Outdoor Education
Sparking a sense of adventure and developing long-lasting friendships.
When children are allowed to experience adventure it helps them to be able to deal with risk and assess danger, encourages them to think for themselves, builds their self-confidence, and develops their resilience.
In this way, adventurous activities will prepare them for uncertainties they may face in the future.
We believe that getting outside and experiencing alternative methods of learning is a vital part of education which gives our pupils a direct, first-hand experience of nature. As a result, our pupils are also respectful of the natural world and have a desire to care for it.
Through a variety of fun and challenging ventures, pupils will learn how to explore and innovate, while also developing their leadership and teamwork skills.
Regular Outdoor Pursuits Clubs take place after school and provide pupils with the chance to learn basic outdoor skills such as map reading, shelter building and fire lighting.
Additionally, our pupils are given the opportunity to challenge themselves on our on-site High Ropes course at the Pre Prep’s Haresfoot campus, testing themselves against the Gladiator Challenge or working in their teams to build the tallest tower of crates possible.
Outdoor Education
Looking Forward
Pupils who progress from Berkhamsted Prep to our Senior Schools will have the opportunity to continue their adventurous outdoor education, starting with a Bushcraft experience day in Year 7 and going on to include:
A climbing club
A multi-activity trip to Snowdonia, where pupils will scale a mountain, scramble up a gorge and abseil into a disused quarry
Joining the Combined Cadet Force – which offers students the opportunity to experience everything from becoming a powerboat instructor to a glider pilot
The Duke of Edinburgh Award – beginning with the Bronze level and continuing through to Gold, with the opportunity of expeditions to the Lake District, Brecon Beacons or the Croatia coastline
LEAP INTO ACTION
Open Events
Value added is the name of the game: most enter the nursery at national standard, but by year 6 the vast majority are well beyond it, with many of them significantly above.
Pupils develop their self-knowledge, self-esteem and resilience to a mature level, encouraged by the school’s focus on perseverance.
