This month, 24 students in Years 7-10 attended our fourth annual Outward Bound Trust residential trip to the Lake District to take on a number of outdoor pursuits.

The group stayed at the popular Howtown Centre by Lake Ullswater. Some, who had previous experience of the trip, were prepared for the arrival challenge, "Jog and Dip' , which involved a run followed by a fully clothed dip in the lake. Experienced students proved to be natural mentors to our Year 7s and many of the braver students added to the fun by jumping off the jetty!

Students enjoyed a variety of challenging activities during the week-long trip such as Canoeing, Gorge walking, Rock climbing and Raft building, and they also successfully completed the team building course on the site, which included Tunneling and Night Lining.

The highlight of the trip for many was the "Expedition Challenge', designed to test the survival and team working skills of our young people. With rucksacks packed with camping equipment, sleeping bags and food, they walked and canoed to the top of the mountain, set up camp and enjoyed an evening of games, songs and jokes, followed by a well deserved night sleeping under canvas.

The trip is designed to inspire students to become more aware of their environment and to help them become more resilient when facing challenges, whilst increasing their independence. As in previous years, we have certainly seen an improvement in student confidence and self belief.

This year we were very kindly sponsored by AkzoNobel, the company that makes Dulux and Cuprinol, with a bursary towards the cost of the trip. This helped immensely in making the experience affordable for more of our families and we are extremely grateful. The group were also joined by company representative, Alex Wardle, as a mentor for the students.