After Kingswood’s closure, schools are asking how to choose a safe, stable residential provider. Discover what to look for — and why Manor Adventure stands out.

Introduction

The unexpected closure of Kingswood in 2024 shook confidence among schools and parents across the UK. With decades of experience behind them, their administration raised an uncomfortable question: how can schools be sure they’re booking with a stable, trustworthy residential provider?

At Manor Adventure, we believe transparency and trust are the foundations of any safe and successful residential. Drawing on over 30 years of experience, here’s what schools should look for when choosing a provider – and how we’ve built a model designed to stand the test of time.

1. Financial Stability & Transparency

Kingswood’s sudden collapse proved that even well-known names aren’t immune to financial risk. The best protection for your school is choosing a provider with:

• A strong trading history (ideally 30+ years)
• Consistent profitability and no significant debts
• Open, transparent reporting via Companies House

At Manor Adventure we’ve been family-run since 1991. We publish clear financials, hold zero company debt, and maintain a 93% rebooking rate with schools nationwide.

Our family-run structure means we answer to schools, not shareholders.

2. Ownership of Centres

Many providers operate from rented venues or rely on third-party contractors, making them vulnerable to sudden closures or lease issues.

In contrast, Manor Adventure owns all of its UK centres and French châteaux, giving us full control over maintenance, safety, and investment.
That ownership means stability – no volatile rent hikes, no lost sites, and no disruption to schools.

3. Consistent Quality & Safeguarding

Large, multi-use centres often mix several schools or year groups, creating challenges for supervision and pastoral care.
Our approach is different:

• Smaller centres 
• No school mixing – schools, youth groups or ages
• Majority en-suite rooms for staff and pupils
• 24/7 duty managers and on-site instructors

This ensures a secure, familiar environment where pupils feel supported – particularly those attending their first residential.

4. Curriculum-Relevant Learning

The best providers link activities directly to educational outcomes. At Manor Adventure, every programme is designed to support:

• PSHE 
• Outdoor education and teamwork
• History, geography, and modern languages (for our French châteaux)

We offer full risk assessments, parent presentations, and tailored timetables to reduce teacher workload and align each trip with your school’s goals.

5. Accreditation & Professional Standards

Look for nationally recognised quality marks such as:

• The LOtC Quality Badge
• Adventure Activities Licensing Authority (AALA) certification
• DBS-checked, first-aid trained, and safeguarding-qualified staff

Manor Adventure holds all of the above. Every instructor lives on site, and each centre has a full-time safeguarding lead available every day.

6. A Responsible Approach to Residential Provision

Residential providers carry an enormous responsibility – for pupil safety, educational quality, and the trust schools place in them.

At Manor Adventure, we take that responsibility seriously. From maintaining robust financial systems to ensuring our staff meet the highest safeguarding standards, everything we do is built around transparency, accountability, and care.

We believe every school deserves a provider that’s as committed to its pupils as the teachers who bring them.

What to Ask When Choosing a Residential Provider

When comparing residential providers, it’s worth asking a few key questions to make sure your pupils – and staff – will be in safe, capable hands:

• Who runs your centres? Are you family-owned, independent, or part of a larger organisation?
• How long have you been operating school residentials?
• Do you own your sites, or rent them from third parties?
• What age groups or other youth groups will be on site at the same time?
• Do your instructors and staff live on site, or leave at the end of the day?
• Are staff fully DBS-checked, first-aid trained, and safeguarding qualified?
• Will our school have one dedicated contact from booking to return?
• Do schools get access to evening outdoor pursuits or structured activities?
• Do you mix different schools on site, or keep them separate?
• Can you provide your safety accreditations and insurance details up front?

These questions help schools understand not just the safety standards of a provider, but also the ethos and atmosphere pupils will experience on site.

A great residential partner should always be happy to answer every one of these clearly and confidently.

In Summary

Kingswood’s closure was a wake-up call for residential companies and schools across the UK. A polished brochure or big name is no longer enough – schools deserve providers who are stable, accredited, responsible, and personally invested in every trip.

With 30+ years of steady growth, no company debt, and a personal, family-run approach, Manor Adventure offers something few others can: complete peace of mind.

A school residential should never be a risk – it should be a trusted partnership built on experience and integrity.