The Chellington Centre Outdoor Learning Activities Bedfordshire

The Chellington Centre Outdoor Learning Activities Bedfordshire offers fieldwork and outdoor learning for groups of all ages. Our Day Trip programmes use adventure and outdoor learning to expand children’s experiences and teach curriculum focused work.

Primary schools can pick and choose from a range of exciting curriculum-linked sessions to build a bespoke trip.

For secondary and A level groups we offer field study days either led by a Chellington tutor who is a qualified secondary school Geography teacher or self-led study days using our field study resource packs.

Activity days and field trips can be tailored to your own requirements to ensure your pupils get the most from your visit and trips.

The Chellington Centre is an inspirational rural setting where young people can develop their potential, expand their horizons and experience a sense of possibility beyond their everyday lives.

A distinctive feature of Chellington is that it is always offered for exclusive use, allowing young people to connect with each other, try new experiences and reflect on their lives without interruption or distraction, returning to everyday life with renewed confidence and perspective. Chellington is a place of transformation.

We prioritise affordability and inclusion, providing subsidised access for those facing financial, social or educational barriers – please see Chellington Bursary Fund for further information.

LOtC quality badge

We offer:

• Day visits – ideal for outdoor learning, fieldwork or space for wellbeing programmes and personal development activities
• Cross-curricula activity days – book a Chellington tutor to bring learning to life – react Anglo-Saxons v Vikings battle, go on a map adventure or connect with nature with forest skills – see our list of activities for more details
• Activity resource packs – low cost resources to support you with local history, geography, and nature exploration actvities
• Field study days – book a Chellington tutor to plan and lead investigative studies for GCSE and A level Geography students – see our current list of activities
• Field study resource packs – low cost resources to support you with local geography fieldwork

We cater for groups of various sizes. Activity sessions are for groups up to 30.

A Chellington tutor will plan, resource and lead the session, overseeing all of the activities and running the main experiences.

We ask that staff from the settings remain with their group at all times and, in order to enable multiple activities to run at the same time, will usually be required to lead and supervise smaller group activities.  We will ensure all staff are confident with the activities. The Chellington tutor will be on hand at all times to support.

We are happy for groups to take photographs of their experiences.

Programme Manager: Claire Bassett

Centre Manager: Debbie Holloway

ntact: admin@chellington.org or 01234 720726

We offer different price bands for the autumn/spring terms and the summer term.
Please see our website for prices or call the office 01234 720724.

We prioritise affordability and inclusion, providing subsidised access for those facing financial, social or educational barriers – please see Chellington Bursary Fund for further information.

Any specific clothing requirements will be discussed with you before your visit.

All staff are trained in first aid.

The Group Leader is responsible for:

• Bringing required medication
• Holding consent forms and medical information
• Providing first aid for their group
• Informing parents/carers of any medical treatment or hospital visit
• Maintaining emergency contact access

In the event of serious emergency, both the Group Leader and Centre staff will cooperate in contacting emergency services.

Key features of our beautiful site:

• Exclusive use
• Large hall (capacity 72) for dining or indoor activities
• 2 additional meeting rooms (capacity for each up to 36) for dining or indoor activities 
• Washrooms inside the main building and in the Herald Building
• Accessible washrooms inside the main building and in the Herald Building
• Kitchen fully equipped for self-catering
• Table tennis and table football inside the main building
• Campfire and barbeque – delight in the views with no immediate neighbours
• Games field and 4-acre activity field – ample space for fun activites and the freedom to explore
• Overlooking the valley of Great Ouse river and Harrold-Odell Country Park – with plentiful walks straight from our doorstep
• Well located – between M1 and A1 with easy access to London, Cambridge and Oxford
• Ample parking – for cars, minibuses and coaches

We are committed to being open and accessible to all so that a wide range of people can enjoy the experience at Chellington.

Accessibility at the Centre is good. Facilities support wheelchair users, people who are blind or partially sighted, those who are hard of hearing, and individuals with limited mobility.

Please see our Accessibility Guide for further information.

The Chellington Centre is open for use all-year round. The office hours are Mon-Fri 9am-4:30pm

“We had a lovely time – the children thoroughly enjoyed their stay. They enjoyed participating in the orienteering activity, playing on the field and helping to prepare their own meals. The orienteering was great – clearly explained and lots of fun. The children enjoyed using the equipment and following the maps. The bursary allowed this visit to be accessible to all children in the class, some of whom wouldn’t have been able to go had we not had the bursary.” St Helen’s Primary

“We had a lovely time and the children really enjoyed themselves. They learnt a lot from the orienteering activity and the Lego activity. The facilities are really good and the children enjoyed the fresh air.” Loughton School

“Our GCSE students had an amazing time at the Chellington Centre studying the River Great Ouse. They loved getting into the river to collect primary data! An experience that brought geography to life and created lasting memories.” Head of Geography, Bedford  Secondary School