How many staff are on camp?
We have an extremely high ratio of staff to children, with Centre and Welfare Managers, who oversee the welfare and safety of the campers and handles any pastoral issues. We have several Pastoral Activity Leaders (PALs), who are responsible for the day-to-day pastoral care of the campers and are the first point of contact if any child has any concerns. We also have a team Activity Leaders who run the daytime activity programme. All camp staff are trained in Child Safeguarding and many of the staff are Paediatric First Aiders. There will also be an office based Admissions Coordinator, who will be the main point of contact for families with any questions or concerns before or during camp.
Our caring and supportive staff team are available 24 hours per day to support campers.
staff, pastoral, helpWhat if my child gets homesick?
Our team will be vigilant for signs of homesickness and are ready to offer support to those who may start to miss home and their family. Homesickness is very natural and to be expected for children who are missing home and our Pastoral Activity Leaders will be on-hand to support and discuss concerns with children at any time.
We will always contact you if we have any concerns regarding your child whilst on camp, but keeping busy is often the best prevention and there is plenty of opportunity for that whilst at Ultimate Summer Residential!
The best Ultimate Summer Residential interventions for homesick campers include:
- Staying busy with a fun-filled timetable
- Talking with the child's PAL
- An evening phone call home (optional)
homesickWhat is the accommodation like at Twyford School?
The Twyford School Boarding House offers secure, single-sex dorms, in groups from 3 to 8 of a similar age. We will do our best to meet any specific accommodation requests (e.g. sharing a room with a friend) - contact Customer Support Team to discuss this. Rooms are of a high, modern standard and are cleaned regularly - we will encourage the children to keep a tidy room so belongings don't get mislaid!! Clean and modern single-sex bathrooms are available and dorm rooms have an en-suite toilet.
Accommodation, sleeping, rooms, dormsAre staff available during the night?
Our caring and supportive pastoral staff team are available 24 hours per day to support children. We pride ourselves on offering the best possible care to children, and our staff team are trained and available to support children at any time of the day or night.
night, night time, staff, helpWhat's the food like on camp?
The Twyford catering team offer a varied and tested menu of delicious food tailored to the age of children. Meals offered provide a healthy, balanced menu, whilst also being delicious and exciting. We can cater for a wide variety of dietary requirements and allergies, please feel free to call our Customer Support Team if you would like more information. Here is an example of what's on offer:
VIEW OUR SAMPLE MENU
Dining Hours:
- 8-8:30 am: Breakfast (continental and cooked options)
- 12:00 pm: Lunch (picnic style)
- 3:00 pm: Hang Out Hub with freshly baked snacks
- 6:15 pm: Dinner (themed dinner choice, salad bar)
Breakfast:
- Choice of continental or cooked
- A range of cereals, fruits and yoghurts
- Hot breakfasts may include: pancakes, bacon, sausages, waffles and croissants
Lunch:
- Picnic Style; Sandwiches & Wraps,Fruit and Snacks
Dinner:
- A varied salad and pasta bar
- Themed Hot dinners include:
- Italian,
- Chinese,
- Mexican,
- American BBQ,
- Spanish,
- Indian
- Friday Night BBQ
Snacks:
- Fresh cut fruit, homemade yoghurt with fruit coulis
- Freshly baked cakes & tray bakes for afternoon snack.
Food, mealsWhat to bring?
As you know, one can never predict what will happen when it comes to British weather! Please ensure your child packs clothing suitable for both warm and cool weather and that all clothing, towels and swimwear are clearly marked with your child’s name.
Accessories
Bath Towel (please note we do provide all bed linen, but we do not provide bath towels)
Plug in cosmetic devices such as hair dryers (Please note that hairdryers are not supplied, so children wishing to use one during their stay should bring their own)
Swimming Towel
Swimming Goggles (If required)
Game console controller (Tech programme use only)
General/Suggested items
Wheeled suitcase or backpack
Small day backpack for swimming Kit
Torch
Plastic bag (for dirty washing)
Reusable water bottle
Favourite cuddly toy or home comfort (optional)
Book
Sunglasses (optional)
Sun Hat (required)
Toiletries
Sun cream
Shampoo & Conditioner
Shower Gel/ Bar of Soap
Toothbrush & toothpaste
Hairbrush or comb
Deodorant
Clothing
Underwear & socks (bring plenty for the week)
6 to 7 T-shirts
2 to 3 Jumpers or hoodies
2 to 3 pairs of casual trousers/Jeans/Leggings (weather dependent)
2 to 3 pairs of shorts (weather dependent)
1 to 3 pairs of tracksuit bottoms
A waterproof jacket or coat with a hood
Nightwear
2 Swimming costumes/shorts
Disco/Party Wear (optional) - some campers like to get dressed up at our Friday disco!
Footwear
Slippers or sliders (shoes are not permitted within the boarding house)
Indoor sports trainers (Black soled shoes are not permitted in the school sports hall)
Outdoor shoes (old trainers/welly boots)
Summer sandals/Flip Flops
Do Not Bring XXX:
- Valuable Items
- Nut Products
- Additional Food Products
- Non-prescription/over-the-counter medication (e.g. paracetamol, throat lozenges, plasters etc.). These will be available through our First Aiders.
