“See what students and teachers are saying about their experiences at Rippledown.”

A few recent testimonials and words of appreciation from visiting students and teachers.

Paula Wilson, Class Teacher, South Grove Primary School
“This year’s visit certainly met our expectations and beyond! The trip to the beach was fantastic; how you arranged for the mist to disappear like that I will never know.”

Shania, (Year 4) November 2008,
“Thank you for looking after us at Rippledown it was very fun and I had a great time. I was really excited to go to Rippledown, I experienced a lot of the countryside and it was so perfect”

Tracy Hill, Class Teacher, Heathbrook Primary School,
“Thank you for all the time you spent teaching the children about so many topics in such an interesting way. They all came back full of stories about catching crabs and interesting facts about the castle. As always the food was brilliant and I made sure that I partook fully when it was time for seconds. … Thank you again for all your hard work and I look forward to bringing another class soon” -

Laura (Year 7) September 2008
One of my favorite activities was rock pooling at St Margaret’s Bay. I had so much fun there. And I also liked looking at the wonderful views from up high. When Chris pointed out and said “thats where we are going” I thought it looked miles away but then we got there and it didn’t seem so bad. I liked looking for crabs and catching them. They were scary when we held them up. My group caught 5 crabs, a fish and a shrimp. I think everyone enjoyed that day!.

Dorothy Guy MBE, Headteacher, International School, Brussels
“As we were delivering a British education outside the UK, any opportunities in Belgium to support the curriculum were limited, so we sought for an appropriately located base in Britain which would provide our years 3/4 children with a high standard of care and safety.

The first stay at Rippledown exceeded our expectations so thoroughly that we returned annually for the following twelve years until I retired. We had found a secure base where the staff displayed exceptionally high levels in every aspect. The warmth of welcome which was extended to us every year was genuine and sincere. All domestic matters, even the most trivial, were faultless. The accommodation was always clean, warm, safe with good home made food which children and staff enjoyed.

Colleagues and I never returned to Belgium from one of our trips to Rippledown feeling disappointed, and neither did any group of children. The confidence with which I presented the trip to parents was rewarded by the enthusiasm and positive feedback which their children brought home about the centre. The staff  maintained consistently high standards and could always engender an enthusiasm for learning with each group of children. At the same time we saw that there was development of new ideas and activities each year which maintained a positive and vibrant atmosphere.”

Joanne Turpin, Environmental Co-ordinator, Kingsdown & Ringwould School
The ‘Keeping it green – sustainable development of school grounds’ course was an extremely informative and enjoyable course, providing a balance of both class-based and practical sessions in an ideal learning environment.

The day was lead by an experienced team who gave qualified guidance and support for the individual needs of the course members.

I would highly recommend this course for anyone who is involved within the education system and considering extending environmental issues.