Adventure Education

Pupils who are relatively quiet and cautious by nature, grow in confidence and are willing to take on new experiences. Pupils learn to be as concerned for others as they are for themselves and the more confident ones learn to follow leadership before they are then able to lead. Most importantly, they are able to admit and then correct their mistakes.

Exploration inevitably involves a few wrong turns. We work on building the confidence needed to tackle challenges pupils may not believe they can do, safe in the knowledge that, if things go wrong, we are here to guide their learning. Pupils’ confidence and self-esteem rise dramatically as a result. They discover what can be achieved – often under challenging conditions. This pays back noticeable dividends in the classroom in terms of academic progress.

Experiences that are shorter in duration and involve large numbers of pupils. This may include learning to kayak on the Shropshire Union canal, canoeing on the Severn river or camping in the school grounds. These activities serve both as educational experiences in their own right and as a gateway to the high adventure programme for the pupils. The potential for danger is much lower, hence the term ‘accessible’.

A relatively small group go on longer-haul trips, normally with a high staff to pupil ratio. This type of adventure typically requires time and dedication from the pupils. They have to work hard to develop specific skills and achieve competence at a given activity, which will allow them to explore remote or challenging environments.

Risk is greater in high adventure and care must be taken to ensure that participants are ready and willing to engage  with it. Parental reassurance and involvement is crucial, not just from a safety perspective but also to help encourage and motivate participants when the going gets tough. Examples of high adventure might be participating in a round Anglesey canoe trip, trekking in the Himalayas, or rock climbing in Yosemite.