Frequently Asked Questions

Will my child/children be supervised at all times?

Your children will be supervised at all times. They are not permitted to go off the site unless accompanied by an adult from the group/school or a JCA member of staff. A JCA member of staff is on call 24 hours a day. In the evenings, Senior Staff are on duty until 11pm and on some sites, Porters patrol the grounds throughout the night from 11pm to 7am. Centre doors are secured in the evening but can be opened from the inside in case of emergency. Security barriers also guard the entrance to the site. All staff members are required to wear a uniform and name badges with a photograph, any visitors to the site are also required to sign in and wear visitor badges. Please contact our friendly and helpful staff for more details.

Will my child need any particular clothing or equipment?

JCA will provide all the specialist equipment necessary for your child to undertake activities. We ensure all of our equipment conforms to British or European standards. Daily safety and equipment checks are made and recorded at all of our centres. Risk assessments have also been carried out for all activities at our centres. You can download a kit list from this site which identifies clothing that will be required to pack for your child.

The below activities have specific clothing requirements:

• Abseiling, Aerial Trek, Climbing, High Ropes, Zip Wire – Shoulders covered and knee-length shorts as a minimum. Long hair must also be tied back.
• Archery – Long sleeves.
• Fencing – Long trousers/jogging bottoms.
• Sensory Trail – Clothing and footwear that can get muddy.
• Tunnelling – Knees to be covered.
• Watersports & Pool Activities – Swimwear and a towel.

Is previous experience necessary for some of your more specialised activities?

No previous experience is necessary. All staff are fully trained to instruct children from all levels of capability to ensure enjoyment for everyone.

My child cannot swim, what happens in this situation?

If your child’s group is due to take part in any watersports activities, you will need to make the Party Leader aware of this. If your child is not water-confident, we can of course make other arrangements to ensure your child is not missing out.

What if I have students with specific needs?

Should you have any students in your party who have specific needs or conditions, please ensure that the medical and dietary forms are filled in. At JCA, we are keen no student should miss out on a course with us and most activities can be adapted to suit the needs of the student. We are more than happy to discuss this further if you wish. However, if we are not advised of a child’s condition, we may not be able to provide suitable accommodation or adapt activities.

What is your instructor to pupil ratio?

The ratio for all land-based activities is delivered typically to a ratio of 1:12, but this can be increased to 1:15 if it is deemed necessary. For all watersports activities, we operate to 1 qualified instructor to 8 participants. These ratios comply with the appropriate governing bodies. Due to our operating procedures, if you require larger groups than twelve students to a group please discuss this with the Activity Manager.  

What time do the children go to bed?

Bedtimes are at the discretion of the Party Leader and accompanying adults. Evening activities will finish at approximately 9pm and on some evenings a movie is shown. The majority of visiting groups set a time of approximately 10pm, depending on the age of the young people.

What time do the children get up in the morning?

Breakfast is served in sittings between 07:30am and 08:30am, so the children will need to be up and ready for their allotted time.

What type of food will be provided?

JCA aims to provide all children with a healthy, balanced and high-energy diet during the course of their stay. Vegetarian options are available and we ask that you inform us of any special dietary requirements at the time of booking. Special dietary requirements can be catered for, but we must be notified at least two weeks prior to arrival. A sample menu for Condover Hall can be downloaded from here.

How will my child be entertained in the evening?

Each centre operates an evening entertainment programme ranging from discos to campfires or team building and sports activities. A sample day itinerary can be downloaded from this site.

What if I have students with specific dietary needs?

If you have any students in your party who have specific dietary needs, please ensure that the medical and dietary forms are filled in. We are more than happy to discuss this further if you wish. However, if we are not advised of a child’s dietary requirements, we may not be able to provide suitable food for their stay.

What happens with insurance for my trip?

You should have received your insurance policy from us. If any students cancel for an insurable reason, please notify us in writing of their name. All non-medical claims are handled by Endsleigh under a delegated authority – you can call them at 0800 923 4046. Alternatively, you can email [email protected] or consult the claim centre at www.endsleigh.co.uk/claim-centre. The travel claim form can be found on www.endsleigh.co.uk/personal/travel-insurance/forms/travel-claim-form. Claims should be made as soon as possible after the date of the incident for which the beneficiary is claiming. Claims must be made within 31 days of the incident. If you require any further copies of the insurance policy, please contact us.

Is my money safe with JCA?

JCA is part of the Experience Education family, which is part of the wider Travelopia Group and are a full ABTA member, which ensures your money is protected.

What if my child requires medication whilst on their stay?

We will need to know in advance of any medical complaints or illnesses and treatments required during their stay. Any medication must be stored appropriately. It is the responsibility of the Party Leader to ensure that details of dosage, administration and storage requirements are met. JCA Staff are also on hand with first aid qualifications to deal with minor first aid incidents. They have pre-established links with local doctors, dentists and hospitals in case of emergency, although they are unable to administer medication. Full records of treatment will be documented and parents/guardians will always be alerted in a real emergency.

