FAQs for Parents

Everything you need to know about your child’s visit

What activities will my child be doing?

Programmes will be available approximately eight weeks before your arrival date (please note, all programmes may be subject to change – weather being a factor). Your school or group organiser will be able to show you a sample programme.

Rest assured that your child will be having fun whatever they are doing.

How safe is it?

Schools and groups have been coming to UKSA for over 30 years and they take comfort in our exemplary safety record. We have all the necessary safety systems and checks in place both on and off the water. All our instructors are qualified in first aid – we have a ratio of one instructor to every six students for on-the-water activities.

What is the food like?

All our food is freshly cooked on site with an emphasis on healthy eating. For breakfast there is a Full English option, as well as cereals, yoghurt and fruit – students and guests can eat as much as they like! Lunch is a freshly-prepared packed lunch.

Evening meals always feature fresh vegetables and a salad bar, with three options for the main course including vegetarian and vegan. And there’s always dessert!

We can cater for students with special religious or dietary requirements providing we are informed about these beforehand.

What do the children do in the evenings?

Students are always fully supervised on residential activity visits, and there’s no time to be bored! We provide entertainment such as beach games, water polo in the indoor pool, crabbing, disco, quiz night, orienteering and gutter boat racing. These sessions finish at 9pm and then teachers will decide what times are bedtime and lights out.

What are the bedrooms like?

The accommodation is dormitory style with bunk beds. Each school or youth group has sole occupancy of an accommodation block with its own key code to gain access. There are usually 6-8 children to a room. Bathrooms are separate for boys and girls – leaders have separate bedrooms and bathrooms.

What do the children need to bring?

We provide wetsuits, safety helmets and buoyancy aids for all water activities. We issue your school or group with a full kit list before your visit but attendees will need to bring swimwear as well as shorts and t-shirts or rash vests to go underneath their wetsuit.

Students also need to bring a pair of shoes that they don’t mind getting wet. Either wet shoes or old trainers. We recommend that all clothes are labelled.

Do they need pocket money?

Your organiser will decide whether students should bring pocket money. All students’ needs are catered for onsite and we would recommend only a small amount of money (change, not notes) is brought.

There is very little to spend money on, except ice creams from an ice cream van.