Horton Kirby Environmental Studies Centre - Parents Page

• What is Horton Kirby Environmental Studies Centre?

• What will my child be doing on a school trip to Horton Kirby?

• How does the centre ensure my childs safety?

• What should my child wear for a school visit to Horton Kirby?

• What should my child bring with them on their school trip to Horton Kirby?

• How will my child get to Horton Kirby?

• Can I come along as a Parent Helper to Horton Kirby?

What is Horton Kirby Environmental Studies Centre?

Horton Kirby Environmental Studies Centre is an outdoor education centre based in the village of Horton Kirby near Dartford in Kent. The Centres aim is to enrich the curriculum offered by schools in a natural environment and to provide safe affordable, enjoyable educational opportunities.     

Each day up to 3 classes of children from schools all over SE London come to the centre for a day out in the countryside. During their day the children take part in all sorts of fun, exciting and educational activities in the outdoor environment.        

The Centre building consists of 3 classrooms, toilets, a hand washing room, a small kitchen and offices and are all housed in an old Victorian school building. The building was converted to a study centre approx 40 years ago, since then the number of schools using the centre has grown and we are now a very popular day visit centre.

What will my child be doing on a school trip to Horton Kirby?

Here at Horton Kirby we aim to enrich the curriculum offered by schools in a natural environment.

So what does this actually mean? We offer a range of courses to Nursery and Primary schools that are designed to complement the National Curriculum in many different ways. The main topic areas that we cover are Geography, History and Science, however many of the activities that we undertake also support other areas of the curriculum such as numeracy, literacy or art and design.

The class teacher will choose a topic area (usually one that is being covered in school at the same time) and then the class will spend the whole day undertaking activities based around that topic. Some of the activities might make use of the Centres indoor facilities and use the classrooms and interactive whiteboards but the majority of the activities will take place outdoors.

The outdoor activities could take place in and around the centre grounds, or involve going to a study site in the local area such as the woods, the river or a local village. The Centre is situated in the beautiful Darenth Valley in Kent and is surrounded by some wonderful learning environments and we like to make use of them. If the activities take place off site we may walk to the site from the centre or we may make use of the coaches.

All of our activities are tailored to suit the class needs, they are usually a mixture of observational tasks, games, songs and experiential learning. We believe that children learn so much more from being in the environment that they are learning about and by having fun so this is at the core of all of our courses.

If you would like to know more about the specific course that your child will be taking part in please take a look at the activities section of our website or ask your childs class teacher.

How does the centre ensure my childs safety?

Here at Horton Kirby we consider safety to be of the upmost importance and we therefore take every possible measure to ensure that the classes visiting the centre are in safe hands at all times.

All of the teaching staff at Horton Kirby are properly trained in leading groups of children in the outdoor environment and hold an Enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check. All of our tutors undergo a Rescue Emergency Care, ‘1^st Aid’ qualification which is renewed every 3 years. This 1^st aid course is specifically designed for people that work outdoors with children and covers a whole range of possible scenarios.

All of the activities that your child might take part in during a Horton Kirby visit whether they are on site or off site have been properly risk assessed and every measure has been taken to make the activities as safe as possible. All of our study areas are regularly checked for safety and on arrival at a site the tutor will undertake a visual safety sweep.

During a class visit to Horton Kirby the class is led by one of our experienced tutors throughout the day, with the class teacher and any other accompanying adults as well. The ratio of adults to children on the visit will differ depending on the age of the children, the activity they are taking part in and the schools own policies, however we do make recommendations to visiting teachers during our pre-visit planning. Whenever the class visits an off site study location the tutor will be carrying a range of emergency equipment including 1^st aid kits, mobile phones and emergency procedures.

Horton Kirby has been an Environmental Studies Centre for over 35 years during which we have built up a very good reputation for safety. The staff have a substantial knowledge of the local area and the conditions which they may face.

What should my child wear for a school visit to Horton Kirby?

It is really important that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather conditions on the day of their Horton Kirby visit, as most of the activities at the centre involve an element of being outdoors. Try to watch the weather forecast the night before to help you to judge the appropriate clothing.

Obviously if the weather conditions are extreme we have alternative plans and indoor spaces available for the class to use, but we try to avoid this if possible. Ultimately if the centre tutors deems the weather to be safe and the class teacher agrees then the outdoor activity will take place, after all there is no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing!

If it is cold make sure your child is wearing lots of layers, if it’s wet a waterproof coat is a must. On a hot day light weight clothing is great but please make sure that your child has adequate sun protection such as sun hat & cream. Please remember that it is usually colder outside London.

Some schools will ask that school uniform is worn, others will allow children to wear their own clothes for the day. Either way if possible please try to avoid skirts for girls as they are not very practical outdoors. If your child is allowed to wear their own clothes please remember that there is a good chance that they will get muddy so please don’t send them in their best clothes.

Coats and jumpers should be named and have the school name inside as despite every effort not too some items of clothing can easily get misplaced during a school visit.

Footwear is another important aspect of your childs visit. We recommend that no matter what time of year it is that children avoid open toe sandals as these can be dangerous when walking on uneven ground. Trainers are ideal.

Welly boots are often a good idea if your child has a pair; however these are not essential. If an activity involves going somewhere that might be muddy or wet we will provide your child with a pair of welly boots as the centre does have a good stock of wellys that can be borrowed. Obviously this can take some time to organise so if they have their own please send them along. Please note that it is always better to bring welly boots in a spare bag rather than wear them all day as they can be quite cold and uncomfortable.

What should my child bring on their school trip to Horton Kirby?

The only thing that your child needs for a visit to Horton Kirby is a packed lunch with plenty to drink. There is a no shop or facilities to buy food or drink at the centre so please make sure you provide your child with everything they need. (If you child is eligible for free school meals then a packed lunch may be provided by the school but please check this).

Other than the appropriate clothing for the day and a packed lunch the children do not need to bring anything else with them. All equipment that is needed for the activities during the day is provided by us including pencils and worksheets (if appropriate).

There is currently NO SHOP at Horton Kirby so there is no need to provide your child with any spending money.

If your child is taking part in a river study day then it may be useful for them to bring a change of socks and trousers as there is a chance that they may get wet feet.

How will my child get to Horton Kirby?

Most schools make use of the great deal that Horton Kirby has with Kingferry Coaches who can provide our schools with a 49 or 53 seater coach at a very reasonable price. All of these coaches are modern and are fitted with seat belts. The drivers of the coaches know Horton Kirby well and are very professional, they know where the safest places are to drop the children off and pick them up.

Can I come along as a Parent Helper to Horton Kirby?

Here at Horton Kirby we like to encourage our visiting schools to bring extra accompanying adults with them. If you are asked to help on a Horton Kirby visit make sure you read all of the information about what to wear and what to bring as it all applies to you too. We do have tea and coffee making facilities at the centre for accompanying adults but no food buying or making facilities.

If you do come on a visit then your role during the day will vary depending on the age of the children and the activities that the group are undertaking. You may be asked to work with a small group of children and to help them with their learning or you may be asked to be an extra pair of eyes and ears in generally over seeing the group. Make sure you ask the class teacher exactly what your role is and what is expected of you during the day.

Whatever your role is during the day we really value your contribution and just ask that you undertake your role in a positive and enthusiastic way.

The centre has a no smoking policy, if you do smoke and need to leave the centre grounds to take a break please make sure the class teacher and centre staff know where you are in case of an emergency.

We look forward to meeting you if you do visit Horton Kirby, if you have any questions before, during or after a visit please feel free to ask us!