Concord College Assistant Principal (Co-curricular, outreach & inclusion) Orlagh Hotchkiss considers the lasting benefits of an outdoor education programme that is embedded in the curriculum
Outdoor Education has been a thriving aspect of student’s curriculum at Concord College for the last 20 years. In a highly academic environment, students welcome the opportunity to challenge themselves outside of the classroom and the regular trips we take into nature also help to provide perspective and support positive mental wellbeing.
It is fundamentally important to help young people relate to each other and to the environment in a positive way. Young people need opportunities to risk getting things wrong, to be challenged to do things they genuinely don’t believe are possible for them and to do so in a strongly supportive environment.
Outdoor learning provides students with the opportunity to find something truly difficult, to give and receive help from friends and ultimately to, as our head of outdoor education put it, “realise that they have achieved something that they initially thought was beyond them’. They learn the benefits of teamwork, perseverance, and belief in yourself and others. We see improved camaraderie and self-worth. We watch as they learn to face new situations with confidence. The lateral thinking skills they develop can be applied to their academic studies and to their future lives.
Our programme involves every student right from day one. The school induction week features the challenge of our very own high-ropes course, an ice breaker in making friends but also a key moment to help new students warm to the idea of being challenged physically and mentally in the outdoors.
Every year group has a residential or outdoor pursuits experience, visiting beautiful environments in Wales, and Derbyshire, where they engage in activities such as rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing and gorge walking. Our Lower School pupils (years 9-11) benefit from regular outdoor-pursuit activities as part of their core curriculum and take advantage of the beautiful local Shropshire Hills. Activities include rock climbing, mountain biking, hill walking, canoeing and high ropes.
Another element is the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award (DofE), which provides an excellent framework for those wanting to take things further, but we are careful to ensure that students who can’t commit to all of the elements of the DofE are still exposed to the excitement and challenge of outdoor pursuits.
Whether the pinnacle of their achievement is a Gold DofE or navigating our local hills to arrive back for an ice cream, every student makes progress and achieves something to be proud of. One student recently recalled proudly the change in his outdoor strengths as he recalled the transformation from being someone who had to be helped up the hill by his team in Form 4 to being the one leading and encouraging others on a trip to Anglesey.
These experiences help our students to learn valuable skills and life lessons in an environment far removed from the classroom. Exploring problems in a practical capacity and overcoming challenges develops teamwork and refines their communication skills. More than that, the experiences provide lasting memories, stories to share and a chance to view classmates in an entirely different light.
Concord College concordcollegeuk.com
Further reading: Healthy competition – why school sports are so important
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