External Leadership Update – February 2023

February 27, 2023

The External Leadership (EL) has had a positive and productive half term.

Winter proves to be the most challenging time for outdoor activities and so far we have encountered temperatures as low as -5 degrees! This does not put us off and we continue to make the most of the great outdoors. Pupils, without doubt, show their resilience here and come prepared with essential, extra layers of clothing. 

Our two main curriculum activities have been bushcraft and indoor wall climbing.

In bushcraft, pupils have expanded their knowledge of fire-lighting and maintaining a fire. Other important skills to compliment this have included food preparation and knife skills. Together, this has enabled pupils to develop their expertise in open-fire cooking. Exploring has also been a key element of our time outside. 

At the indoor climbing wall, pupils have engaged positively in the importance of a constructive ‘warm up’ and have contributed their ideas to this. We have seen great participation in bouldering and belaying. Pupils have belayed each other, working together to develop trust alongside their climbing stamina. They also been able to climb with an auto belay. 

As part of their GCSE PE work, year 11 pupils have engaged in water activities and indoor wall climbing; progressing their skills in readiness for their assessment in March. 

EL has played an important part ACE Olympics, our rewards system. Our EL activities have been available as a reward on Friday afternoons, with many pupils choosing to take part in bushcraft on the school grounds. This often involve cooking some tasty food too! 

Our Archery range us also up and running with pupils being able to learn new skills including hand to eye co-ordination and well as safety aspects and calculation. 

In EL, we’re now looking forward to the next half term and the warmer weather that spring can bring.