Outdoor Education

by Martin Foakes, Head of Outdoor Education

At the end of each academic year, we take the time to reflect on all the amazing outdoor opportunities that have taken place and celebrate the adventures that we have had together. This year, the Coronavirus pandemic effectively brought all group outdoor activities and school trips to a halt from March onwards and, while we did undertake trips in the first half of the year, for most students (and teachers) there was the undeniable disappointment of seeing these cancelled.

At difficult times like these, we tend to show our true characters. What struck me about the end of the 2019/20 academic year was the resilience and positivity shown by our community in the face of this highly unprecedented and unpredictable pandemic.

I can think of no better example of this than the exemplary attitudes shown by our Year 12 students. Many in the year group were looking forward to the trip of a lifetime in the summer of 2020 – either by taking part in the school’s first expedition to Tibet or experiencing an overland trip to Mongolia. Many Year 12 students had been looking forward to undertaking a real “jungle adventure” in Borneo, while our Caring for Cambodia group were preparing fundraising activities for a trip to Siem Reap. More students had expressed interest in a planned residential to Japan than ever before.

As COVID-19 began to limit travel options, it was amazing to see how Year 12 students took this on the chin and calmly changed their planned destinations to areas that had not yet been affected by the latest travel restrictions. By mid-March, however, all options were off the table and indeed the Tanglin campus was closed. Throughout this challenging period, I was and remain very proud of all our students for the way they handled the disappointment. They demonstrated a level of maturity, patience and understanding that will stand them in good stead in the future. We hope they never lose their appetites for adventure.

Infant School

Thankfully, we were able to complete several of our planned Infant day trips, such as a visit to Labrador Park and the local market. By January, however, we were already being careful to avoid public spaces and so our remaining calendar of visits was cancelled. We are excited about exploring outdoor adventure opportunities in our surrounding neighbourhood next year and are working hard to make a Forest School-type experience a reality for our youngest children!

Junior School

as a superb River Walk that involved plenty of splashing, falling over and, most importantly of all, lots of smiles. Huge credit is due to Mr Andrews and the Year 5 Team for making this trip such a great experience. While planned residentials for Years 3, 4 and 6 did not take place in 2019/20, there will be other opportunities in the coming academic year for these students as the local situation settles into a “new normal”, and we will continue to plan for a number of travel scenarios.

Senior School

Around 140 students in Year 9 made it all the way to Camp Panther in North India, where they were welcomed by blue skies and the clear waters of the Upper Ganges. While Delhi was experiencing severe smog, up in the city and surrounds of Rishikesh, the weather was perfect for a week of outdoor adventure in the foothills of the Himalayas. We also offered a varied and exciting week of activities in Singapore for students who could not go to India – and with considerable uncertainty about global travel, it is these local experiences that will prove to be an increasingly important feature of how the Outdoor Education team will operate going forward.

Our Year 10 trip in conjunction with Outward Bound Australia was reluctantly postponed due to the devastating 2019-20 Australian bushfire season, but a residential to Vietnam and three Thailand trips (to Mae Teng, the River Kwai and our Chiang Mai Adventure) all went ahead in January. It was cold weather that challenged our Vietnam group the most, but they tackled the rain and chilly temperatures with fortitude and good spirits. CEO Mr Considine (complete with his signature red Tanglin Lions cap) paid a surprise flying visit to Chiang Mai where he joined the students on a visit to an organic farm and took a tour of the hot springs campsite.

Other notable and classic Outdoor Education experiences that went ahead in Term 1 included the Year 12 Geography trip, also to Chiang Mai, and the Year 12 Art residential to Luang Prabang, Laos. As always, students and staff threw themselves into the experience with open hearts and minds.

Looking Forward and Outward in 2020/21

At Tanglin, we are committed to learning that takes place beyond the classroom and are working hard to ensure the forthcoming academic year features a programme of exciting trips that also meet the need for social distancing and to avoid unnecessary risk. It is a careful balance, but it is certainly not impossible – and we will need to be able to adapt. We expect to start the year with a strong focus on local learning experiences in our near neighbourhood that can be gradually broadened into 2021. We are lucky to have so many exciting and varied learning destinations right on our doorstep, such as the historic Wessex estate, the Green Corridor and Tanglin Halt Market.

One positive aspect of the disruption this year has been the opportunity given to the Outdoor Education team to reflect deeply on the learning experiences we offer to Tanglin students, and to identify our priorities. Safety always comes first, of course, but it has become ever clearer that we must focus on the development of skills and learning opportunities that take place on a trip, rather than its destination. By doing this, we can continue to provide outstanding experiences that take place locally whenever our ability to travel is restricted. As a school, we have been lucky enough to visit an incredible range of inspiring destinations. But as all of us have discovered this year, it isn’t so much about where you go – it’s about who you’re with and what you do when you get there.