The most important part of providing a great adventure trip is having great staff! Our staff are energetic, enthusiastic and have a total commitment to your child’s enjoyment and safety. Because of Treejumpers’ reputation for excellence, we employ our very best candidates from the hundreds who apply each year. We select them on the basis of their previous work with children, entertainment skills, personality and activity qualifications or experience.
We ensure children are always under the supervision of both teachers or group leaders and Instructors. Staff are specifically trained in issues such as Emotional Risk Assessments and detailed scenarios which present Child Protection issues in the outdoor environment. For full details please ask to see our Child Protection Policy.
As organisers of activity programmes and holidays almost all year-round for school groups as well as individuals, staff training is a major commitment for Treejumpers. Our training team organises a vast range of top quality internal and external courses for centre staff at all levels. Many courses are run by, or with the backing of, relevant sports governing bodies. Training topics cover everything from management development for Centre Managers to specific activity skills for Instructors and group leader training for our Event Coordinators. This commitment to staff training and development has one ultimate goal: to equip all our staff with the skills, knowledge and attitudes to give the children in our care the time of their lives!
Trained Instructors take responsibility during activity sessions. They are chosen for their personal skills, experience and/or qualifications, always insisting on the highest possible safety standards.
We have an excellent safety record of which we are extremely proud, though never complacent. Instructor to child ratios may vary according to activity but are at a maximum of 1:12. For offsite activities there are always at least two staff in attendance.
All activities are carefully designed with risk assessments and lesson plans that follow the appropriate National Governing Body or best practice where there is no NGB. Instructors are trained and encouraged to develop a wide skill base in Centre-based activities and to pursue further qualifications for their own personal development.
Our stringent standards comply with guidelines set down by the Department of Education and Skills.
We also have the support of the appropriate education authorities and every year thousands of schools entrust the organisation of outdoor adventure courses to Treejumpers.
Safety is of paramount importance in all our holiday arrangements, so whilst your children are having fun you can be sure that they’re being well looked after too! They’ll return home bursting with new found confidence, tales of new achievement and an address book full of new friends!
We have £5million public liability insurance.
We are often asked about the details of AALA licenses. All of Treejumpers’ current activities fall outside of the group of licensed activities covered by AALA. For example whilst Rock Climbing on natural rock requires a license, High Ropes is not regarded as an activity that needs a license as it is a controlled, man-made environment. Consequently there are no activities for which a license applies. We are in the process of applying for a license for the activities at the new watersports centre at the Hop Farm. Please call the team if you need further details about this or any other safety / regulatory issue.
CCTV is in operation at our centres.
We want your Treejumpers experience to be as relaxing and fun as it is for the kids! Teachers are given their own designated two man tent to allow space for personal belongings. Treejumpers staff are there to help you with any queries, wants and needs throughout your stay and we try to give each staff member an opportunity to relax!In fact during meal times and free time there is a ‘teachers only” zone so you can relax and eat your meal, drink tea and coffee and generally wind down.
Your main responsibility during the stay is to deal with disciplinary issues and to act as a supervisory adult. Our staff will do all the organising, cleaning and running of activities whilst you are here, leaving you the time to enjoy your space away from work! Overnight, after lights out, it is ultimately the responsibility of teachers to look after unsettled students, however a member of our staff is on duty bunk should there be any problems or emergencies.
In general our arrival time for holidays and school trips is 10am and pick up time is 3pm. If there are any problems with these times please speak to a member of our reservations team who will try to organise an alternative.
Even the fittest children feel tired after a full day of activities followed by our evening entertainment programmes, so we try to insist on sensible bed times for children to ensure everyone gets a good night’s rest.
Exact times will vary but between 9pm for 7 year olds and 11pm for 17 year olds is normal. Children who wish to go to bed earlier will be allowed to do so but must notify a member of staff.
Whilst Group Leaders are responsible for taking care of the children outside of activity session times it is really a responsibility shared among all of the senior staff and they will encourage regular use of soap and toothpaste, with set shower times for each group of children. However, all children are expected to take an element of personal responsibility for showering and cleaning their teeth during their time at Treejumpers.
Fun may be important but so is food and we want to inspire children into a healthier lifestyle that includes a tasty, balanced diet.
We aim to provide three healthy, high energy meals per day, with plenty of variety, supporting the 5-a-day campaign as well as reduced salt, sugar and fat.
A vegetarian alternative can always be provided on all holidays, and we can accommodate for most special diets required on medical or religious grounds. Please ask our booking team about what we can and cannot cater for. In all cases we will require full details at least four weeks before for schools, and at the time of booking from parents for summer camps. In some extreme circumstances where food allergies are complex, we may require parents to provide their own food for their children. Please check for details.
Living alongside and mixing with other children is a valuable part of the holiday experience and we try to ensure that no-one feels left out. Every member of the group has an equal right to enjoy themselves and we keep a close check on teasing, bullying or any other anti-social behaviour that may spoil an individual’s enjoyment. Our experience over many years means that this rarely becomes a problem, but please tell your children that if they feel they are being picked on, they should inform their group leader or any member of staff immediately. The ‘don’t tell’ ethos, which often exists in other organisations, is not applicable at a Treejumpers centre. If your child should make contact with you regarding any negative aspect of their holiday, please check whether our staff have been informed. If not, please do let us know as soon as possible so that we may take steps to remedy the situation.
During a school trip, Treejumpers staff will endeavour to deal with any problems as soon as they occur, however, the ultimate discipline of children is down to the supervising teachers and it will be their decision whether or not a child should be sent home. No re-imbursement of cost can be made by Treejumpers under these circumstances.
No child is allowed to consume alcohol or possess/consume illegal drugs whilst at Treejumpers. Over 18s are permitted to smoke in designated areas only, IF parental permission has been granted on the medical consent form. Please note that guests who break this rule will be excluded from the holiday and collection will be at the expense of parents/guardian.
We must be advised on booking if your child is currently or has recently experienced any major illness, disabilities, behavioural or social problems that may affect him/her or our other guests. At Treejumpers we are continually working to enable as many children as possible to enjoy our holidays. To help us achieve this, please provide full details at the time of booking or in a covering letter addressed to our reservations manager. We then may request written confirmation from your GP confirming the suitability of the holiday for your child. We will naturally treat any personal information sensitively and respect confidentiality.
For minor allergies or medication needs we ask each parent/guardian to fill out a medical consent form and bring it with them on the day of their arrival.
We require any special dietary requirements AT LEAST four weeks prior to your child’s stay.
We have staff with first aid qualifications and have pre-established links with local doctors, dentists and hospitals in case of an emergency. At every centre, in case of minor incidents, each activity base is equipped with a first aid kit. Full records of treatment are kept and parents are always alerted in a real emergency. For some small incidents (e.g. bumps, grazes, scratches) we will not normally contact parents unless deemed necessary.
