UKSA Isle of Wight Residential Educational Trips

UKSA is a leading Watersports centre based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight. Every year we welcome 200 schools and groups on a residential or non-residential basis. Fun-packed Watersports and team building programmes offer the perfect options for year 6 transition breaks, year 7 and 8 team building visits or career insights for 14-17 year olds. With everything you need onsite, UKSA offers fun, safe, and engaging experiences ensuring everyone has a great time.

We ensure programmes are tailored to your aspirations and young peoples needs. We welcome students with additional needs and use the water as a catalyst for positive outcomes. Learn to sail, kayak, windsurf or paddleboard. Or choose raft building and on-the-water team building activities. Evening activities can include swimming, archery, crabbing, park games and indoor football. Extend your trip with visits to some of the islands famous attractions like Dinosaur Isle or Osborne House.

All trips are bespoke with visits designed to be stress free. Our instructors are fully qualified and work on a ratio of 1:6 for on-the-water activities. Teachers and group leaders do not need any previous watersports experience as our instructors take care of all activities afloat.

With 35 years of experience, UKSA is a maritime youth charity with a vision to inspire and support young people to broaden their horizons through life enhancing water-based adventures, education, and pathways for training for careers at sea.

The wider benefits of participation in watersports are widely recognised and include inspiration, enjoyment, teamwork, boosting self-confidence and self-reliance, as well as the making and sealing of friendships. Our bespoke courses are designed to build confidence, encourage teamwork, and learn skills for life in an aspirational and safe environment.

We define skills for life as being the six steps to success. We measure young people’s perception of their communication, decision making, participation, self-belief, determination, and resilience at the beginning of their visit, and again at the end of their stay. We share the outcomes achieved and insights gathered with schools to measure the impact of the experience on students’ personal development.

UKSA is accredited by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom. Our site, facilities and activities have all been evaluated for learning and safety by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority and meet the exacting standards required to pass annual inspections.

Residential programmes include:

• Sole-occupancy dormitory-style accommodation, with separate leader rooms
• Full board – home cooked healthy food
• Return ferry travel to and from the Isle of Wight
• Daily action-packed bespoke watersports and team-building activities
• Fully supervised evening entertainment
• All wetsuits and safety equipment
• One free leader place per 10 participants

UKSA’s large 4-acre secure site means we can accommodate groups of all sizes; small or large (up to 200+ people).

With our proximity to the water, we don’t always recommend children bringing cameras and other electronics however teachers and leaders are welcome to take photos of their group.

The safety, well-being, and enjoyment of those visiting UKSA are our number one priority. We are a home-from-home for our young people and pride ourselves on our exemplary safety protocols that sit within a robust and fully compliant framework.

We have risk assessments for all of our day and evening activities, as well as for all of our sites used. Teachers are more than welcome to complete their own risk assessments or ask the team any queries they may have.

Residential trips depend upon the time of the year and length of stay.

Prices start at £210 for a 3-day weekend (low season) to a 5-day week (high season) at £525 – full board, watersports activities, evening entertainment, accommodation and return ferry travel to the Isle of Wight. For every 10 students, there is a leaders place free of charge.

With the generous support of individuals and donors, we have funding available for those children who do not have the financial support to join their classmates on a residential trip – leave no child behind! By choosing UKSA you’ll not only be giving your group a fun and memorable experience, you’ll also be helping to support transformational opportunities for thousands of other young people.

All our Watersports and evening entertainment instructors are fully qualified first aiders.

Onsite facilities include:

• Dormitory style accommodation blocks
• Dining room and in-house catering serving freshly cooked meals
• Indoor heated swimming pool
• Full-sized sports hall
• Drying room for wet kit
• Changing rooms and toilets
• Wi-Fi
• Bar
• Dedicated young person’s chillout area
• Study areas and classrooms

UKSA welcome individuals with special educational and disabled needs, all on and off the water activities are adaptable and inclusive. We are accessible with disabled access and suitably adapted accommodation blocks with flexible bedrooms. Lifts are situated in our main building with a hoist for the swimming pool. We are also able to take disabled people out onto the water using a hoist from our pontoons to boats. Please speak to our dedicated Schools and Groups team so we can ensure we meet your needs.

We are open all year round, with the exception of a few days over the Christmas period.

Prince Trust Group Leader comments: “It was great to see them increase their communication and social skills through a range of water-based activities through spending a week together”.

Feedback from Longlands Primary School: “We wanted the children to receive a unique experience that would encapsulate the notion of a broad and balanced curriculum. UKSA gave them adventures and challenges that they had never had before. The environment was very safe and secure which is essential when you are trying to organise a residential visit”.

Our unique all-inclusive packages include return ferry travel from Portsmouth or Southampton, dormitory accommodation, home-cooked meals and drinks, tuition, and evening entertainment. One leader goes free for every ten students. We offer complimentary teacher familiarisation weekends with no obligation to book – it’s an opportunity for you to look around our base and discuss what we can offer your school.

UKSA is easily accessible from Southampton ferry terminals. We are a ten minute walk from the heart of Cowes where the foot passenger terminal is location, or a short hop across the river to the car ferry terminal. Many groups enjoy getting a boat directly to our pontoons, which we can arrange.

Our dormitory style accommodation blocks contain self-contained 4-8 berth bunk rooms with separate bathrooms, single and twin rooms available for leaders. All groups have sole occupancy of an accommodation area.

Our dedicated Schools and Groups team can be contacted on 01983 203045 or schools@uksa.org.

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