What does JCA stand for?

Junior Choice Adventure; we are proud to be part of the Travelopia group of companies.

Do I need to provide pocket money?

The choice to provide pocket money for your child is at your discretion. However, each centre does sell JCA merchandise and operates a tuck shop and vending machines. If you do provide pocket money, we recommend providing change for use in the shops and vending machines.

Can my child bring a mobile phone/computer console etc?

We are not insured against these items and in our experience, it is not advisable for children to bring these items with them as they will be too busy to use them. If they are brought, it would be the responsibility of the Party Leader to manage their safekeeping and use.

Can I contact my child during their stay?

Part of the learning experience for each child is to adapt to being away from home. We would therefore ask that all parents allow their children to enjoy this experience unless contact is deemed necessary. Should we or your child need to contact you, we will of course make arrangements for this.

Can I take my group off site to a local attraction?

We can assist you with research on local attractions, but please be advised we are not TOMS registered, so you will need to organise your own transport and advise us if you plan to do an excursion in advance. We would also recommend you take advantage of your transport to and from the centre by booking excursions for the morning of your trip and the afternoon after departure.

We have always travelled with another company and would like to change, but I am not sure I can cope with all the paperwork…

We make it easy! We can send you our Safety Management Policy and risk assessments and will even complete your EV form for you. It is likely that we are already approved by your Local Authority as we have been taking schools from their area for years. We encourage Party Leaders who are not familiar with the JCA experience to join us on a Preview Visit to meet the team and other teachers. This provides you with the ideal opportunity to view the centre and surroundings and ask our staff any questions.

Are all of your staff DBS checked?

We are registered with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and also insist on two references for each employee. We require all employees to submit an enhanced disclosure to the DBS and check these results to ensure staff members are suitable. All staff members complete a formal induction plus a training and assessment period before commencing employment and are subject to continual assessment by Senior Staff throughout their period of employment to ensure they meet our high standards.

Can your staff administer first aid and medication?

All of our instructors are fully trained in first aid, but it is the responsibility of the Party Leaders to administer any medication that is required or prescribed.

What happens in severe weather?

Most activities can be run in wet weather and extra time will be set aside for your students to dry off properly. If the weather is extreme and activities cannot be run, the Centre Manager will implement the centre’s wet weather plan.

For netball, HC tournaments will check the safety of the netball courts on the morning of the tournament. The netball courts are newly resurfaced and are all-weather courts, so come rain or shine, we have the facilities to see your tournament through. 

What happens in an emergency?

Dependent on the severity of the emergency, you will be advised during your welcome meeting of the relevant procedures we have in place. The company has in-depth emergency action plans and a Safety Management System for all eventualities.

How do you comply with risk assessments?

At JCA, we are dedicated to providing quality outdoor learning opportunities in a safe and secure environment. An externally inspected Safety Management System is in place at all of our JCA activity centres with every member of the JCA team trained to our required standards. Comprehensive risk assessments have been completed for all activities featured at our UK activity centres. Generic documents are available upon request, just pop us an email at [email protected]. Learn more about our accreditations here.

Will the teams only compete with their own age group/year group?

All efforts are made to play each netball and football team in their own age groups. However, sometimes this may not be feasible due to the number of age groups booked onto the tournament and numbers being low in certain age groups.

What is the ability of the netball/football tournaments?

Our tournaments are complete mixed ability. We have teams come for the fun factor and playing netball and football in a different environment, whereas other teams do come and play more competitively. The majority of the teams do come for the experience of playing in a different environment.

When can I expect the fixtures for the weekend?

We try our best to get the fixtures to you approximately 1-2 weeks prior to departure. As you can understand, the fixtures can change regularly depending on age groups/numbers, so please bear with us if this is slightly delayed. We will always get this to you prior to your tournament.

Do I need to provide a scorer, umpire or referee for the weekend?

No, we provide all England Netball-affiliated umpires and FA-qualified coaches, so your group leaders are free to mentor you from the courtside. The umpires/referees also score, so no scorer is required.

What is the minimum number of players in a netball team?

There must be 5 players on the netball court at one time. If not, then your team will have to forfeit the match or borrow players from another team.

Do we need to bring kit or equipment?

Please ensure that you bring your own kit/bibs with you. We provide match balls, however please provide your own netballs/footballs, should you wish to practice.

Can I play a student down in the year below?

Unfortunately, no as this will be an unfair advantage. Players can only play up.

Can family members come to the centre to watch the tournament?

Unfortunately, Condover Hall is not open to the public, therefore spectators are not allowed.

Can a 17-year old play in the adult netball tournament?

Yes. Please be aware the 17-year old is under the full responsibility of the team and trip organiser on-site.

What is the fancy-dress theme on Saturday night?

Each year, we have a different fancy dress theme for the Saturday evening party night. You do not need to dress up, it is perfectly acceptable to wear your own outfits, but to join the fun and find out the fancy dress theme for your weekend, please contact your trip coordinator.