The pupils were joined by their Form Tutors and other members of pastoral staff deemed brave enough to ride the giant swings, jump from high platforms or speed down zip lines. The purpose of the camp was to further embed bonds of friendship between the boys and girls, and to create some strong memories of the start of their time in the Lower School.
A brief hop down the A3 was all that was needed to reach Hindhead on the Wednesday morning, and the pupils were soon settling into their accommodation before the first set of activities. Over the next three days there was time to practise skills with fencing, archery and shooting in the rifle range, as well as activities which required a degree of confidence with height or speed, including giant swing, climbing, zip wire and trapeze. Map reading skills were not always in evidence with the orienteering, but the youngsters enjoyed this experience and finding their way around in the woods without the benefit of phones or GPS.
Over the course of the trip, there were many, many occasions where pupils challenged themselves to climb or swing that little bit higher than before, and the calls of encouragement from their peers was heartening to see. The boys and girls also did very well to manage the demands of being away from home sensibly, and there was a tangible sense of support and care for one another. In this regard the aims of the trip were met really successfully, and we hope that all Third Formers enjoyed their time away. They were great company and the accompanying staff team were excellent in their roles.