- Money will not be required at camp
Labelled All Items/Lost Property
It is vital that all belongings are clearly labelled with your child’s name. If an item of clothing or belonging is too valuable to lose, do not bring it!
Valuable Items
We recommend that children bring as few valuable items as possible as the bedrooms do not have locks on the doors. Please note that devices such as mobile phones, iPods, tablets, laptops or PSPs will not be allowed during activities. Should your child choose to bring any of these devices to an activity, a member of staff will take the device to the summer camp office where it will be stored in the safe until the end of the course. Personal laptops, iPads or electronic notebooks are not allowed. This is for reasons of safeguarding, safety and security.
Bring, stuff, belongings, checklistCan I contact my child while on camp?
Each night around 17:30 - 18:00 child will have the option to phone home. You will receive regular short updates and a few photos from the day’s activities from the Camp Manager. Additionally, If you’d like to speak to any Managers or PALs while your child is at camp you can ring or email the Customer Support Team. If your child does not have a mobile phone, we can provide a camp mobile for calls to/from home.
Contact, phone, telephoneWill my child fit in at camp?
Most children who come to Ultimate Summer Camps are at school here in the UK, though we have a few of international campers joining us. This is a great opportunity for your child to try new activities, build their independence and make new friends. Our programme focuses on the concepts of Connect, Inspire, Challenge, Explore and Celebrate, all facilitated with the help of our management, pastotal/welfare and activity leaders. Our staff are on hand to provide reassurance and to encourage participation and friendships.
enjoyable, fitting in, friends, own,How and when do I pay for camp?
We accept credit/debit cards and childcare vouchers. For your security we use '3D Secure' for online card payments. If you book during an offer, we require full payment at the time of booking. If paying with childcare vouchers, the payment needs to clear in our bank account before the end of the offers. Outside of offers, the full amount (card or childcare voucher payment) for all bookings must be paid at the time of booking. See our terms and conditions for full details.
paying, card, childcare vouchersCan I still book if my child cannot attend all days?
If you need to drop your child off a little later on Sunday or Monday morning or if you need to collect your child early on Friday evening, this can be accommodated by letting our customer support team know in advance. However, should your child need to miss any more time than this, we would not recommend booking as your child will miss important aspects of the camp and may not feel as settled because of this. Children cannot be dropped off earlier than 16:00 on the Sunday or collected later than 10:30 on the Saturday.
days, attend, joinCan I book for multiple weeks?
We don’t recommend booking multiple weeks as the timetable is the same from week to week. Additionally, camp will end on Saturday and the next camp will begin on Sunday, so we do not have the capacity to host children overnight on Saturday.
multiple weeks, 2 weeks, two weeksCan I request that my child shares a room with their friend?
Yes, as long as they’re the same gender and a similar age as each other – usually within 18 months. Rooms accommodate 4 - 8 children and we will do our best to put friends together; however, please note it may be difficult for us to accommodate multiple friend requests or late bookings. You can add a Friend request during the booking process. We will contact you in advance of camp if we are unable to meet your child’s friend requests. If you have a specific request that falls outside of these arrangements, please contact us to discuss it further. You can add friend requests or edit your child's details via your online account. Due to the complex nature of grouping children, we cannot always guarantee friend requests, but we’ll do our best!
friend, share room, same roomDo you provide transportation to and from camp?
We do not provide transportation to camp including airport transfers. Parents are responsible for dropping off and collecting their child from camp.
transport, bus, transfer, getting toWhat if my child gets sick or is unable to attend camp?
If you have booked our Ultimate Residential Camp and something unexpected happens that prevents your child from participating in camp such as an injury or illness, please get in touch with our Customer Support Team as soon as possible so we can discuss your specific circumstances. Otherwise, our standard booking cancellation terms apply.
When do I drop off and collect my child?
Children should arrive on camp on Sunday between 16:00 and 17:30. Parents should come to collect the following Saturday from 09:30 to 10:30. If you think you may need special arrangements, please contact our Customer Support team to discuss late drop off
drop off, collection, arrival, departureWhat if my child has an allergy or medical condition?
At the time of booking, please give us as much information regarding medical conditions, medications, and allergies as possible in order for us to appropriately care for your child during their time on Camp. We may require you to fill out additional information prior to Camp, but we will send these out with your confirmation email. All information you provide at the time of booking will be with our staff on Camp by the time your child arrives. Please note we will only administer medication that is prescribed for that child by a health professional and is in date; non-prescription over-the-counter medication can be prescribed by the camp nurse.
allergy, medical condition, medicineWhat if my child has special needs or a disability?
We aim to be as inclusive as possible with an ‘open to all children’ policy. If your child requires extra support, please email or call us to discuss your child’s specific needs on Camp so we can ensure they are able to fit into the Camp programme and whether any special arrangements need to be made.
disability, SEN, autism, special needs