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Teenagers

Parenting teenagers has its ups and downs. Get advice from Mumsnetters here.

if you are thinking of sending your children to Kingswood- just a warning!

29 replies

jj2505 · 21/03/2024 13:17

Do Not Send Your Children Here!!

My son went to Kingswood with his college for a 5-day 4-night trip, well on day 3 I went to get him at his request, he describes it as boot camp and prison-like! The bedding provided sheets and duvet were dirty yellow urine stained, the mattress was so hard and lumpy he barely slept both nights, and both his and his dorm mate’s beds were infested with bedbugs! The showers were barely working and cold! The toilets were filthy and there was no privacy or security when showering just a thin curtain. There was lots of loud noise from other guests going on most of the night, other guests running up and down, kicking and knocking on doors till late. Broken door latch so again no security for them or their belongings. Food was bland and barely edible, he was given pink chicken one meal! The place is uninhabitable, unhygienic, and not fit for purpose, if we had read some of the reviews we have since found he wouldn’t bothered going. The only thing he enjoyed was the activities but the poor conditions of the living areas, dirty infested beds, under cooked food, and general uninhabitable conditions ruined everything else. Waste of money, time and in my opinion should be shut down. it was expensive and a huge stress

OP posts:
BodenCardiganNot · 21/03/2024 13:21

Where is Kingswood?

WelcomeMarchwithwintrywind · 21/03/2024 13:23

This Kingswood?

Edit: I know nothing about the place, just did a Google search to save other readers doing one.

MyLovelyPurse · 21/03/2024 13:30

Oh dear, your poor DS!

there are lots of places called Kingswood which one is it?

idontlikealdi · 21/03/2024 13:30

Ashford? My kids went two years ago and loved it, apart from the food which was by all accounts shit. They took sleeping bags with them.

They're going again in July with secondary so this doesn't bode well. And it was very expensive!

HotChocWine · 21/03/2024 13:30

Specific location OP?

They have more than one site

RhubarbAndFlustered · 21/03/2024 13:33

I'm assuming DS has sent you pics of the bedding? Bedbugs evidence? Shite food? I'd be posting those here.

Hoplolly · 21/03/2024 13:34

I went there on a school trip in 1990, it was a dump then!

WhamBamThankU · 21/03/2024 13:45

My DS went 5 years ago to one and loved it.

idontlikealdi · 21/03/2024 15:18

Are you going to tell us which one @jj2505 ?

jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:33

BodenCardiganNot · 21/03/2024 13:21

Where is Kingswood?

it's in ashford, kennington the one he went to

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:33

the one in kennington, forgot to put that!

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:34

yes it has a few locations the one my son went to was in kennington

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:35

kennington

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:36

RhubarbAndFlustered · 21/03/2024 13:33

I'm assuming DS has sent you pics of the bedding? Bedbugs evidence? Shite food? I'd be posting those here.

yes i have pictures and will be making a formal complaint with them my son also has the bed bug bites, so do his friends

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PuttingDownRoots · 21/03/2024 15:36

My DD just spent a weekend at the Doncaster one. Her only complaint was there was a lot of chips. And the mattress was squeaky.

Clean, nice food, great activities.

jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:37

idontlikealdi · 21/03/2024 15:18

Are you going to tell us which one @jj2505 ?

new to mumsnet was trying to work out how to reply, it was kennington one

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:42

PuttingDownRoots · 21/03/2024 15:36

My DD just spent a weekend at the Doncaster one. Her only complaint was there was a lot of chips. And the mattress was squeaky.

Clean, nice food, great activities.

they have a few locations i forgot to put which one and am new to this site so couldn't work out how to reply, maybe some of the other sites are ok, but this was just ours (and several other families) experience with this site

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:46

BodenCardiganNot · 21/03/2024 13:21

Where is Kingswood?

Ashford Kennington

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 15:47

idontlikealdi · 21/03/2024 13:30

Ashford? My kids went two years ago and loved it, apart from the food which was by all accounts shit. They took sleeping bags with them.

They're going again in July with secondary so this doesn't bode well. And it was very expensive!

well i've started a formal complaint and put in a complaint to environmental health so hopefully they'll will have made a few changes by then

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Blueberrycreampie · 21/03/2024 16:23

I live near there - it would be good if the local paper got hold of this story!

jj2505 · 21/03/2024 16:34

Blueberrycreampie · 21/03/2024 16:23

I live near there - it would be good if the local paper got hold of this story!

i have put in a formal complaint with the company and with the environmental health agency as I''m not happy with the circumstances and I just wanted to warn everyone to hopefully save others the time, money and stress if I had looked deeper into the reviews which I wish I had I would have not allowed him to go but I didn't which was a fault on my behalf, if I get no response from company it might be a good idea going more public as something needs to change there obviously

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OutOfTheHouse · 21/03/2024 16:35

Did he, or any of the other children, take pictures at all?

If this was a school trip then make sure the school know and see pictures. That way they will know not to book it again.

EachandEveryone · 21/03/2024 16:37

Why dont people read the thread its literally only on page one!

jj2505 · 21/03/2024 16:47

OutOfTheHouse · 21/03/2024 16:35

Did he, or any of the other children, take pictures at all?

If this was a school trip then make sure the school know and see pictures. That way they will know not to book it again.

Edited

there were pics and video taken which I have for the formal complaint but if I don't get a response I'm more than happy to share them I have sent them to environmental health

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jj2505 · 21/03/2024 16:48

jj2505 · 21/03/2024 16:47

there were pics and video taken which I have for the formal complaint but if I don't get a response I'm more than happy to share them I have sent them to environmental health

think the school are more than aware because my son wasn't the first or last of his group to leave early due to poor conditions

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