Education Guide Hire
Our experienced education guides can navigate a group of up to 50 students across Dartmoor; helping them to understand and appreciate the natural and human features of the landscape in an active and exciting way.
Safety
We’re registered with The Adventure Activities Licensing Service to provide Trekking activities. View our licence at www.aals.org.uk licence number L9333/R0965.
All our guides have the Summer Moorland Leader Award from the South West Mountain and Moorland Leader Training Scheme. Many are qualified to lead moorland walking in winter and some can lead walks in a high mountainous environment. All our guides and education staff have been enhanced disclosure and barring service (DBS) checked and hold outdoor First Aid certificates.
Dartmoor National Park has a long and established history of providing safe and engaging outdoor learning opportunities for schools, youth groups and young people. We work closely with local authorities to ensure our systems and activities are robust and meet the guidance from the Outdoor Education Advisers’ National Panel. Guidance from this professional body states that schools should not request activity risk assessments from external providers as school and youth leaders are rarely competent to make a reasoned judgement upon them.
Dartmoor National Park provides information about its activities, staff qualifications and risk management to local authorities each year in line with the local authorities policies and procedures. If you have any queries relating to your own establishment’s use of the Dartmoor National Park Education Service, in the first instance you should refer to your own local authority policy or contact your Outdoor Education Adviser.
We reserve the right to alter or cut short a trip if necessary, for example due to bad weather, to keep students safe and well.
Prices
| Number of guides | Half day (3 hours) morning or afternoon | Up to 6 hours |
|---|---|---|
| One guide - up to 25 students | £60 | £75 |
| Two guides - up to 50 students | £120 | £150 |
How to book
You’ll need to book at least four weeks before the date you want.
Fill in the online enquiry form to let us know that you’re interested and to start your Dartmoor adventure. If you have any questions or want more information, call 01626 831080 between 9am-5pm or email education@dartmoor.gov.uk
Education Guide Hire Travel Grant
Some schools wishing to use our Education Guide Service may find that transport costs are a barrier to them visiting Dartmoor National Park.
We have a very limited number of Education Guide Service Travel Grants that can help towards travel costs up to £250. Your school needs to have 35% or more pupils eligible for free school meals.
Group sizes
We can only take groups of up to 35 students during bird nesting season which runs from 1 March - 31 July. We provide one DNPA guide for every group of 25 students. You will need to provide one adult leader or teacher for every 12 children. If the route will take you to a location that is more than half an hour away from transport or habitation, you will need to have one qualified guide for every 15 students.
Supervision
The group leader or teacher must accompany the walk and is responsible for the students at all times.
Parental consent
You must ensure that all students have signed parental consent for the activity.
Clothes and equipment
The ground is normally rough and wet and the vegetation is prickly. The weather can be extreme and can deteriorate rapidly and unexpectedly.
Students will need:
- boots or wellies, as even sensible shoes will end up wet through
- at least three layers of clothing, including a waterproof layer
- spare layers
- a drink and lunch in a rucksack not a carrier bag.
- a spare set of dry clothes for the journey home!
You must ensure that every member of your group is properly equipped before arriving on Dartmoor.
Dogs
Dogs are not allowed due to the risk to livestock.
Transport
We recommend travelling here by minibus rather than coach, to have a wider variety of starting points for your walk.
If you have to come by coach, use our map to find suitable roads for coaches and plan to start your walk at a place you can reach safely by coach.
Cancellations
- Once the walk has been booked there is a cancellation charge of £10.
- If you cancel with less than five working days’ notice the cancellation charge is the entire cost of the walk.
- If you need to cancel email education@dartmoor.gov.uk as soon as possible.
- If you’re concerned about weather conditions call us on 01626 831080 Monday - Friday or 01822 890414 on weekends the day before your walk. If we have to cancel the walk due to bad weather we’ll offer an alternative date.
National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown
If you’re planning to visit the National Park Visitor Centre, Princetown you’ll need to phone them on 01822 890414 in advance to book separately.