Frequently Asked Questions

We are a small, family run business established by Alan and Veronica Marett in 1989. Since opening we have welcomed more than 125,000 children and 15,000 teachers, served 375,000 cooked breakfasts and crossed the marshes at Blakeney more than 3000 times!!

Alan and Veronica were experienced teachers (Alan was an SEN specialist and Veronica was a headteacher) who worked hard to provide exactly the Centre that they would have liked to visit. Both had extensive experience of taking their own schools on residential visits and therefore knew exactly what worked and what didn’t.

The end result is Aylmerton Outdoor Education Centre, providing such excellent residential educational visits that schools return to us year after year – some are now in their 30th season. They do this because we are, in their opinion, unmatched by any other Centre.

What Makes Us Unique?

Quite simply, our staff. We have the highest standards of training and experience within the industry, pay significantly above the industry average and employ staff on permanent, rather than seasonal contracts.

Most of our staff have been with us for many, many years and are totally committed to providing the best possible experience for your group.

This commitment is reflected in the comments from visiting staff who are always full of admiration for their behaviour management skills, local knowledge (including weather awareness and prediction), fabulous sense of humour and their overall caring approach to the total welfare of the group.

When Can We Visit?

We start our residential visits at the end of January each year and continue throughout the year until early December. Because we employ permanent staff, we are able to undertake a comprehensive maintenance programme during closed periods, to ensure the highest standards of safety for all our accommodation and equipment. We also use this time to refresh staff training, update our risk assessments and Health and Safety policy and plan activities for the coming year.

Spring Term – March to mid-May is a fabulous time for a residential educational visit.

Summer Term – Post-SATS is the time that most schools initially request for a Year 6 visit, simply because this is the time when school trips have traditionally been made.

Winter Term – If price is an issue for your school, or you are a very small school, a winter visit to Aylmerton Outdoor Education Centre is an unbeatable option.

Weekends – Again, a weekend visit provides the perfect opportunity to visit us at the lowest possible cost and with the lowest possible minimum numbers.

How Does This Fit Into The National Curriculum?

We believe that outdoor learning provides a wider educational experience than can be defined within the narrow parameters of the national curriculum. However, we also appreciate that you need to be able to identify which specific elements of the national curriculum will be covered during your educational visit with us to facilitate both your pre- and post-visit lesson planning.

Our activities are cross-curricular in nature and focus on elements of several different subjects. To avoid a one size fits all approach, we have included only those links which are the most relevant and specific. However, should a more in-depth assessment of all possible links be required, we would be happy to provide this. Equally, we are happy to tailor any of our activities to your specified areas of the national curriculum.

If you are reading this, the likelihood is that your child’s school is planning a residential visit to our centre. You are probably, quite understandably, concerned about your child’s well being while they are staying with us and we sincerely hope that the following information will reassure you that he/she could not be in safer hands.

Our over-riding philosophy is quite simple. We aim to provide every child that visits Aylmerton Outdoor Education Centre with the very best school trip of his or her entire life. We will care for your child and keep them safe, secure and happy. Your child will return to you with increased confidence and self worth and with happy memories that will last forever.

What Should My Child Bring?

Your child will not need any special clothing or equipment but we do ask that you remember that your child will be outdoors for most of each day and pack accordingly.

Your child’s school will be provided with a recommended “Kit List” but at all times please provide a waterproof jacket (not a puffer jacket as these absorb water like a sponge!), comfortable walking shoes (sturdy trainers are fine) and Wellington boots as well as older clothing that you are happy for them to get muddy or wet.

Your child will also need a comfortable daypack, preferably with two thick straps. In the summer, provide plenty of sun cream and a good hat, ideally with a brim, and a water bottle.

In the winter, provide thin layers, ideally with some thermal leggings or regular tights for under trousers as well as a warm hat and gloves. Waterproof trousers are useful but not essential.

Your child will be enjoying themselves too much to need any devices but please encourage them to bring a special teddy bear or similar if they would like to. Often they worry about appearing silly in front of their friends but please reassure them that everyone else will be feeling the same. (Within half an hour of arrival, every bed has a stuffed toy peeping out from under the duvet.)

And finally, please label everything if you want to guarantee its safe return.

What Is A Standard Day At AOEC Like?

A normal day begins with breakfast at 8.00am. There is always a cooked option as well as cereals, fruit juice and as much toast as your child can eat.

Activities normally commence at about 9.00am, usually with a classroom briefing to explain the day’s events, rules and safety issues then at around 9.30am your child will begin the day’s activity on-site or travel to an off-site activity.

