Details of the autumn enrichment courses are now on the website!

All courses for the autumn term are now confirmed and students are welcome to book on.

Look out for some new courses this autumn, such as:  Bugs on Bushes for Years 3 - 4; Dragonology for Years 7 - 8; Whistles, Signals, Wheels and Piers for Years 5 - 6; and Creative Brains for Years 7 - 10.

Once again, we will be running some courses at the Charterhouse Centre - particularly handy for those living in and around Bristol!

New courses, new tutors, new ideas!  An exciting autumn ahead!

We hope to see you at one of our Centres later in the year.

Do you fancy trying your hand at Climbing, Kayaking or Sailing?  Would you like the opportunity to try some of Kilve Court's many outdoor activities?  Does 'Speedy Wheels' sound appealing?  How about Building a Musical in a week?

We have summer holiday courses for 8 - 17 year olds!  Details are now available.  Please select the menu 'Holiday Courses and Activities' for more information.

This year we are offering 4 enrichment courses during the holidays, including the brand new course Hollywood Hotshots, a must for all those interested in film making and production. 

Places on the courses are limited - so early booking is recommended!

Details of the Spring 2010 enrichment courses have now been added.  Please look under the 'Courses for Able, Gifted and Talented' menu and request the full details under the heading for enrichment courses.

Many of the popular courses are back!  There are also some courses running for the first time at Kilve Court - look out for Making Magical Books with Rosie Bird and Jennifer Grace, Make It and Move It! with Richard and Pam Robbins, Going Potty! with Paul Dalling, and Lost World with Michael Loader.

Exciting courses for Years 3 - 11 running throughout the spring and summer terms!  We look forward to welcoming you to Kilve Court.

What we did over the summer!  Please click on the link below to see our new promotional video.

Video

Students have booked on The Fairfield Dig during half term.  They will spend the week on the local Fairfield Estate taking part in an archaeological dig.  This project has been on going for the last few years and a lot of history has been uncovered!  Take a look on their student blog and you will find out what is going on at Fairfield as it happens!  

Click here  

 YOUR CHANCE TO BE A REAL ARCHAEOLOGIST!

During August 2008, 140 young people from across Somerset were invited to attend 2 weeks of Summer Challenges.  The theme was 'Architecture' and their aim was to design a school for the future. 

Click on the link below to see some video clips of what they got up to.

Summer Challenges 2008

Charterhouse Centre moved into the Children & Young People Directorate of Somerset County Council from April 2008 and has joined with the other three Kilve Centres.  Jo Taylor was appointed as Centre Manager at the end of summer 2008 having previously been the Centre Manager of Great Wood Centre for us.

Charterhouse will be working to all the high standards customers, children and young people have come to expect of all the Kilve Court Centres.  To find out more, see our link to Centres at the right hand side of this page.

If you would like to visit Charterhouse Centre or call to find out more, please contact the Centre on Tel: 01761 462267 or email: charterhouse@somerset.gov.uk

Our great range of summer holiday courses are back for 2009.  If you like musical theatre and dance, then the holiday course for you is ‘Summer of Song’!  Starting with auditions on the first day, the course aims to produce a full, fantastic performance on the final day.  Participants must be willing to try their hand at anything from learning lines and acting, to songs and dances.  Great fun and a real challenge for all involved.

Alternatively, for younger children, Youngsters Adventure Time will include visits to the beach and Tropiquaria, linked to creative and fun activities such as making mobiles, grass sledging and a fancy dress competition.  For extra enjoyment, children also have the opportunity to experience pony riding at a local riding school for the young and beginners.  This really is a great few days away for younger children.

However, for those who fancy the thrill of having a go at many of our most popular activities, ‘Junior Activity Course’, ‘Five Course Feast’ or ‘Speedy Wheels’ is right for them!  Participants get to try their hands at Archery, Abseiling, Climbing Wall, Fantasy Trail, Grass Sledging, Low Ropes, Mountain Bikes, Team Building, Rifle Shooting and the Stream Walk.  They also walk the Quantocks, hunt for fossils on the beach and swim at Sedgemoor Splash.

Spaces on many of Kilve Court’s summer holiday courses are rapidly filling up.  However if you would like to find out more, contact our main office (01278 741270).

The Kilve Court Centres are part of Somerset County Council and operate within the guidelines set down by the Council for the safe conduct of visits and activities.  All activities take place under the instruction of appropriately trained and qualified tutors.  Each activity is risk assessed and the Centres are also licensed by the Adventure Activities Licensing Authority. All staff have been cleared via the Criminal Records Bureau process.

There are a limited number of opportunities for Gold Award participants for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award to complete the Residential Qualification at Kilve Court during the Summer 2009.  They will be regarded as junior members of staff and help facilitate the organisation of the courses. 

Any person interested in undertaking one of these inexpensive opportunities should contact the office at Kilve Court (01278 741270 or info@kilvecourt.org) to request a leaflet and application form.

There are only a few places available so early application is advised to avoid disappointment.

Details of the enrichment courses due to run this spring are now available.  As well as the usual popular courses, we also have new courses planned.  For those who enjoy Creative Writing, take a look at the new course 'Yo Ho Ho and a Pirate Story' planned for the beginning of February.  And for the artists out there, 'Shapes in the Landscape' will be running on 7 - 9 March.

We look forward to seeing many of you at Kilve Court in the Spring!

Alan Johnson, the Education Secretary, this week launched the manifesto for Learning Outside the Classroom.  The Manifesto, signed by 90 organisations, including local authorities, museums and activity centres, sets out a vision to enable every young person to experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of their learning and personal development.

Learning outside the classroom is about raising achievement through an organised, powerful approach to learning in which direct experience is of prime importance. This is not only about what children and young people learn but importantly how and where they learn.

The manifesto proposes an independent council, which would advise on out-of-school learning. A support package would offer schools guidance on planning, funding and evaluating trips. And badges would certify the quality of external education providers.  The manifesto also pledges training modules to give new teachers the confidence to run trips.

.Mr Johnson said: "Every young person should experience the world beyond the classroom as an essential part of learning and development."
According to government figures, more than 8 million children take part in out-of-school activities.

To find out more go to www.teachernet.gov.uk/publications