OUTDOOR LEARNING

& DUKE OF EDINBURGH

BEN WILKINSON

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards

Old Cats presented at St James’s Palace

Five Old Caterhamians attended their Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award Presentation at St James’s Palace on Tuesday 11 February.

ith three progressive

Wlevels, the Gold Award is the pinnacle of the programme and requires two self-sufficient expeditions in the hills of South Wales for four days and three nights walking for 7 to 8 hours each day. This is in addition to a full year of voluntary work plus six to twelve months of a skill and physical activity for at least one hour a week. Whilst the awards require significant commitment from each individual, they offer a life changing experience and the opportunity to develop key essential skills for life and work.

The award was presented to the Old Cats by HRH the Earl of Wessex.

The award was presented to the Old Cats by HRH the Earl of Wessex

DofE GOLD AWARDS

BEE HIVES

PRE-SCHOOL OUTDOOR LEARNING

s I write this review in

Athe midst of ‘living with Covid19’ I am struck by the ongoing importance of Outdoor Learning and its place within the School curriculum. Classroom based teaching is where the majority of pupils learning takes place, however it is during outdoor sessions that ideas and concepts can be cemented into pupil’s memory. Within our sessions from Pre-School to Sixth Year we have been working heavily on developing pupils ‘soft’ skills; resilience, communication, leadership, patience, grit, perseverance, teamwork and motivation are but a few of these and are all key to developing well rounded and engaged young adults ready for life after school.

Over the past year almost all of our trips and activities have been cancelled; however, this has not been a time for treading water, the past six months have been spent updating and rebuilding our school resources and infrastructure for Outdoor Learning. I am proud to say that the WildCats area now boasts four new team building challenges, a teaching area and an assault course, all of which were built during lockdown and are ready for pupils returning in September 2020. The school now has 2 colonies of bees and a mini orchard based in the paddock behind the Prep School, and we are looking at new ways to expand our learning areas for 2021 and beyond.

Within Old Park Wood, Chalara Francine (Ash dieback) has been a large concern and as a result vast areas of the wood are being cleared and replanted. Regeneration gaps and clearings have also been created and we are seeing the benefits of this with a greater spectrum of biodiversity on show through the seasons. Birds, dragonflies, bats, mice, badgers, deer and foxes can all be seen inhabiting and reclaiming the woods and will be studied by the pupils for years to come.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award Expeditions were decimated this year with only one of the five planned expeditions taking place. Due to travel restrictions and Covid regulations it was impossible for us to safely lead Expeditions, however the pupils have been continuing with all other areas of their awards and we have had some great successes. In the past 12 months there have been 9 Gold Awards and 58 Silver Awards completed; a great display given the circumstances of the past 8 months.

As we move towards September 2020 the provision for Outdoor Learning is growing. Mr Dyer is joining the team as Head of Outdoor Learning in the Prep School, with more regular lessons for all pupils, and weekly Woodland Activities are being given to all classes in the Pre-Prep. It may be hard to see an end to the current pandemic, but I am confident that when it happens, Outdoor Learning will become an even greater force within the school for helping us to nurture well rounded and conscientious individuals, that are ready for the ever changing world beyond.

WILDCATS AREA ASSAULT COURSE