barracudas.co.uk

It's more like a Militar camp than children summer camp.

Our recent experience with Barracudas Summer Camp in Balham was deeply disappointing. My 4-year-old son, who is currently in Reception, is full of energy, friendly, and polite. Like many children his age, he is still learning to manage his emotions — something completely typical in early childhood development.On his first day, we explained clearly to the staff that our son can struggle with changes in routine and may become frustrated in certain situations, particularly if another child takes a toy from him or disrupts his play. His emotional reactions, such as hitting or biting, are rare and not premeditated — but when they do occur, it’s usually because no adult was close by to help him regulate in the moment. At his school and after-school club, this hasn’t been an issue because staff know how to guide and pre-empt these situations with care.What was most upsetting was how quickly we were told that if it happened again, our child could be excluded. I spoke with Sara (from head office, I believe), and I was shocked by how she described my son — as if he were a much older child capable of fully understanding and managing complex emotional expectations. He’s not. He’s 4.From a child development perspective, emotional self-regulation is something that continues developing well into primary school. At this age, children rely on adults to help them co-regulate. Punitive measures like exclusion are not only ineffective — they are inappropriate when used as a first response to completely age-typical behaviour. The strict, rigid way the camp was run felt far closer to a military training program than a nurturing children’s summer camp.Adding to our concern, there were three separate occasions when our son came home with visible injuries — a bruise on his nose, a scratch on his chin, and even a bruise underneath his eye. In none of these cases were we informed by staff about what had happened. Each time I asked, the answer was the same: “I’ll check and get back to you” — but nobody ever did. This lack of transparency and communication is unacceptable in any childcare setting.Because we were told our son might be excluded, and before that could even happen, my husband and I made the decision to remove him and enroll him in another summer camp. I spoke with the manager at the new camp directly, and she immediately showed a much deeper understanding of young children’s needs and behaviour. It was a clear contrast in professionalism and developmental knowledge.If a holiday camp cannot support a child in Reception who just needs some adult guidance and patience, then I genuinely question whether they are equipped to be working with young children at all.To be clear, my son does not have any diagnosis, is not on the autism spectrum, and does well in structured settings where staff are trained to understand child behaviour. But if your child is the kind who doesn’t immediately “follow the book,” Barracudas is not the right place.That said, I want to thank Patrice and Fran, who were kind, understanding, and the only part of this experience that felt genuinely child-centred. They clearly care and tried their best.For one of the most expensive camps in the Balham area, we expected a much higher standard of emotional understanding, communication, and basic safety. We won’t be returning, and I know we’re not alone.

Date of experience: Aug 01, 2025