Mission: -

Continually striving… To provide an environment for learning, which delivers Outdoor and Residential experiences of the highest quality to the youth and the wider community of Essex.

Aims of the Centre

• To provide an Outdoor Education Curriculum, which is broad, relevant, balanced, challenging and flexible in meeting the needs of the young people of Essex.
  
  
• To provide a residential experience which offers a friendly open atmosphere where everyone at the centre is respected and encouraged to contribute to the quality of educational provision and achievement.
  
  
• To promote the values of the Residential experience and to provide an equality of opportunity and access to all.
  
  
• To establish a caring, secure and well disciplined learning environment, which seeks to broaden the experiences of all.
  
  
• To promote concern for, knowledge and appreciation of the natural environment.
  
  
• To provide opportunities for life long learning.

The purpose of this document is to work towards a working curriculum used by the Centre and its users.

The document is based on the Essex County Youth Service Curriculum Guidelines document, Maes y Lade Development Plan 2002-2003 and draws upon a number of other documents including the National Curriculum and 14-19 Green Paper.

The elements of the curriculum as set out in the Curriculum Guidelines document are Curriculum values, Curriculum Areas, and Curriculum Cycle. For the purposes of continuity, clarity and parity, this document follows an identical pattern.

Education: Providing an environment for learning to take place.

Empowerment: Providing opportunities to make informed decisions based on learned knowledge, skills and understanding.

Equality of opportunity:
Providing access to learning irrespective of gender, race,
ability or background.

Participation: Designing educational programmes that allow all students to have full involvement throughout.

• a positive self image, and develop self esteem
  
  
• a sense of self awareness and encourage self-reliance.
  
  
• pride in pupils own abilities and motivation to continually improve.
  
  
• an awareness of and respect for others through the building of relationships.
  
  
• interpersonal skills and the ability to work as an integral part of a team.
  
  
• the ability to successfully live together, in a small community, for a concentrated period of time.
  
  These objectives are achieved by the meeting of challenge (physical, mental, emotional) whilst operating in a controlled safety framework.

User Groups

With the emphasis on adventure, the Centre delivers these objectives to a wide range of user groups, through a diverse Outdoor Education programme. These groups include:

Outdoor Programme

The Outdoor Education programme run from the Centre provides the impact for the achievement of the curriculum values. Each programme is designed in close partnership with the user group to ensure it meets their needs as closely as possible. The specific elements, venues and emphasis for the programmes are also planned in conjunction with user groups based on the age, needs and abilities of the group.

The specific Outdoor Education elements set out in this document are divided up formal and informal. That is those, which occur during programmed time, and those which occur at times incidental to the main programme of activity.

Formal elements include, but are not limited to:

Informal elements include, but are not limited to:

· Environmental Awareness
· Residential living
· Relationship building

Monitoring

Monitoring the success of delivery of this curriculum is completed in part by the use of quality assurance forms. The key areas for which an evaluation is carried out are:

• Organisation & Introduction.
• Instructors enthusiasm and interest.
• Staff/Student Relationship.
• Suitability of activity & venue.
• Quality of whole group teaching.
• Quality of teaching to individuals.
• Level of differentiation.
• Development of session.
• Group Goals achieved.
• Individual goals achieved.
• Review of session.

Curriculum Cycle - (Process of delivery)

At Maes y Lade, programmed learning experiences are:

Planned:

• To take into account the age, needs, abilities and backgrounds of all students.
• To be complimentary to other programmes in the wider context of education.
• To ensure continuity and progression throughout each course.
• To fully utilise the residential experience incorporating social, domestic elements.
• To ensure that there is equality of opportunity for all allowing pupils to maximise their achievements.

Delivered:

• Through a variety of learning experiences designed to educate, stimulate and challenge.
• By making full and full and appropriate use of the natural environment in which we are based.
• By trained, qualified staff who strive to maximise the learning potential of each individual.
• With the emphasis on personal and social skills.
• In partnership with visiting staff in order to provide an experience of the highest standard for every individual.
• With an emphasis on adventure and challenge but within a closely monitored and tightly structured safety framework.
  

Monitored:

• Through daily staff consultation where student progress is discussed as a major feature of the meeting.
• Through visual observation and verbal communication with students.
• Through quality assurance evaluation forms monitoring performance in meeting service aims.

Adapted:

• To ensure that the programme continues to meet its objectives.
• To continually improve this curriculum for both the current course and all future courses.