 15 per activity group. Our risk assessments are written to this number. In special circumstances, such as groups with complex SEN needs, we may be able to operate smaller groups, these will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

What food is on the menu during our visit?

You can see a our full menu here. Closer to your visit, you will be asked to complete dietary and allergy information in your Trip Planner portal.

When will we receive our programme and room allocations?

We aim to send out your room plan and activity programme four weeks prior to your trip. To ensure we meet this deadline, we ask you to provide gender splits eight weeks prior to the trip. Details of the information required will be in your twelve week email and can be provided to us via your centre contact.

More FAQs

Book your
Residential trip

Our Experience Experts will be on-hand throughout your experience. Get in touch today!

Funding & Support

We believe that outdoor adventure is for everyone - and that every young person should have the chance to experience a transformative residential trip. You can make an application to the Hardship Fund for Kingswood to fully fund up to 2 in 10 young people from your group to attend where their trip is at risk due to financial difficulties.

Find out more

Book your
Residential trip

Our Experience Experts will be on-hand throughout your experience. Get in touch today!