School Life

    SCHOOL LIFE

    Outdoor Education

    Co-curricular

    The Adventurer Colin Mortlock sums up what we are trying to achieve at Bryanston in the field of Outdoor Education:

    ‘To adventure in the natural environment is consciously to take up a challenge that will demand the best of our capabilities – physically, mentally and emotionally. It is a state of mind that will initially accept unpleasant feelings of fear, uncertainty and discomfort, and the need for luck, because we instinctively know that, if we are successful, these will be counterbalanced by opposite feelings of exhilaration and joy.’

    Outdoor Education - Bronze DofE Camping

    There are many opportunities for pupils to experience an adventure and develop life skills.

    It is possible for them to transfer the emotional strength gained during these activities and use the experiences to their advantage in meeting and overcoming the challenges that they face at school and in everyday life, whether that is striving for higher grades, forging supportive and productive relationships with others or engaging with the world around them.

    In essence outdoor education makes us all stronger, more resilient and more likely to achieve our full potential in life.

    Consent forms and detailed information for current parents are available in My School Portal.

    It’s often what happens outside the classroom that we remember most from our school days.

    Adventure Training

    Adventure training

    In the junior years outdoor education is a compulsory part of the timetable, starting in the summer term of Year 9) when pupils spend an afternoon each week learning about camp-craft, navigation and the natural environment.

    The emphasis of the training programme is to give the pupils the skills and awareness to be in the outdoor environment and go for a walk with confidence and enthusiasm. The term culminates in a two-day hike and camp across the Dorset countryside, where pupils put their new skills to the test.

    In Year 10, pupils take part in a wide variety of activities, providing lots of new experiences and broadening their horizons. At the end of the spring term, the whole year group spends five days at Skern Lodge, North Devon, where pupils have the opportunity to take part in taster sessions in a wide range of activities.

    In the past, many pupils have discovered a passion for a new hobby while taking part in adventure training and have chosen to explore these further.

    Pupils on Ten Tors Challenge

    Ten Tors Challenge

    Ten Tors is a magnificent event that has been organised by the army for over 50 years. Each year there are 2,400 participants who walk 35, 45 or 55 miles across Dartmoor.

    It is solely for young people and completing it is no easy feat. The terrain, distance and climate all conspire against the participant’s success and only with the correct training, commitment, endurance and grit can the challenge be completed.

    Each year we submit two teams. We select a team of six Year 10 pupils who take on the 35-mile challenge while a selected team of six Year 12 pupils take on the 45-mile challenge. Through entering the event we provide the pupils with a challenging adventure that demands careful planning, imagination, endurance, skilful navigation and teamwork.

    The 2024 Ten Tors will take place on Dartmoor during the weekend of 11 & 12 May 2024.

    Throughout the year all pupils interested in entering the challenge take part in training sessions to develop the skills needed to succeed, including navigation and expedition practice, before the final team selection is made.

    Duke of Edinburgh Awards hike

    Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

    Our pupils take part in the Bronze Award in Year 9. This culminates in a two day assessed walking expedition in the local countryside.

    Pupils then complete the Silver Award in Year 10. Following training in the countryside around Bryanston, they complete a three day assessed expedition on the Isle of Purbeck.

    At Gold Award level in Year 12, pupils can choose their expedition style from:

    • Walking – in the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog) and Snowdonia (Eryri National Park)
    • Canoeing – on the River Thames and Severn
    • Sailing – from Portsmouth, exploring the South Coast and the Isle of Wight
    • Horse riding – in the Brecon Beacons (Bannau Brycheiniog)

    The DofE programme’s strength lies in broadening the education of its candidates and offering opportunities not available in the classroom. It is widely respected for the educational benefits that it offers as participants develop independence and self-motivation, as well as planning and decision-making skills.

    Universities and employers hold the Gold level of the Award in very high regard, giving holders an advantage in a competitive world.

    Kayaking ECA

    Kayaking

    We run indoor sessions in the pool and outdoor sessions on the River Stour. We also travel further afield to Dartmoor for regular white water river kayaking.

    Pupils can also sign up to race kayaking as a sporting option.

    Rock climbing

    We have an outdoor climbing tower and an indoor bouldering wall that pupils can use throughout their time at the school.

    We take the skills learnt on site at school and regularly visit local indoor climbing venues, as well as trips to Portland and Dartmoor.

    Mountain biking

    Pupils have two or three sessions a week riding the trails in the school grounds. These have all been built by the pupils during the trail-building sessions as part of our Pioneering programme.

    We also visit mountain biking trails in the local area.