Your child will be busy enjoying themselves and learning (without realising it) all day. There is a packed lunch at midday and plenty of opportunities to have a drink or reapply sun cream etc.

Your child will finish the day’s activities between 4.00 and 5.00pm and will then have their evening meal at 5.30pm.

Evening meals are tasty and nutritious with a balance between healthy options and children’s favourites. They will not eat chips, chips and more chips but equally, we will not alarm them with anything too unusual. We do not want hungry children!

There will then be some free time before an evening activity and bed by a suitable time – usually about 9.30pm.

Is My Child Too Young?

We have children as young as five years old stay with us quite happily every year. We make allowances for their age and provide much more assistance on the activities so that they can successfully accomplish all the tasks.

We limit any potentially “scary” parts of the activities and take our cue from the children themselves and we bring meal times and bed times forward to avoid any child becoming too tired.

Can I Contact My Child?

Your child’s school will probably recommend that your child does not bring a mobile phone and we would wholeheartedly support this suggestion. Your child is extremely unlikely to feel homesick UNLESS you speak to him or her on the telephone.

Your child’s teacher may suggest that you write to your child whilst he or she is here and, if you do so, PLEASE state the school name on the envelope so that we can make sure your child receives the letter promptly.

Lucky you! You are coming to stay at Aylmerton Outdoor Education Centre in North Norfolk for what might possibly be your BEST SCHOOL TRIP EVER! This is what Matt from Kent wrote to us after his school’s visit: “…this must have been the best week of my life…”

And Alice from Essex told us: “I am still frequently annoying my brother and sister by telling them how brilliant my week was and how much better than school it was!”

So, maybe you have known since you were in Year 1 that, one day, you would get to stay with us. Maybe you have a big brother or sister who has stayed with us already. Or maybe you don’t know anything about us at all because this is your school’s first visit. Whatever you do or don’t know already, we can (hopefully) answer some of your questions.

Where will I stay?

You will be staying at our centre in North Norfolk. If you don’t know where that is, then the map will show you.

North Norfolk is wonderful, fabulous, brilliant etc. etc. We are right in the middle of the countryside with lots of fields, woods, lakes, rivers and (best of all) the beach very nearby. Sometimes it is lovely and sunny and sometimes its not but it is ALWAYS one of the nicest places in the world. Everyone who works here loves North Norfolk and we hope you will too.

You get to share a dormitory with your friends and eat yummy food in your own school’s dining room.

You get loads of space to play outside or you might be able to use the agility course or practice your climbing on the bouldering wall in The Pavilion, play table tennis, volleyball or football or just chill-out on the field.

What are the people like?

You will meet our famous and fabulous team of instructors who will be in charge of all your activities. (Your teachers will still be in charge of you for the rest of the time but, luckily for them, they won’t have to teach you like they normally do.)

Our instructors are simply great -we believe that they are the best instructors ANYWHERE – and they will make sure you have a really good time. Some of them are a bit mad, some are very noisy and some are very quiet but they are ALL very kind.

Our instructors know really cool things like how to spot oyster catcher nests in the shingle, and when it is safe to cross the mud flats and how to walk through the forest in the pitch dark without falling over.

What do I need to bring?

We will give your teacher a list of all the things you need to bring. Most of it you will have at home already.

The most important things are a comfy pair of walking boots or trainers, welly boots, a waterproof (not a puffer jacket) and a day pack. If it’s summer, bring some sunscreen and a hat.

Don’t forget your camera – you’ll definitely want to keep the memories of THIS school trip. And put your name on everything so it doesn’t get lost.

And don’t bring the biggest case you can find because YOU have to carry it off the coach, across the playground and up an awful lot of stairs!

What Will Eating Time Be Like?

Everyone eats in the School but because we have three dining rooms, you can have one (or more) just for your group and you won’t have to share it with anyone else.

There is no sharing at The Pleasaunce either because only one group at a time stays here.

The food is really good! There is a choice of food and we’ll ask you what you would like the night before. In the morning, there is juice and cereals and toast, and you can choose other things too (only if you want) like porridge, or boiled eggs or bacon and beans.  That should keep you going until lunchtime when you will get a tasty packed lunch with a ham or cheese roll, fruit, crisps and a choccie biscuit.

While you’re out enjoying yourself, the cooks will be here making a lovely dinner (with pudding) for you ready for when you get back.

If, after all that, you can fit any more in you can have some hot chocolate and a biscuit before you go to bed.