Next Thing Education Ltd. Reviews 26

We are extremely disappointed with this holiday camp. We submitted a formal complaint in full accordance with their Terms and Conditions, but despite this, we have received absolutely no response for several months. After waiting patiently, we contacted them again, and once more we were met with complete indifference and silence. No one ever replied.
Even more concerning is that after attending their camp, our son experienced ongoing problems for a long period of time. This raises serious questions about the level of care, responsibility, and professionalism at the camp.
In our opinion, the staff are absolutely incompetent, poorly prepared, and clearly not properly trained to work with children. The lack of communication, accountability, and concern for children’s well-being is unacceptable.
We strongly advise other parents to think very carefully before trusting this camp with their children.

I think the quality of these camps depend on luck. My sons had previously attended in Hertford and absolutely loved it. This time they went to Woodford camp and it was appalling. The staff were rude and seemed uninterested in the kids, the activities were poor and my sons were bored, and then they spent the whole afternoon playing games on shared iPads. I picked my children up after the first day and they told me everything that had happened and asked me not to take them back the next day, so I of course didn’t take them back and I won’t be booking a Next Thing camp for them again.

Do not use this organisation. They cancelled a class with 2 days notice and have not yet provided a refund.

Do not trust this company they are awful at customer service. Camp cancelled with a couple of days notice (only found out when other parents told me). Still to this day haven't had official email. Camp leader told me in person.

I am still trying to get a refund sorted one month later. They don't respond to emails and the phone now disconnects when selected.

The sad thing is my son really enjoyed the camps.

Awful company. They'll advertise a camp, take your money, cancel the camp, and then only after 7 months of chasing (and mostly being ignored) and various threats of legal action might they finally get around to refunding you.

And that's if you're lucky.

The team is doing a great job and I as parent am glad that we found a camp that is not mainly focusing on sport activities. This is the only club my son actually enjoys and goes to willingly.

My 7 year old son went to a tech camp run by Next Thing at a local school for a week at Easter, his first day camp experience. He loved it! A representative quote after the first day: "It was 10/10, the best day ever! ... Except for the day I was born, and my birthday." My 4 year old is jealous and can't wait to go next year when he is old enough.

From a parent's point of view, the camp seemed really well run, pick up and drop off were smooth. I liked that we had choice about how many days and what days to send our kids, although I wish the schedules for specific days for the local camp were available in advance so I could choose the days my son was most likely to enjoy. We sent our son for a whole week so he didn't miss the day with his favourite activities, but would have chosen three days if we could be sure about the activities. The price of the camp was really reasonable in my opinion for a whole day and the quality of activities! Also the support provided for my son's special needs was really good.

I will definitely send my kids to Next Thing's tech camp in the future, and it may become a regular school holiday activity! I strongly recommend it.

Absolutely excellent team, in Taunton, Somerset. Our two children (5.5 and 8.5 years old) loved making the electronics contraptions. They made a vacuum, a magnifier glass, a robot, a light up friendly monster, a boat, a wind powered engine. They normally don’t enjoy activities without me but I was so pleasantly surprised that not only they loved it but they asked to go again. The team was friendly and professional and made our children feel very welcomed. Bravo Next Thing Education Camp !!!

Really great holiday club - my son always has a great experience and makes very cool thing he gets to bring home. Would definitely recommend!

AJAY G Totally Unprofessional manner to his colleague, way below professional standard as a education company should provide.

Absolutely awful customer service. We purchased a home kit (£15) which was never delivered to our child during the camp. We were promised for it to be shipped to our home addressed - never happened. Numerous emails and phone calls have not been answered - avoid

Really poor! Expensive camps that do not deliver on anything promised. Young babysitters for staff that leave the kids to their own devices. The "Inventors kit" purchase with the order was not delivered despite chasing. Do not be taken in with the "STEM" marketing, its a load of rubbish. Your child will be sat in a room with some chavvy teenagers "supervising" them, provided with a task with limited instruction with the end product not working....and for that you pay ££££! You have been warned!

My son loved it but they cancelled two days at short notice and only refunded for one despite several times chasing.

Very dissatisfied. They say they are send specific but they are not. My child has autism and is still in nappies but they refuse to help with personal care.
Didn’t like attitude of one of the managers.
Honestly the most unhelpful and inconsiderate person I’ve ever come across!

Overall, my son enjoyed it and we would consider doing it again. The staff were friendly and he made some new friends.

However, they didn't seem to cover the activities listed on the schedule and he didn't learn much in the process.

He came back with a STEM kit each day, which was great. But none of them worked initially. The kids don't seem to have had enough guidance to check if they were assembling them correctly. Plus, they weren't given an opportunity on any of the days to actually test their creations and see them in action. You'd think given the prices that were charged they could have thrown in a couple of packs of AA batteries and scheduled five minutes at the end of the day to test the machines they'd built and get help to fix them if required.

It was a positive experience, but it could have been so much more with a bit more thought put into it.

My kids were bored, but the reason I am giving them a poor rating is that despite agreeing that I could switch payment method, they never refunded me despite several chasers, so I paid twice. Once they have your money they don't care.

Awful!

My son has come away from the camp with nightmares and ongoing anxiety as he was given a VR headset with in person sniper fighting with blood effects. He is 8.

5 year old children were in this group as well.

I have complained to the company about serious safeguarding issues, no signing in or out, inappropriate content etc. No response.

The school counselor has had to get involved to give my son support.

Equipment not charged, played on tablets all day so had to entertain themselves with tag. Too much help needed by younger children that any other children didn't get a look in.

They have been reported to Ofsted.

We read the reviews, have benefit of the doubt, worst decision we have ever made. Avoid completely.

First time hoping to send my child to a Tech Camp in Berkshire.

The camp was cancelled a week before my child was due to attend. A 20% discount was offered to transfer to another venue (not appropriate) but no recompense for not accepting that unhelpful offer.

Of course there are no spaces left at other venues, at this short notice.

Bad first impression-NextThing Education. Perhaps this is why local parents don't book their children a place on your camps.

Edited to add: two weeks on and three emails and a call later, I am yet to receive either response or money back.

My 3 children (9,6 and 6) had a brilliant time at camp - this is their favourite one out of the (many!!) we have tried and the only one all 3 have loved - result! They raved about the activities and the club leader was incredibly welcoming and loads of fun. Felt assured as a parent they were in safe hands and enjoying their day.

Great to have the kids occupied, but the VR Headsets whilst 'guaranteed' when asked by specific email did not materialise at all during the week.
In addition, my son said that some of the equipment and games were broken.
Overall, very disappointing, and when asked for a refund (just for one day, at least!) I've been ignored.
On the plus side, the organisers there, though young, seemed to keep things under control.