Students at Greenfield Community College have been sampling outdoor life at the Howtown Centre, Ullswater as part of their varied learning programme. Each year staff look at transferable skills which can be taken from the trip and used in the classroom. This year students focused on resilience and independence, as well as building in listening and communication skills.
The Year 7 group were keen to soak up the experience taking part in activities such as hiking, rock climbing, tunnelling and jog and dip. One of the most challenging was the expedition, students were packed up with camping equipment and rations and then hiked to a camp base where they spent the night, a great test in survival skills! One of the most popular activities was gorge walking which included an exciting and thrilling chance to climb a waterfall.
Year 7 student, Sky White enjoyed the experience, “we camped on the top of a mountain! It was really cold but the view was really nice, I also liked the caving, even though it was tight it was fun”
Greenfield Staff and Students have been visiting Howtown for 10 years, an excellent outward-bound centre in a fabulous setting in the lake district. 44 Year 7 students were keen to take up the offer and were rewarded with a valuable experience, they not only found it helpful for their academic studies but gained new expertise in team building, made new friends and gained confidence in the process.
Subject Specialist, Mrs Robson was thrilled with the quality of the trip, “The Outward Bound team are great to work with and make everything so easy, each group is provided with a qualified instructor who will work with the throughout the week. The service provided is well thought out and practised and couldn’t be faulted”.
The impact of the trip is huge and a fantastic opportunity for the students. Just to spend time away from home in the Lake District is wonderful, but to be pushed and challenged and learn new skills is priceless.
