CYM Ipswich

What will students see and do?

CYM Ipswich is located in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, surrounded by fields and big open skies. The site enjoys open spaces to run around in and to enjoy the sunsets in the evening. 

Imagine meandering around the man-made lake as you watch people paddling in kayaks or rafts, interrupted by excitable screams mixed with the sounds of the birds and wildlife around you. The zip wire (often described as one of the best seen) then buzzes over the kayakers below!

A short walk up the main field leads to what looks like a barn. A little peep inside leaves you gasping at this hidden gem on the site – a mix of indoor sports, netball and football, then archery and then maybe even laser tag in the dark.

The games room next door provides a cool spot out of the sun for people to socialise away from the bigger activities. Or why not cool off in the pool next door?

Imagination is a powerful tool, and though at first it’s difficult to comprehend that Ipswich is not far away, we also take our visitors around other cultures, teaching values and celebrating differences throughout our programmes. By the time people leave, our aim is that everyone is refreshed with a renewed sense of what community means.

How does the trip link to the curriculum?

Great effort is made to consider how a CYM Basecamp programme can provide tangible educational support for visiting schools. You cannot ever underestimate the impact short trips away for the first time can have and the highs that are experienced when people show resilience and courage in trying new experiences and overcoming their fears.

Here’s a small snapshot of how this translates into the curriculum: we encourage pupils to learn through discussion, supporting them to clearly explain their understanding and ideas, how to make informed choices (recognising that choices can have positive, neutral, or negative consequences) and begin to understand the concept of a balanced lifestyle. Additionally, they are guided to reflect on and celebrate their achievements, identify their strengths and areas for improvement, and set high aspirations and goals for themselves.

The “take home” of programmes is always considered, as we know that this is what is remembered far beyond the activities enjoyed during a week. As such, we aim to support pupils to grow in confidence and understanding of their own unique identities and value independence in making positive choices.

However, one of our key aims is to expand pupils’ horizons, giving them knowledge of other countries and cultures around the world through stories, activities and other research.

In doing so, our goal is to help them further understand what community is and how they can positively be part of one and to explore, recognise and celebrate differences in the world and its cultures so that they can become citizens that look to build bridges.

Subjects covered

Details of risk assessment

All activities and the campsite are risk assessed. Some risk assessments are completed in-house, with others being verified and checked by external technical advisers. CYM has also successfully completed the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Badge, whereby all risk assessments are checked.

All risk assessments can be requested individually.

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