Q: Is Ingestre Hall secure?
A: We ensure that our centre is kept secure both day and night, just as you would expect your school buildings to be. We have a secure entry system with CCTV for visitors so that no one can come into the centre without our knowledge. We provide a duty manager to ensure that our building stays secure throughout the night.
Q: Will my child be safe during their stay?
A: We undertake a thorough risk assessment of our premises, site and activities every year to ensure that all our visitors are able to enjoy staying in a safe environment and all visiting groups have a tour of the centre on arrival, which includes a fire drill. All of our staff are DBS checked, as are any contractors who are required to undertake work on our site from time to time. We provide full first aid facilities and have staff who are first aid trained on site at all times.
Q: What does my child need to bring?
A: Clothing and shoes worn during activities need to be comfortable and may get dirty – so old clothes are best. Art students will require an old shirt or apron, and those taking Drama will need loose comfortable clothing. Dance students are advised to bring black loose comfortable clothing if possible. Specialist dance shoes are not required. Students in the Music group may wish to bring their own musical instrument, if they play already, but you should make sure that it is adequately insured. We recommend that you name all items of clothing so we can send them back to you if they are found after your stay. We have lost property left here every week and weekend. We ask that each child brings at least one indoor and one outdoor pair of shoes, and that slippers are only brought to be worn in dormitories and not around the centre during the day. Your child’s group leaders are best placed to advise you on what to pack as they will have received a kit list from Ingestre Hall. The Student Kit List is available via our Group Organiser Info and it’s Downloads page if you would like to see it.
Q: Should my child bring a mobile phone, ipod, hairdryer or other electrical items?
A: We strongly advise that children do not bring mobile phones or other expensive electrical equipment, jewellery etc in case they get lost or damaged. Please ask your child’s teacher for further guidance on this issue, as we would expect the normal school policy to apply during the visit. Please note that mobile phone coverage at Ingestre Hall is poor, and that due to the age of the building there are limited electrical sockets in our accommodation. Children should not bring extension leads to Ingestre Hall and any electrical items that require mains power may be removed from rooms and given to your child’s teachers if our site staff consider them to be unsafe.
Q: Will my child need to bring pocket money?
A: We provide all the food, snacks and drinks that your child will need. We do have a small tuck shop available each evening and a souvenir shop selling gifts. It is up to your child’s teacher whether they would like to make use of these facilities and to recommend how much pocket money would be appropriate to bring. We would advise no more than £20 for a week. Please bring change, rather than notes if possible.
Q: What is the accommodation like?
A: Groups will stay in dormitory accommodation and there are a variety of room sizes. All bedding is provided but towels and washing kit are not provided. Children will be making their own beds during their stay, so you might do well to prepare them in advance by teaching how to make up a bed with a duvet! School staff stay in twin or three bedded rooms amongst the children’s dormitories. For more information about the accommodation please see our Facilities page.
Q: What is the food like?
A: We provide three meals every day, cooked on site by our own catering team, who are used to providing for children with special dietary needs and food allergies. For instance, none of our meals or tuck shop items contain nuts. You will be asked by your school to provide details of any special dietary requirements in advance of the trip. We need to be aware of any allergies to food, not dislikes of certain foods. Your child will not go hungry, we do encourage them to try new foods they may not have had before, obviously bearing in mind any allergies.
Q: Can parents telephone the Centre during the trip?
A: We would prefer you to telephone your school emergency contact rather than attempt to contact your child at the centre directly. You must ensure that you have provided your child’s teachers with your full contact details so that you can be contacted in any emergency. Your school will be able to provide you with further details. The Ingestre office is manned during normal working hours. You can leave a message but it may not be picked up until the next working day, consequently we advise you to call the contact number your child’s school would have given you.
Q: How are children supervised overnight?
A: Your child’s teachers stay in the same accommodation areas as the children so are always available. Ingestre Hall also provides a duty manager in separate accommodation on site for each night that any group is in residence.
Q: When is bedtime?
A: This is negotiated between your school staff and the centre, depending on the age of the group. School staff will supervise an evening programme of activities and the bedtime routine.
Q: What about children with special needs?
A: We liaise closely with school staff prior to their visit with regards to children with special needs and disabilities. We will assess the needs of the individual in the context of Ingestre Hall and will endeavour to provide appropriate accommodation and activities. Where the special needs of a child are severe we are happy for them to come on a preview visit with a carer to familiarise themselves with the Centre and ensure that we have adequate provision. We have a small suite of rooms with full disabled access, allowing children to share with friends while providing provision for carers to stay close by next door. Although we do not have full disabled access to all of the rooms within Ingestre Hall, we are able to make adjustments to our provision to ensure that everyone can be included in the activities.
Q: Do children from different schools mix?
A: Only if your school has chosen or agreed to share with another school. You should have been made aware by your child’s school if your group is sharing with another school. If schools do share they are always of a similar, or the same age. We would expect all children to mix and participate jointly in the activities, recreational times and mealtimes, and would highlight the importance of making new friends as one of the aims of the course. Your school’s teachers will decide on whether or not children from different schools will be sharing dormitories, although it is usual that different schools have different dormitories.